What do you experience with an anxiet...
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What do you experience with an anxiet...
| Mon, 04-03-2006 - 10:05am |
What do you experience with an anxiety/panic attack?
- Rapid, irregular breathing. Unable to take a deep breath. Choking.
- Chest pain, aching or general discomfort.
- Fast heartbeat, missed beats, jumping or palpitations.
- Abdominal pain, nausea, *gassy,*vomiting, diarrhea.
- Sensations:hot flashes, chills, numbness, etc.
- Trembling, shaking, shivering, sweating.
- Dizziness, weakness, fainting, unsteady.
- Fear of dying, going crazy or *losing it.*
- Feelings of unreality, detached, spacy, not *with it.*
- Other or a combination. Please share.
You will be able to change your vote.

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Ummm...can I just answer yes to all of them? The only thing I've never done is faint. I havechest pain/tingling when the anxiety is at its worst. Normally it's a very rapid heartbeat, profuse sweating, hot flashes and chills, and feeling like I'm going to lose control. Those are my short-term panic attacks.
The slower-building and harder to deal with anxiety attacks usually start with feeling very detached and then the nausaea, rapid heartbeat, chills/hot flashes, and an overall feeling of total despair set in. So far I've not had one of these be shorter than 4 hours without using medication to stop it.
So, who else thinks that a panic attack should count as cardiovascular exercise?
~Meg
1.)Sensations:hot flashes, chills, numbness, etc
I usually get the numbness feeling. It's almost always somewhat present and I have to tell myself "Yes, you are scratching your arm. This is real" but when I have a bad panic attack sometimes I go completely numb.
2.)Fear of dying, going crazy or *losing it.*
I do worry that it will never end and I will go "crazy".
3.)Feelings of unreality, detached, spacy, not *with it.*
I always have to remind myself that things are "real" and then I start to think about what's real and what's not and it freaks me out to no end.
Another thing that happens to me that's not on the list is that my sense of hearing and touch get extremely hightened. Everything seems really loud. The other thing is really hard to explain. It seems like everything gets really fast. I can do something in what I know is slow motion and it seems like I'm moving at super speed. I've never talked to anyone who could understand what I meant by that. Does anyone else experience anything like that?
I voted other because I experience a combination of symptoms: rapid breathing, fast heartbeat, nausea, and dizziness. After it's over, I feel very spacey. My panic attacks are very physical in nature.
Laura
Butrfly,
Like I said, it's always been super hard for me to explain. Ok, if I'm walking down the hall I'll walk at what I realistically know is slow motion speed but it feels like I'm running. If I'm reaching for something I'll intentionally do it really slow and it feels like I'm moving my arm really fast. If I'm trying to say something it feels like I'm talking really fast but not fast enough to keep up with my thoughts. It's all amplified by the fact that each and every little noise is incredibly loud. In a quiet house at night when everyone's asleep this can all be terrifying. Did I explain it any better? It's so hard to put the feelings into words. It's like telling someone a dream. You just can't find the words to describe it. Ya know?
Robin
My heartbeat usually speeds up and pounds. Sometimes my breath quickens- and even though I CAN breathe, I start breatheing fast and shallower. And I have a knot of nervousness and dread in the pit of my stomach. Sometimes my chest gets tight. And I can't focus on things very well, other than sometimes obsessing over whatever triggered the anxiety.
I experience a combination.
Sheri Ann
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