That "pass out" feeling
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That "pass out" feeling
| Mon, 04-09-2007 - 4:01pm |
So, anyone know why I feel like I am going to pass out during a panic attack? I know this is a common fear during a pa. Is it adrenalin, or fast breathing, or blood rushing away from my head? Any ideas?
I am trying to do some reframing for when I am in the middle of it all.
Thanks!!

Yep!
Sheri Ann
Ugh! I hate this feeling. It is the worst! Along with the unreal feeling.
Hope you feel better!
lol....and jans word of the day is discombobulating!
I hate the pass out feeling. I used to get it often. It's actually a multi faceted problem. Adrenaline mixed with hyperventilation.
When you're anxious or panicking your body releases adrenaline, which in turn causes you to breathe faster, your heart to beat faster, muscles to tense, etc.
With you hyperventilating it changes all the levels in your blood. I believe its called along the lines of alkolinosis (spelling...waaaay off). But when your blood levels change to having more CO2 than O2, it makes for all the freaky feelings you have. Like the depersonalization, the unreality, and lightheadedness.
A good way to combat this is to practice natural breathing, or belly breathing.
Just make sure to try and work on taking full, even breaths that fills your belly not your chest. You may find that re-regulating your breathing to a more natural state may solve most of your symptom problems. Most people walk around hyperventilating and don't even know it.
This has been a message from your resident psychologist-to-be :P
Hi! Thanks so much for stopping in & adding your thoughts. We appreciate it:) Hope to see you more. GL & GBU! (((hugs))) jan
Just something that helps me keep calm about the "pass out" feeling -- when you have a panic attack your blood pressure increases -- in order to pass out, your blood pressure has to decrease. So it's almost impossible to pass out purely from a panic attack.
Hope that helps,
Take care,
Bonnie
hey, could be because you're holding your breath (so your brain lacks oxygen so ya, you'd feel like passing out). OR if you're overbreathing (ie, hyperventilating) you've got TOO much oxygen in your blood and not enough carbon dioxide which makes your blood more basic (respiratory alkalosis) and the causes are (directly from my text): anxiety and nervousness, fear, pain, hyperventilation, fever, etc and signs/symptoms are light-headedness, confusion, decreased concentration, cardiac dysrhytmias, palpitations, sweating, dry mouth, blurred vision.
Just so you know (might make you feel better?) is when you're in that fight/flight mode your respiratory system is actually dilated so MORE air can get in so it's totally counterintuitive to how you feel (well, how I feel anyway!) you're smothering or choking... goes to show how your brain can make you totally nutty! lol
hope it helps