Am I having a panic attack? If you are asking about this then you probably have familiarity with a certain scenario. Everything seems okay; Your moment are moving along as usual. Suddenly with no warning, all collapses!
Your heart begins racing, and every beat, every flutter, is magnified. Breathing becomes labored, maybe with a feeling of suffocation, and your knees feel like water. Voices recede, the world around you becoming frightening. There is only you and this terrible crisis. You are terrified you are having a heart attack, or you are suddenly losing your sanity, and the sense of impending doom is overwhelming. A compelling need to get urgent help overrides everything else, and the words that run through in your mind are, "I am dying!"
In my case, I was at a reunion dinner...a joyful occasion. Just as the waiter began to bring our lovely food, my surroundings started to feel unreal and I felt myself detaching from my surroundings. In the span of the next horrific 5 minutes, I experienced everything I just described. Within 15 minutes we were headingto the emergency room. I was sure we would not make it.
They injected me with a calming drug and before long I was back to normal, relieved I was alive, but confused about how such a thing could happen to me. Irrationally, I felt ashamed and humiliated for creating a "spectacle" at the dinner. I didn't want anyone to know it was "just" a panic attack.
Just a panic attack? No one who has endured this horrific experience would ever refer to one of these events as just a panic attack. They are utterly debilitating and terrifying. What characterizes a panic attack? The onset is sudden and if it is a true panic attack, and not a heart attack, an episode will last anywhere from 10 to 60 minutes.
Symptoms are:
* Palpitations, or accelerated heart rate
* Sweating
* Trembling or shaking
* Muscle tension
* Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
* Feeling of choking
* Chest pain or discomfort
* Nausea or abdominal distress
* Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
* Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
* Fear of losing control or going insane
* Fear of dying
* Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations)
* Chills or hot flashes
* Weakness in the knees
* Confusion
* Blank mind
* Sensing time going by very slowly
* Feeling the need to escape
So how do you know? Is this a panic attack or a physically dangerous crisis? With a panic attack, the discomfort or pain is located over your heart. If the pain moves to your chest center, and/or down your arms, does not let up within 10 minutes, if you have more than one episode of vomiting or diarrhea, or you get better but then the symptoms return, seek medical help immediately. Always err on the side of caution!
Don't feel hopeless. There is help! There are effective methods to handle and alleviate this limiting condition. Insight is power. And do NOT be embarrassed! You are not alone, as tens of thousands suffer this predicament along with you. There are panic attack strategies to help you regain your regular life. Recovery is within your reach!
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