Anyone suffer from panic attacks?

[JosephG]

I get them occasionally... kinda once every two weeks - something like that. But when it happens I'll have a string of them. It can be so scary - usually it is me panicking about getting ill or dying. Well it is always that. But tonight I think i've learnt that they are triggered. Does anybody else feel that something has to trigger their panic attacks? Also does anybody else just get them spontaneously or has experienced them spontaneously?
Tonight I had a bit of social anxiety earlier in the night and then I feel this has escalated into a full blow panic attacks. They're so scary

 

[thor01]

Yes. Ive had small ones in certain situations for years, but more recently had them at home and stuff, randomly, in a different way. Its calmed down from how it got a few months ago though. Although I still sometimes seem to just have an odd, not right feeling. This passes eventually, but do you, or anyone else experience this too? I also when i get this feeling, think too much and get paranoid about weather theres something wrong with me or if I'm changing in some negative way. And have a strong sense of things being better/me feeling happier before. When this goes I can feel fine again, but do experience it? Im wondering weather this is part of the panick thing, geneal anxiety, or a type of depression.

 

[JosephG]

Yeah I get what you mean with the feeling that something isn't right. Usually I get that physically - I'll feel I'm having palpitations and a little nauseous sometimes for absolutely no reason and I'm sitting there like "What has actually caused this?! I'm just watching TV" I'll just feel uneasy.
If that's what you mean? Usually I get that leading up to a panic attack. I only get them at night though... I think my fear escalates at night.

 

[thor01]

Yeah. I do get that physical side of the uneasy feeling like that sometimes. I think the thinking part for me is probably a result of these getting worse and therefore thinking about that. I get it more at night too.

 

[panicsurvivor]

I am pretty sure that I am the resident expert on this on this forum. I have them every day. :: Triggered, out of the blue, at work, at home, in public, in private, whatever. You name it, it has happened to me.
I have been beaten almost to death, had terrible bad trips on drugs, and been incarcerated, and none of it compares to having panic attacks.:: The only reason I am still alive is that I have learned to say to myself, "It is going to be over in a few minutes, most of the time I am OK. I just have to ride this out and then it will be over." I have been dealing with this for over ten years so I have other advice to. PM me if you need to talk about this more. I would be happy to help.

 

[Kiwong]

I think I had about eight serious panic attacks between about November 2002 and July 2007. They were bad enough to send me to the emergency wards of several hospitals. The most frightening things I have ever experienced in my life.

I had my first panic attack in November 2002 in the IGA supermarket. They are not spontaneous in me but usually they are a result of prolonged angry and anxious thoughts just boiling over. It's like my mind says enough, and suddenly my chest would become tight, I felt as if I am going to die. There is no room for thoughts other than fear of dieing.

For long while I wondered what was going on, I thought there must be seriously wrong with my heart. So I had a heap of medcial tests and they could find nothing. I had a stress test at a cardiologist and it found I was well enough to play sport. It was like a shadow had lifted from my soul.

I had many more panic attacks in 2005, the darkest year of my life. I was over medicated on blood pressure medicine which made things so much worse. I was debilitated by fatigue and dizziness I saw no future for myself.

Slowly I learnt to control the panic feeling. To learn to ride it out, to challenge it to show me what the panic feeling had. When I realised it couldn't kill me, it lost its power. Now I regularly feel the onset of panic as dizzines and chest tightness, but I am able to control it.

My last panic attack was in July 2007.