Do you all feel the same way or is it just me?
- Thread starter hayashi
- Start date
GloomySunday
Well-known member
My panic attacks are now subsiding, but I do remember very clearly having some very bad ones in public places.
Once I had one in a meeting at work. As soon as I got into the crowded board room I knew something wasn't right. Right from the start of the meeting, I began to sweat very noticeably on my face and my hands were shaking. I just sat there praying for it to stop. What made it worse was other people making a point of looking at me.
The woman next to me whispered in my ear, "Wow, you're really sweating, aren't you?" Someone across from me looked right at me, turned to their partner and whispered something in their ear. It must have been, "Hey, take a look at him over there" because this person turned right around and looked right at me. It was a total nightmare. I felt like all eyes were on me. It made it ten times worse and escalated the panic attack.
Similar things happened on a number of different occasions. Every single time someone would comment, stare or make a point of drawing attention to me. I wished they would have just turned a blind eye and waited for it to pass.
I never really told them I was having panic attacks. After the meeting described above, I said to some people that I hadn't been feeling well and had "come down with a fever". Another time I said that I was hot because I had been dashing around trying to get a million things done prior to the meeting, or whatever I was doing.
There is a stigma attached to mental health issues in the workplace and I found it beneficial to me to just keep quiet. I am now starting a new job and I have no worries about having a relapse. I do feel that I am well on the road to recovery. However, if I notice someone displaying the signs of having a panic attack, I would be sympathetic and make a point of talking to them privately and helping them as best as I can. After all, I know very well how painful an experience it can be.
Once I had one in a meeting at work. As soon as I got into the crowded board room I knew something wasn't right. Right from the start of the meeting, I began to sweat very noticeably on my face and my hands were shaking. I just sat there praying for it to stop. What made it worse was other people making a point of looking at me.
The woman next to me whispered in my ear, "Wow, you're really sweating, aren't you?" Someone across from me looked right at me, turned to their partner and whispered something in their ear. It must have been, "Hey, take a look at him over there" because this person turned right around and looked right at me. It was a total nightmare. I felt like all eyes were on me. It made it ten times worse and escalated the panic attack.
Similar things happened on a number of different occasions. Every single time someone would comment, stare or make a point of drawing attention to me. I wished they would have just turned a blind eye and waited for it to pass.
I never really told them I was having panic attacks. After the meeting described above, I said to some people that I hadn't been feeling well and had "come down with a fever". Another time I said that I was hot because I had been dashing around trying to get a million things done prior to the meeting, or whatever I was doing.
There is a stigma attached to mental health issues in the workplace and I found it beneficial to me to just keep quiet. I am now starting a new job and I have no worries about having a relapse. I do feel that I am well on the road to recovery. However, if I notice someone displaying the signs of having a panic attack, I would be sympathetic and make a point of talking to them privately and helping them as best as I can. After all, I know very well how painful an experience it can be.