Is this anxiety?

[FL59]

Hi all,

I am looking for some wisdom. For the past week I have been experiencing physical anxiety symptoms, mainly difficulty breathing and a feeling of pressure and tightness in my chest. I have had days that were OK and others awful, but at the weekend it was constant - I went to bed like this and woke up like this. At some points I felt very close to a panic attack and had to go outside to avoid suffocating.
It has come out of NOWHERE. Can anxiety start like this? I have always been a bit of a worrier but never been anxious as such. I also thought anxiety meant your thoughts were racing but I am literally not worried about anything at all right now. In fact I don't think I've ever been happier and am lucky that I don't have any particular stress in my life.
I am now devastated that this may be the start of a lifelong condition and my life will never be the same, and I won't be able to be the amazing mum my baby deserves
which is not helping the panic :(.
Could it be linked to any physical issues like hormones or thyroid or vitamin deficiency or anything like that for it to come on so suddenly? My period actually started today and I do get more PMS since having had a baby.
I have called up for a referral to a therapist though my work but it seems forever to wait with so many questions.

Thank you!

So it could be. If I'm very tired and/or anxious this can manifest in me not being able to get a deep breath and feel air-hungry. It goes on for hours and I have to have a glass of wine to relax me then it works. I only get it occasionally and yes I think it's anxiety. Hope it improves it's horrid

Yes that’s anxiety.

I can be getting ready in the morning and ironing a shirt and then all of a sudden anxiety rolls down my body like thunder. Then I’m left feeling like some one is about to come bursting through my front door.

Sometimes my thoughts can bring on an anxiety attack or the can just appear.

Not very nice are they.

What’s going on in your life right now or have you issues from your past? When I seen a phycologist she was blue to pin point when I first started having them at 11. I had a really crap childhood but have a lovely life now but unfortunately I’ve dragged my anxiety along too.

I missed the last bit of your post. It could absolutely be your hormones or underlying anxiety about your baby

OK. This could be anxiety. Then again, it could be a heart problem. Please please go to your GP and get properly checked out, no one here is qualified to diagnose you

Thank you! @lightnesspixie, yes that is exactly as you describe and went on for hours and hours. I did have a glass of wine at some point and did feel better too. Struggling to breathe for two days is hell and exhausting.
@Bagofoldbones thank you I will see the GP to rule out any physical issue. I should probably add that my "baby" is actually 2yo so they are not new mum hormones as such, but my period has only recently returned and I have definitely felt more sensitive to them since.

Could someone also reassure me that it won't be this bad every day for the rest of my life? Will I sometimes feel normal? :(

It won't last forever. I had about a month of this over December and Jan, similar symptoms as well as a constant feeling of anxiety with my mind racing and worrying immensely about tiny things. After a week of it my GP put me on fluoxetine which took almost 3 weeks to get into my system and change my mood - it was a horrible wait because every day I would wake up and start panicking again and the day was written off. But the medication did work and I slowly began feeling like myself again. I'm also seeing a psychologist which has been really tough but has also been eye opening and is helping me tackle my mental health. Speak to your GP and see what your options are - meds and therapy are working for me but you need to work out what is going to be best for you to help tackle it. from me to you, I know how tough it is and how it can come on suddenly out of absolutely nowhere.

@FL59. Me and anxiety happily coexist together. I have been where you are and worse and I promise you won't always feel that way. Truly believe me, you won't. It will ebb and flow and go away and might come back again. But it's only anxiety, it won't hurt you, you can breath and you can relax, I promise. I find the App headspace to be amazing alongside taking a small dose of fluoxetine helps.

Thank you @cakebythepound1234 and @Springb0ks, I really needed to hear that. It has lifted me just enough to keep busy today which has helped me feel a little better. Really hoping I keep improving but hoping for a referral to a therapist so I'll hopefully feel better equipped to deal with what comes my way. Thanks again a million