How would you describe an anxiety/panic attack?

[sborber]

In your own words. I've had moments recently where I feel like I could be having one but I'm unsure if they are in fact what's happening or how to describe them to DH to help him understand.

Eg trying to pack for a night away with 2 under 2 yesterday morning and when I feel overwhelmed my mind clouds up and I can't think straight and I start to feel this huge amount of dread and suddenly find myself saying "I can't do this" to myself. It takes a little while to subside but leaves me feeling drained.

It really varied for me. I say varied as I haven't had one in about six months.

Combination of the below symptoms with varying severity and frequency. Some days would be upwards of five times, others none. Some days I was considering calling 999 as I thought I was having a heart attack, others I just felt a bit 'anxious'.

Palpitations
Feeling sick
Blurry eyesight
Racing thoughts
Shaking extremities including my head
Aural migraines
Headaches
Chest pains
Inability to concentrate
Thinking I was going to die
Stomach pain
Diarrhoea
Dizziness

Hope you're ok x

Physical symptoms
urge to go to the toilet
palpitations
shaking legs
hyperventilating
butterflies sensation
mental symptoms
pure fear like I’m about to be attacked with a knife
urge to flee
afterwards very tired and shaken
churning stomach

i find going with it rather than trying to mentally run away helps
distraction such as a puzzle or reading help as well.

from your description it sounds like anxiety rather than a panic attack but I’m not an expert

I get moments like these as a mum to young children most days! I’d say it’s not a full blown panic attack, more of a wobble! I’ve witnessed panic attacks and they are quite extreme.

My daughter suffers panic attacks at school and they call an ambulance each time. They are quite extreme. Her pulse is 150, she blanks out, there are lots of other effects.

With symptoms like yours I describe it as overwhelm (not to minimise, it's horrid). That's the point I have to try and ground myself or stop what I'm doing as can easily lead into a panic attack which is much harder to rationalise yourself out of. If we are talking about the same thing I try and use it as a warning sign before I go off the edge so I'd recommend you do the same.

I find the usual things like counting, breathing, focussing on my feet touching my socks, touching the floorboards, on the joists.... Etc can help bring it back.

Panic attacks for me involve racing thoughts going either incredibly repetitive of mine going blank, I tend to retch and have those sicky-burps, I vomit about 60% of the time these days (used to be very time).

I feel for you, I don't think the technicality of whether it's a full panic attack really matters, it's an unpleasant and life-disrupting thing. Have you seen your GP?

Or mind going blank* that should say

My teenager describes hers as racing heart, blurred vision, fast breathing, feeling very hot, nausea & dizzy.

I think I’ve had some ‘smaller’ ones in the past when my heart races, palpitations, feeling very cold then very hot.

Yes, wobble is a good way to put it I feel. They've been happening more and more recently so perhaps a warning sign I'm doing too much at once 🤦‍♀️

Dread of impending doom - terror - fully fearing in that moment that I’m about to die

Thank you so much for your description. Don't worry I don't feel you're minimising - your response has been very helpful. You're right I feel it could be warning signs, these moments are happening more and more recently and nope, not yet spoke to a GP.

To add more context I have 2 littles and recently started a new job alongside another job I already had and my childcare support is limited so a lot of change and balancing at the moment.

It's been a while since I had an full blown panic attack but my main symptoms were -

Chest tightness (felt like I couldn't get a full breath)
Sheer panic - a need to escape
Palpitations
Vomiting

I think so, thank you! Just having a serious chat with myself as I've not really been enjoying these moments recently and yesterday I felt as if I could have a nervous breakdown. It's a horrible feeling 😞

I agree that it's most likely anxiety attacks at the moment as I don't feel like I get physical symptoms as you and others have described.

I've never experienced anything like it before so wanted to seek advice as conversations surrounding anxiety and panic attacks is new to me.

Pounding heart
Sweating
Feeling hot
Urge to pee
Churning stomach
Dizziness
Rapid breathing
Desperately wanting to run away to somewhere that feels safe

Shaking, numbness and not being able to breathe. I used to think I was having a heart attack and was about to die. Luckily I can control them now, I know what they are and I can control them by breathing into a paper bag. For years I was agoraphobic and it's so nice to be able to go out, but never on my own. I take Seroxat and its a lifesaver.

Wanting to get up and run
Like you're drowning in air
Every noise around you feels echoey
Heart beating too fast
Breathless
Shaky voice
Sweating

I honestly would not wish it on anyone x

Nausea.
Like I'm doing mad.
Death.
Heart racing.
Blood runs cold.
Sweats.
Disassociation.
Faint.
Dizzy.
Suffocating.
Stomach churning.
Desperate need to run.
Like I'm a failure.
Guilt.

Sounds like more of an anxiety attack than a panic attack. Take it as the warning it is though and try to reduce your stress wherever you can. Your body is warning you that it's had it up to here and you need to drop some balls.

I get a lot of what you describe and ignored it as long as I could. It resulted in numerous upset stomachs to the point where I couldn't leave the toilet for hours, an asthma attack, when I haven't had asthma since my teens and I ended up using an inhaler that was 16 years out of date. I was just lucky that I'm a slattern and hadn't cleared out the first aid box in years.

All followed by a spectacular melt down at work in which I snapped at the duty manager, told the store manager to fuck off, called the new system a useless fucking piece of shit and cried in the toilet for an hour.

Luckily my boss is amazing and he brought me a cup of tea in the toilet and then took me out for a walk to Greggs and medicated me with sausage rolls. 😂😂

Panic attack - numb/tingly limbs, can't breath properly, uncontrollable shaking

Anxiety attack - detached feeling, sense of doom (had it so bad recently, I called an ambulance... was convinced I was going to drop down dead), need to run away

Funny you say that, I did have an episode on the toilet the other night around 1am out of nowhere and was stuck for an hour or so. It was crippling. Worse than labour pains for me 🤦‍♀️ I fear you're right on the anxiety front - wouldn't even know where to begin in trying to help myself during one or how to prevent them. You're right though, too many balls being juggled. DH is super supportive at the moment and we're both managing as best as we can but my word, there are days I could literally bolt out of the door and hide in a quiet room.

Ps. Your boss does sound amazing!!

Thank you so much for sharing! Yes, I fear it may be anxiety attacks I've been experiencing based on yours and other responses. It's not nice at all 😫

Feeling unbearably hot
Claustrophobia
Tight chest
Hyperventilating
Shaking
Uncontrollable tears

For me, the symptoms are physical rather than emotional.

They are absolutely horrific and its the main cause of school refusal.

They are horrible.
This is my experience... I find panic attacks come after a trigger, and anxiety attacks come out the blue. When I called an ambulance, I was just sat at my laptop doing nothing unusual at all

Been on the brink but not full scale hyperventilating. Nearly had one last month when someone crashed into me.

the most notable thing for me i immediately start dripping with sweat (and I mean soaking) which is unusual for me I’m really not the sweaty type.

That and dizziness/feeling sick at which point I start to slow my breath and then regain some sense of normality.