topic Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment? in Anxiety

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

b_l_u_e_b_e_l_l_ — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 11:35:51 GMT

Depression & anxiety have plagued me all my life... but I've never really had panic / anxiety attacks before.

Life is currently extremely stressful and I know I'm on high alert. I'm badly depressed and a number of life circumstances are contributing to that....

My eating isn't great... a little disordered I guess... But I'm otherwise fit & healthy... I don't meet criteria for heart problems.

Im getting chest pains.... and can't breathe well... the pain can last from a few moments up to half an hour or so. It happens at random times... when watching t.v. or cooking dinner. Not when I'd expect to actually have an attack (prior to seeing someone or an appointment or some anxiety provoking circumstance).

Does it happen like this? Just hit you whenever? Or do people normally experience a panic attack when triggered by something specific to their anxiety or environment? I haven't found a solid answer anywhere online.... so thought this would be a good place to ask.

Thank you... I appreciate the space to ask this.

I will be seeing my gp on Monday and will mention it.

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

phil1967 — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 11:51:05 GMT

put simply yes ,this happens to me often ,I can feel on top of world with everything going my way and bam ,there it is .

mine seem to get me when iam tired mostly ,my guard must be down and it finds a way to sneak in but it can also happen when I over think anything or when iam board so yeah it happens .

I for a long time thought I had a good handle on things and haven't felt anxious or anything for the longest of times ,nothing seemed to bother me but it has an accumulated effect like drops of water in a bucket and 1 day the bucket is full and bam its on you ,it spills a bit of water out when you have the attack and the bucket begins to fill once more , it hides in your subconscious so your not even aware its even happening ,leaning to stop the drips is the key ,I just wish I knew how to do it 🙂

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

azarrah — Sat, 03 Jun 2017 15:17:12 GMT

Hey there bluebell, I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

You absolutely can get panic attacks without knowing what caused them, or even that you're having one. It happens to me every now and again. I'll just be doing something random when bam, I feel dizzy and my breathing becomes shallow and I just feel exhausted. Like Phil, I always used to be the person who never had anxiety problems, but that has now changed. Oh well. Life would be boring if we had no challenges, I suppose!

I don't have any environmental triggers, it's just out of the blue. Don't compare your experiences to others': your mental health journey is your own! What is "normal", anyway?

Best of luck,

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

b_l_u_e_b_e_l_l_ — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 11:34:42 GMT

Thanks guys... it's good to know I'm not alone in it.

The attacks being so unpredictable though mean they're impossible to have any control over. It's not like I can distance myself from triggers if there don't seem to be any.

Might seem like a stupid question.. but Is there any real treatment or solution to them? Or do you just bunker down andetails wait for them to pass?

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

Mr_Walker — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 12:07:52 GMT

Hi b.l.u.e.b.e.l.l. yes mine seemed to come from nowhere as well.

I found I didn't FEEL particularly anxious but I'd just got used to a high level of anxiety - after several years of medication and seeing a psychologist my general level of anxiety went down and I haven't had a panic attack since (5 years or so).

You said you've suffered from anxiety a long time, perhaps you've got so good at coping with it that you're not noticing how stressed you really are?

Mindfulness and breathing exercises are the only way I know of controlling or reducing them...

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

azarrah — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 12:09:01 GMT

Yeah, they are difficult to get control over. It usually means that instead of learning how to stop them happening in the first place (other than general mental health improvement practices), it's more helpful to learn how to halt or just deal with them once they've started.

A lot of people recommend mindfulness, meditation, breathing, etc. It never works for me, but it does for many others, so you could always try that. My general routine, once I'm past the initial freak-out (generally 10-15 minutes, for me):

Distract yourself. If you don't want to think hard, a coloring book or other light mental exercise can take your mind off things.
Your next job is to eat something you like, that isn't junk food. I have a real sweet tooth, so my relief foods include oat bars, fruit juice, milk, yoghurt, or a piece of fruit. Whatever is easy to digest, and will keep you occupied! It is 90% likely to make you feel better. Take your time.
After you're feeling ready to move a little, try some exercise. Preferably, a run, bike ride, or any other moderate+ exercise is best, but if you can't do that, even some yoga or a gentle workout in your house is good. You'll probably be pretty tired, but the point isn't actually to get fit, it's to occupy your mind and release endorphins. After this point, you might feel okay. If you don't, that's fine! You can modify these suggestions to suit you 🙂

Maybe your panic attacks don't come from a certain trigger at a random point in time, but an accumulation of small stresses? The exact timing is random, but they probably don't happen for no reason at all. When you see your GP tomorrow, you could perhaps discuss this, if you think it could be relevant to you.

Hope this helped you 🙂

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

b_l_u_e_b_e_l_l_ — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 20:48:21 GMT

Thanks Mr walker and azarrah...yes that's definitely a helpful list of suggestions of what to try. It's caught me so off guard... the only thing that seemed to make a difference after about half an hr of pacing the hallway was some ice cold water and a lie down... so I will keep these things in mind for next time.

I will definitely chat to gp today about things. Current stress levels are extremely high facing a life altering diagnosis for not just one - but two of my very young children. Things are not too good, with no real end in sight... so learning how to cope with attacks when they happen will be the best move I guess.

Thank you so much.

Is it possible to have anxiety attacks when not actively anxious in that moment?

azarrah — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 01:51:19 GMT

I'm really sorry to hear about your life situation. We are here to support you and for you to vent to, if you ever need to.

Things do get better. You will eventually come to terms with the diagnoses. It is normal to feel worried, scared, resentful, and ashamed when these things happen, but over time, you will realise that it's not your fault, and that hope and joy can and will continue. You will also learn to recognise when you're about to have a panic attack, and how best to deal with them. Over time, they will likely happen less frequently, and you will be better prepared when they do.

Again, this is a very supportive place to talk, if ever you need to.