Panic Attacks?

[Abi_555]

Hi,

Every time I become extremely anxious I start shaking and trembling, sweating, crying and getting hot and cold flushes. I feel nauseous and get a headache. It's happened twice so far and I'm constantly worried about it happening again. It happened once when I was trying to sleep and got anxious it got to that point. And it also happened another time when I felt threatened by someone and I felt like I was going crazy and couldn't snap out of it until someone started shaking me and telling me to calm down (which didn't really help).

Would you consider this a mild panic attack?

I was just wondering if anyone has any tips on what to do?

Also, I get a really weird feeling at the back of my head. It kinda feels like someone hit me across my head and it's numb then starts to throb and ache. I don't know if it's related though.

Thank you

[ErinB]

Hey Abi_555! Your reaction to being threatened by someone sounds very much like a panic attack to me. The time in your bed when you were trying to sleep sounds like an anxiety attack. Usually I differentiate the two by how they feel. Panic attacks seemingly come out of nowhere and are a reaction to something triggering or scary and end quite quickly. Anxiety attacks, for me at least, go on for hours and I experience nausea and racing thoughts and difficulty breathing. Panic attacks are a lot harder to prevent because you don't know when they're coming but with anxiety attacks, as soon as you notice a symptom you can start working through some coping skills such as deep breathing/meditation, going for a walk, doing something to take your mind off of things etc. You should also visit your GP and let them know what's going on. They'll be able to refer you to a psychologist if you feel like that's something that would help. There are also a number of anti anxiety medications you could be prescribed to help!

[Abi_555]

Thank you so much for your help!

[ErinB]

Of course! I hope you're doing okay!

[Guest_4643]

Hi Abi_555, welcome to the forums.

Yes it does sound like a mild panic attack, and these are normal and common. There's a technique you can try, a few actually, one of which is called grounding, here's how you do it. You can do it anywhere, anytime.

• Name 5 things you can see around you. (For example, a tree).
• Name 4 things you can feel, inside and/or out. (For example, your ears ringing, etc).
• Name 3 things you can hear. (Example: cars driving past).
• Name 2 things you can smell. (Burnt toast for example?).
• Name 1 thing you can taste. (For example: chocolate is a good one).

Best of luck and I'm sorry you're struggling with panic attacks, I hope this technique works for you and helps, it's supposed to and has worked for a few people. Just remember you're not alone and it's okay and valid to feel this way, it's common and normal. Take care.

Tayla

[Abi_555]

Thank you for your advice!

That's a really helpful technique, I'll keep it in mind.

Thank you for your kind words.

Abigail