Dear Poodlejewel
Hello and welcome. I agree, panic attacks are always horrible and always at the wrong moment, though I'm not sure there is a right moment. Your attacks happen at night I see. Most of mine did also though this did not mean nothing happened during the day.
Asking Dr Google does not always give you the best information or advice. He has many opinions so it can be a hit or miss affair. Fortunately BB has accurate information on this web site. If you go to the top of the page and hover over The Facts, then scroll down to Anxiety, across to types of anxiety and click there, you will have a list of anxiety disorders. At the bottom you will find Panic Disorder.
You can download the information or ask BB to send you hard copies.
I wish we could foretell when a panic attack will hit. I found I was doing the simplest of things, reading or watching TV and there I was right in the middle. That's the scariest part. I have sat on my bed at midnight, shaking, heart pounding, and in utter dread of something. There are two ways I learned to manage this.
First I read a book by Bev Aisbett, called Living with IT. IT is anxiety and includes panic attacks. It's small, easy to read, quite funny at times, but with a serious message of hope. I've had mine for years but it really is cheap.
Second, I used one of the visualizations to concentrate on and found I could get back to normal, as it were, by doing this. That takes a little time to master but definitely worthwhile.
It really helped me to know I was not the only one who had these feelings. Sometimes we can be so scared to tell anyone in case we are immediately rushed off to the asylum. It is scary and I have ended up in hospital because I thought I was having a heart attack. Felt pretty silly afterwards but the doctors, nurses and paramedics insisted I did the right thing.
If you have not spoken to your GP I do agree with Starwolf that you should do so. I don't know that medication is of any use unless you are having constant attacks. I would not expect your GP to prescribe anything, but I am not a doctor.
Having this happen when you are holiday is the pits. I can only imagine you were feeling particularly relaxed, guard down, but that does not make a lot of sense to me. It seems to me you would be less vulnerable. The other thing is if you were going away or going to do something during this time that made you a bit anxious. Best have a chat with the doctor.
Let us know how you are going.
Mary
