Discussion What are your panic attack symptoms? (if u have em)

[lastappleonearth]

I'm just curious, bcs it seems to me that panic attacks adapt/ change in symptoms depending on u realising them as such.
For me, as soon as I realised I was experiencing panic attacks, they changed in symptoms and I no longer was able to see them as such, at least not immediately.

During my first ever panic attacks, I couldn't breathe properly and legit thought I was suffocating.
Then the symptoms changed and now it was just extreme nausea, even worse imo.
And most recently it changed to sudden dizziness and nausea, it feels like I'm going to faint. I alr puked once bcs of that and I hate puking.

So what are your symptoms and did they evolve?

 

[blackreality]

usually i start to hyperventilate, get lightheaded, become slightly nauseous, similar to what you experience. sometimes when i realize im having a panic attack it makes it easier to control my breathing tho

 

[lastappleonearth]

usually i start to hyperventilate, get lightheaded, become slightly nauseous, similar to what you experience. sometimes when i realize im having a panic attack it makes it easier to control my breathing tho

Yeah same for me, if I realize it's a panic attacks, it kind of gives u control back and u don't feel so extremely helpless

 

[hdead]

I feel sick. I feel the need to pace around and my mind will prevent me from doing anything productive at all. I'll usually smoke more and drink some beer to calm my nerves.

 

[fluorescentpearl]

I shut down and get annoyed and stop breathing and stop showing emotion and try to get away to hide somewhere, and if I can't hide I just cover my face and sit down on the floor trying to comfort myself until I can handle it again, if I start crying I end up hurting myself even in public, like if I'm at stage one (shutting down and trying to hide) and someone snaps at me I'll raise my voice and tear my hair out and try to hide in more "violent" ways I guess like running away or slamming doors or grabbing someone by force to hide into them

 

[valar_morghulis21]

My heart rushes like crazy and I start disassociating. Something sinks down my gut and there's a thousand butterfly moving inside. My only thought is how to get out of whatever that situation, usually a social event, ASAP.

 

[lastappleonearth]

I shut down and get annoyed and stop breathing and stop showing emotion and try to get away to hide somewhere, and if I can't hide I just cover my face and sit down on the floor trying to comfort myself until I can handle it again, if I start crying I end up hurting myself even in public, like if I'm at stage one (shutting down and trying to hide) and someone snaps at me I'll raise my voice and tear my hair out and try to hide in more "violent" ways I guess like running away or slamming doors or grabbing someone by force to hide into them

I'm sorry u are experiencing this. I can kinda relate, as I've had similar breakdowns, it's awful. Idk if it's the same with u, but afterwards I tend to feel a bit better, like relieved in a way. Doesn't last long, but still

My heart rushes like crazy and I start disassociating. Something sinks down my gut and there's a thousand butterfly moving inside. My only thought is how to get out of whatever that situation, usually a social event, ASAP.

Yea social events can be very triggering

 

[fluorescentpearl]

I'm sorry u are experiencing this. I can kinda relate, as I've had similar breakdowns, it's awful. Idk if it's the same with u, but afterwards I tend to feel a bit better, like relieved in a way. Doesn't last long, but still

Oh definitely, it's not much a feeling better as much as it's like, this sense of empty non caring haha, I just go numb and stop caring which makes my family think I got better and I'm over it, which I'm usually not
It used to get worse! I used to like, immediately melt down and hit myself and throw things and hit furniture or such until I calmed down, I remember I hit my mother once by accident, I realized then that I couldn't continue like that, I had to find a way to calm it down, it wouldve been easier if I had someone to hide into or someone to hug me, rather than someone to yell at me "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS" when I myself didn't understand it, idk, sorry for going on a tangent haha

 

[lastappleonearth]

Oh definitely, it's not much a feeling better as much as it's like, this sense of empty non caring haha, I just go numb and stop caring which makes my family think I got better and I'm over it, which I'm usually not
It used to get worse! I used to like, immediately melt down and hit myself and throw things and hit furniture or such until I calmed down, I remember I hit my mother once by accident, I realized then that I couldn't continue like that, I had to find a way to calm it down, it wouldve been easier if I had someone to hide into or someone to hug me, rather than someone to yell at me "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS" when I myself didn't understand it, idk, sorry for going on a tangent haha

U are right, it's usually just more being numb after, but idk, ig compared to the state I would've been in before, it's a bit better. Feeling numb in general isn't great, but imo it's still a bit better than feeling rlly agitated or anxious.
Yea I agree, would be nice to have sb around to hug in those moments, I think that'd def help. Most ppl around me unfortunately also aren't very calming in that sense

 

[here_for_now]

My heart rushes like crazy and I start disassociating. Something sinks down my gut and there's a thousand butterfly moving inside. My only thought is how to get out of whatever that situation, usually a social event, ASAP.

Yep plus intrusive thoughts flood in like a motherfucker and you just have to wait for it to stop eventually for me at least.

Feeling of dread is also a fun time

 

[lastappleonearth]

Yep plus intrusive thoughts flood in like a motherfucker and you just have to wait for it to stop eventually for me at least.

Feeling of dread is also a fun time

Yea thats relatable. Feeling of dread is kinda constant for me tho I guess, idk dread mixed with sadness mby. Anyway, panic attacks rlly suck

 

[korchoi]

In short, it feels like drowning. I can't breathe, and my heart is pounding wildly. I spend the entire day experiencing what it feels like to be on the verge of death.

 

[lastappleonearth]

In short, it feels like drowning. I can't breathe, and my heart is pounding wildly. I spend the entire day experiencing what it feels like to be on the verge of death.

I'm sorry u have to experience that, sounds like torture

 

[angelblood]

Tightness in my chest. pounding heart beat. Fight or flight going off like crazy. Desperate need for something to change but not knowing how or what.

 

[lastappleonearth]

Tightness in my chest. pounding heart beat. Fight or flight going off like crazy. Desperate need for something to change but not knowing how or what.

I'm sorry you're going through this. Unfortunately panic attacks tend to never fully go away, unless you address the root cause of them

 

[angelblood]

I'm sorry you're going through this. Unfortunately panic attacks tend to never fully go away, unless you address the root cause of them

I know :( I've been reading alot about trauma, and trying to find a therapist. but no luck yet

 

[skinny]

Really bad hyperventilation, extremely sweaty (especially my hands and feet?), lightheaded, extreme heart rate, and in some extreme cases, my right leg starts to shake a lot and I cant walk properly lol

 

[lastappleonearth]

Really bad hyperventilation, extremely sweaty (especially my hands and feet?), lightheaded, extreme heart rate, and in some extreme cases, my right leg starts to shake a lot and I cant walk properly lol

I also tend to get very hot and start to sweat a lot, it sucks. I feel for you

 

[Lost_Dawns]

mostly just the normal nausea and lightheaddedness but my vision also gets blurry. i often throw up too and occasionally hallucinate.

 

[SuicidalCheese]

I don't know why this is, but I start crying like crazy, the world seems so loud and so bright, and I just have to break something(?) or run away. Whenever this happens, I can barely even think, and I feel like drilling a hole through my flesh until the pain stops. Whenever I'm aware of what's happening, it gets almost worse, somehow, because I want to stop, but I can't, and that spirals out. The first one I had put me in a ward now that I think of it. Put someone else in a hospital too.

 

[Soloh]

For me my nerves quickly build up to the point it feels like I'm choking and I violently and loudly gag every single time. It's so embarrassing and I can't control it. And then a few years ago my attacks got really uncontrollable and my mind spiralled into giving myself claustrophobia. So bizarre.

 

[LRkin]

I start dissociating and unconsciously breathe deeper than usual. After that comes chest pain. A little bit after that — spike in heart rate, nausea and everything gets really blurry. And then it stops, leaving me exhausted.

 

[lastappleonearth]

For me my nerves quickly build up to the point it feels like I'm choking and I violently and loudly gag every single time. It's so embarrassing and I can't control it. And then a few years ago my attacks got really uncontrollable and my mind spiralled into giving myself claustrophobia. So bizarre.

It's truly bizarre what our mind can trick us into doing and thinking. I hope it's now a bit better or if not, that it gets better

I start dissociating and unconsciously breathe deeper than usual. After that comes chest pain. A little bit after that — spike in heart rate, nausea and everything gets really blurry. And then it stops, leaving me exhausted.

Yeah panic attack are exhausting. After the first couple of times I experienced them I was terrified and genuinely feared them

 

[InversedShadow]

Whenever I get one it feels like my heart is trying to beat the fastest train in the world in terms of how fast it can race; my breathing is unsteady and my thoughts are rushing like crazy; it's like my mind simply thinks about the worst outcomes and nothing beyond that, Im struck with anxiety and it does take a while for me to get better. After I get better I feel numb, but I also do my best just not to think about it, often a sharp sensation appears in my chest too while that happens.
I used to have them more often when I was in highschool (over 5 years ago) so it really got better for me luckily, but the symptoms are just as bad as back then sadly if I do experience one.

 

[thelostautistic]

I don't get panic attacks much anymore but I can describe what I would experience. I'd get a very sudden sense of dread, chest tightness, shaking, crying. It's really difficult to get a breath in and I felt like I was dying.

 

[lostinthecha0s]

For me I experience extreme hyperventilation. Like I can't get enough air in my lungs quick enough and I'm choking even though I'm breathing. I get a tightness in my chest and start sweating from head to toe. I usually will get the urge to cry as curl up in a ball towards the middle end of the attack if it's really bad.

 

[failedmind]

most of my panic attacks genuinely feel like i'm dying. chest pain, chest tightness, dizziness, can't breathe, everything gets brighter, dissociation, hyperventilating and sometimes crying.

 

[lastappleonearth]

Whenever I get one it feels like my heart is trying to beat the fastest train in the world in terms of how fast it can race; my breathing is unsteady and my thoughts are rushing like crazy; it's like my mind simply thinks about the worst outcomes and nothing beyond that, Im struck with anxiety and it does take a while for me to get better. After I get better I feel numb, but I also do my best just not to think about it, often a sharp sensation appears in my chest too while that happens.
I used to have them more often when I was in highschool (over 5 years ago) so it really got better for me luckily, but the symptoms are just as bad as back then sadly if I do experience one.

I'm glad it got better for you and you now experience them less often. I also have fewer now, although the symptoms suck even more than before, I hate nausea

For me I experience extreme hyperventilation. Like I can't get enough air in my lungs quick enough and I'm choking even though I'm breathing. I get a tightness in my chest and start sweating from head to toe. I usually will get the urge to cry as curl up in a ball towards the middle end of the attack if it's really bad.

Yeah, it literally feels like dying. Well at least I think that's what it would feel like. I know people who called the ambulance when they were experiencing their first panic attack, bcs they obv didn't know it was a panic attack and it genuinely convinces you that you're dying

 

[FluffIsJustice]

I tend to not be able to breath anymore as well as shaking / trembling (especially my hands? not entirely sure). They usually dont last long but if I don't change the situation after there will be another. And another. And so on until I hyperventilate due to lack of air. During the attack itself I usually focus on one point and wait it out while reminding myself that if you cannot choke yourself to death, then you logically cannot die from these either. Since you'd breath again the moment you lose conciousness. But I heard that for someone else they get all tingly and it takes way longer for it to end (and a lot of fear - due to my way of managing emotions I don't actually usually experience fear, unless I allow myself to feel emotions, but even then it tends to be muted / intermittent and I usually shut if off again directly as I find feeling nothing more comfortable).

 

[lastappleonearth]

I tend to not be able to breath anymore as well as shaking / trembling (especially my hands? not entirely sure). They usually dont last long but if I don't change the situation after there will be another. And another. And so on until I hyperventilate due to lack of air. During the attack itself I usually focus on one point and wait it out while reminding myself that if you cannot choke yourself to death, then you logically cannot die from these either. Since you'd breathe again the moment you lose conciousness. But I heard that for someone else they get all tingly and it takes way longer for it to end (and a lot of fear - due to my way of managing emotions I don't actually usually experience fear, unless I allow myself to feel emotions, but even then it tends to be muted / intermittent and I usually shut if off again directly as I find feeling nothing more comfortable).

Yeah, you kind of need to rationalise it, that sometimes helps, but it still sucks. And ofc, if the root cause of them is never addressed, they'll never fully disappear I think