Thursday 13 #5. 13 Things I've Learned About Panic Attacks.

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I worked for years at a volunteer counseling center where I encountered many clients who were suffering from panic attacks.  In addition, I've frequently talked friends of mine through panic attacks.  So I am not really sure why, following my discontinuance of hormone therapy after a hysterectomy, I was apparently incapable of recognizing that I was suffering from panic attacks myself. 

1.  A really bad panic attack is an awful experience.  People frequently believe that they are really on the point of dying.  Symptoms include the following:  palpitations; sweating; trembling; shortness of breath; chest pain; dizziness; feelings of dissociation or "depersonalization" (as if you are standing beside yourself and therefore have no ability to manage your symptoms); an acute sense of loss of control; numbness or tingling; cold chills and hot flashes; or---in my case---all of the above.  I thought I was having some sort of neurological event or seizure.  I can remember curling up on a ball on the floor and sobbing helplessly without any reason whatsoever. The strangest part is that I did not know what was happening and in fact became extremely angry when anyone (mother, doctor) suggested that I was suffering from a panic attack.  I felt that they were trying to downplay the seriousness of the problems or to cast me as merely neurotic.

2.  In women, hormonal changes can trigger panic attacks. After my hysterectomy I begin immediately suffering from hot flashes, but after a couple of years, started feeling so much like my old self that I decided I could do without it.  So I quit, just like that.  I can remember a young E.R. doc saying to me that "sudden and extreme hormonal shifts can make a woman crazy."  It still took me almost six months to accept that this was the nature of my problem.  Why?  Why?  I have no idea.

3.  Particularly in women, panic attacks often go along with a generalized anxiety disorder.  In my case, it seemed that the panic attacks created my generalized anxiety disorder:  I was so afraid of the panic that I was in a chronic mild  to moderate state of anxiety all the time.  Over time, it seemed that the anxiety level continued to increase till I was always in a state of fear.  I didn't know of what. 

If the sort of normal every day stressor to which we're all subject all the time occurred, I would start to fall apart. My friends couldn't understand.  I couldn't understand why they weren't as frightened as I was.  "I can't believe you're worrying about that," said one young person under my jurisdiction.

4.  Women who are chronically anxious and are menopausal or periomenopausal experience more hot flashes than women who are not.  I can remember feeling the heat build up inside me along with the tension.  I remember arriving at one very important meeting drenched in sweat (and the embarrassment of it). 

5.  Other factors that may contribute to panic attacks:

[quote Health-Mind, What Do You Mean I'm Not Dying?]

Suggested reasons for attacks have included an imbalance of chemicals in the brain, negative thinking patterns that increase stress, a family history of attacks and repressed psychological issues. Psychologists have said that often people who consider themselves to be ‘fighters’ or ‘immune to anxiety’ end up soldiering on through stressful situations without acknowledging just how affected they really are and this is exactly when the subconscious mind starts to panic.

[quote ends]

6.  Panic attacks can last for minutes or for hours.  Mine usually went on for at least half an hour and were by no means limited to one a day.

7.  This site's description tracks my own experience most accurately:

[quote begins from Healthology.com, Panic Disorder:  Overcoming Your Body's False Alarm]

A panic attack is a frightening experience, one of the most terrifying ordeals a person can go through. Suddenly, out of nowhere, you may feel like you are having a heart attack, suffocating, or going crazy -- you may even feel like you are going to kill yourself. You may have the distinct impression that something has gone wrong inside your body, and you are filled with utter dread and terror.

Chances are that you will begin to sweat profusely, and your heart will begin to pound. You may start breathing rapidly and gulp for air...and be unable to think clearly. When this happens, many people end up in a hospital emergency room, which may seem a sensible place to go given how you feel. After being examined there, you will probably feel better because will most likely be told that you are perfectly healthy, and not to worry because you "just had a panic attack and now it's over."

[quote ends]

8.  Once you have the first attack, you become "sensitized" and therefore more prone to future panic attacks.  Later attacks can be less severe than the first (which was my experience) but some people have them daily.  My first was BY FAR the worst.  It started with a stupid mistake;  I telephoned someone about a particular, somewhat sensitive matter and left a message on the person's answerphone before realizing that someone else might hear it as well.  It was the sort of thing that in normal life would be mildly worrying, but I freaked out.  I was in a state of panic for 48 hours.  Subsequent attacks weren't as bad, and they were briefer, but the reasons for them made less and less sense. 

9. One panic attack does not a panic disorder make.  Most people have a panic attack at some point in their lives, according to this site.   It's worrying about a panic attack that helps to create the disorder (as my mother kept telling me...)

10.  There are things you can do to stop a panic attack from coming on or to reduce its severity.  I must admit I had little success with any of them.  On the other hand, I was able for years preceding my own panic attacks to talk other people through theirs.  If you feel it coming on, talking to someone who knows what is happening can be very helpful.  One of the scariest aspects of a panic attack is that feeling of dissociation, as if you're floating free of your body and therefore completely out of control.   

11.  There are a number of websites that provide support for people having panic attacks (some of which I've linked here).   AnxietyCoach.com is one you might want to check out if you suffer from panic attacks.  I can't really recommend any particular self-healing sort of approach---for me, the solution was medication.  Deep breathing and relaxation exercises didn't do a thing for me; I was too tense all the time for them to work. 

12.  Instead of being reassured when I was told by the E.R. doc and a neurologist I was having a panic attack, I was furious.  I thought they were implying I was merely suffering from some neurosis.   Apparently, this is a pretty common reaction.

13.  If you have panic attacks, it is critical to get treatment.

[quote begins from MedicineNet.com, Panic Attacks (Panic Disorders) Symptoms ]

Panic attacks tend to continue for months or years. While it typically begins in young adulthood, in some people the symptoms may arise earlier or later in life. If left untreated, it may worsen to the point where the person's life is seriously affected by panic attacks and by attempts to avoid or conceal them. In fact, many people have had problems with friends and family or lost jobs while struggling to cope with panic attacks. There may be periods of spontaneous improvement in the attacks, but it does not usually go away unless the person receives treatments designed specifically to help people with panic attacks

[quote ends]

There are a number of treatment options, but you'll need to see a doctor in order to explore them.  After I began taking medication, my symptoms disappeared completely within a matter of days. 

Comments

[JHS]

That's a very useful and informative post. And yet you left some of the key symptoms which a family member experienced: Freezing. Would just break out in a cold sweat and freeze. Become inert. Very frustrating for those of us watching.

Excellent job.

[Di]

I've had my share as part of my delightful 20 years with clinical depression. In my experience, although having one makes you more prone to having them, with each panic attack you become more aware of what triggers them and how to minimize them.

[Erica Sonnier]

A great list! I full fledged panic attack when I was in high school. It was terrifying. We were at a mock trial competition and I was struggling to keep my nerves. I did my bit on the stand and as I got off my throat closed up, I felt like I was burning and I couldn't breath. I remember telling my mom "Mom! I can't breath and my throat is closing" she just said, "oh, you are just having a panic attack, step outside and just take a little walk in the fresh air" and it helped.

Luckily, I haven't had anymore of them... although, I am prone to migraines and sometimes when I have a migraine, if I get upset or if my anxiety increases it will worsen some of my symptoms and mimic a bit of a panic attack.

[Hoyeya]

Luckily, I've managed to get my panic attacks under control. In recent years they have been rare and when I feel one coming on I am able to control it. A dramatic difference from the debilitating ones I experienced in my early twenties.

This is a fabulous list!

[HappyMamatoThree]

Having lived in the world of panic, I can so identify with your post. I have a separate diagnosis that inegrates with my panic and anxiety and makes dealing with them a life or death situation sometimes. Thanks for such a good list. As my daughter is learning to deal with panic disorder I will keep this page bookmarked. Though she has done well so far with biofeedback, relaxation, and only occasional medication, I know that it is a long road to travel.

Thanks again and thanks for visiting my TT.

Cindi

[roberta]

Wow! I had my first panic attack in my 20's ... and my last several years ago when I was going through menopause.
I had them in the middle of classes ... in a group when someone was discussing their attacks ... in a hair salon ... they came and I felt like I had to escape! I haven't had one in awhile ... and I hope I don't have one ever again!
Interesting post!
R

[Robyn]

Great TT. I've had panic attacks quite a bit - way too much to suit me! I've linked to you on my new blog site http://bipolarpoop.info/main/ because it's a great resource. Thanks!