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Panic attacks are so mind bogglingly weird. For a few seconds (maybe a minute or so) your brain enters a completely different mode. Then it takes a few minutes

Panic attacks are so mind bogglingly weird. For a few seconds (maybe a minute or so) your brain enters a completely different mode. Then it takes a few minutes to calm back down to regular human thought, again. It's so weird it is difficult to come to terms with what happened. I spent a few months largely crippled by panic disorder (intermittent panic attacks spaced by anxiety – often about the panic attacks themselves). The whole experience was like a crash course in understanding out-of-body-experiences and accidental mental overreactions.

_eric 8y ago
> I spent a few months largely crippled by panic disorder Yeah, that's kind of what happened with me too. Only that the panic attack itself was only 2 months ago; Out of freaking nowhere. I remember I was reading a piece of code and then suddenly I felt my hearting beating faster and just couldn't breathe properly; you really just feel like you're going to die - right where you are. And then, after it has passed, you are left with the anxiety of it all and all the bad thoughts. I had to take medications for high blood pressure because mine was like 16/9, and my normal is 12/8 (I'm 29 and I exercise daily). After 2 months visiting doctors I can say I'm "normal" again, but I have to be aware of the "long fuse" thing, because that seems to be the real killer.
- Tharkun 8y ago
  > then suddenly I felt my hearting beating faster and just couldn't breathe properly; you really just feel like you're going to die - right where you are That's exactly my experience. I didn't know what was happening. I'd never had a panic attack before and it came totally out of nowhere. Someone ended up phoning an ambulance. By the time they got there, all that remained was the shame of having to say "I'm fine, please just ignore me". It wasn't until much later that I realized that I'd been stressy and anxious for a good while.
gilgoomesh 8y ago
Since everyone else is saying what worked for them... I didn't fix them with medication, breathing or lifestyle. I saw a therapist (CBT) for a few months and she suggested leaning into the panic attack: when you feel one coming on, deliberately try to trigger it. They whither away when you embrace them. The underlying anxiety is a separate issue and required a few years of practiced mental discipline. Sorry, no silver bullets there.
- sjg007 8y ago
  Yeah that's a good way to recognize what is happening objectively at a higher level rather than just responding to the amygdala. Your effectively observing the moment.

_eric 8y ago

> I spent a few months largely crippled by panic disorder Yeah, that's kind of what happened with me too. Only that the panic attack itself was only 2 months ago; Out of freaking nowhere. I remember I was reading a piece of code and then suddenly I felt my hearting beating faster and just couldn't breathe properly; you really just feel like you're going to die - right where you are. And then, after it has passed, you are left with the anxiety of it all and all the bad thoughts. I had to take medications for high blood pressure because mine was like 16/9, and my normal is 12/8 (I'm 29 and I exercise daily). After 2 months visiting doctors I can say I'm "normal" again, but I have to be aware of the "long fuse" thing, because that seems to be the real killer.

Tharkun 8y ago
> then suddenly I felt my hearting beating faster and just couldn't breathe properly; you really just feel like you're going to die - right where you are That's exactly my experience. I didn't know what was happening. I'd never had a panic attack before and it came totally out of nowhere. Someone ended up phoning an ambulance. By the time they got there, all that remained was the shame of having to say "I'm fine, please just ignore me". It wasn't until much later that I realized that I'd been stressy and anxious for a good while.

gilgoomesh 8y ago

Since everyone else is saying what worked for them... I didn't fix them with medication, breathing or lifestyle. I saw a therapist (CBT) for a few months and she suggested leaning into the panic attack: when you feel one coming on, deliberately try to trigger it. They whither away when you embrace them. The underlying anxiety is a separate issue and required a few years of practiced mental discipline. Sorry, no silver bullets there.

sjg007 8y ago
Yeah that's a good way to recognize what is happening objectively at a higher level rather than just responding to the amygdala. Your effectively observing the moment.