If you have ever had a panic attack please chime in!

[delaney]

Okay so here is what happened.

I was about 60 miles from home driving this evening on a major interstate, 4 lanes of fast moving traffic. I have night driving issues that I usually wear sunglasses for since it cuts down on the glare. So I am driving and all of a sudden I feel like I am not seeing the road clearly enough, almost without depth perception, I get that "feeling" like when you see the flashing lights of an officer behind you when you get pulled over...you know, panic. My palms sweat, and I feel the sudden need to get off the road because if I don't I think I might STOP dead in the middle of 60+ mph traffic! I get off, open the windows a bit on a side road and the feeling starts to subside. I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to be able to finish the drive!

I got on the road again and talked to my friend for the next 35 miles b/c I knew she had gone through something like this. What really made it worse was that I had the girls with me and I knew that passing out or whatever would put them at risk. That probably made it worse. Even thinking about it now I get that weird feeling.

Is that what a panic attack is? Once I was close to home and on quieter roads I felt much more at ease and we even popped into the Dollar Store for a few things. Feeling totally fine now.

Thanks for any insight!

[Starr]

I'm glad you're feeling better now! That sounds like it could well be a panic attack. Have you had other episodes?

[eight_gregorys]

How terrifying! I have panic attacks and it is very similar to what you experienced. I usually feel like I'm hyperventilating as well. It is very scary. The first time I had one, I thought I was dying, literally. Are you stressed right now?? This is usually when I get panic attacks and a lot of the time, I don't even realize I'm stressed. It is my bodies way of telling me I'm doing too much. The best thing you can do is try to remain calm. Take deep, slow breaths and remind yourself that you are fine. It usually helps me. There are medications that you can take if they become worse and start interfering with your daily life.

 

HTH,

 

Andrea

[tex-mex]

Pretty similar reaction too for me. I have depth perception issues for my right eye and night time driving (with fast freeway traffic) is terrifying to judge merging and lane crossings. As a result, I don't drive long distance or in those situations -- only drive easy routes that are familiar and local. :D Strangely enough, I could drive in LA (Southern CA) traffic as it was often bumper to bumper and easy to handle. But if the freeways are high speed and everyone is zipping by a route I do not know... forget it.

 

But I have experienced what you described. Yup, 'tis a panic attack. In my case, if the fear amps up so much, I literally feel like I'm ready to faint, light headed or vision gets blurry while driving. Logic flies out the window and yes, stopping in the middle of the freeway seems reasonable and you fight with yourself to get off the freeway and relax. I'm so sorry that happened to you. :grouphug:

[helena]

YES!!

I had a very similar experience at the beginning of last summer. I'm still working through it.

Luckily I was alone, but I was on the freeway and there was no way to exit for a while. It was terrifying. It felt like I was hallucinating, and I couldn't tell if I was moving or not. It makes me sick still, just thinking about it.

:grouphug:

[JessReplanted]

I deal with anxiety. The most common place for me to feel like a panic attack is coming on is actually Walmart. :tongue_smilie: I just take a deep breath and tell myself to just get the next thing. Glad you made it home safely!

[gardening momma]

I think the closest I've come to a panic attack was when I started to hyperventilate on an airplane. It was a late flight, the air in the plane was very cold, and they didn't have enough blankets for everyone. The flight was from Hawaii, so I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, with a layover in Seattle, which I didn't think about, or I would have dressed more warmly. I was so tired and cold that I started to hyperventilate. When I was a kid I had heard that you're supposed to take deep breaths in and out of a paper bag (which I did not conveniently have on hand), so I did it without one and was able to get myself calmed down.

 

I was about 60 miles from home driving this evening on a major interstate, 4 lanes of fast moving traffic. I have night driving issues that I usually wear sunglasses for since it cuts down on the glare.

 

I'm concerned that you wear sunglasses at night when you drive. You could go to an optometrist and get glasses or sunglasses with clear lenses without a prescription, and get an anti-glare coating put on them. ETA: you should be able to do this without an eye exam. You'd want to see the optician (the person who helps you pick out glasses and makes sure they fit right). Call first to see if you'd need an appointment with the optician (there shouldn't be a cost/copay, the appt would just be so he/she has adequate time set aside for you).

Edited November 21, 2010 by gardening momma

[daughterofsarah77]

I deal with anxiety. The most common place for me to feel like a panic attack is coming on is actually Walmart. :tongue_smilie: I just take a deep breath and tell myself to just get the next thing. Glad you made it home safely!

 

I used to belong to an anxiety forum, and there were discussions aplenty about panic attacks in Wal-Mart!!! How crazy!

 

Ok, so I have dealt with anxiety for the last few years. Your experience sounds quite familiar to me! One thing that I have learned in regards to fear that I will pass out while driving is this: supposedly you cannot pass out from a panic attack. Your blood pressure is actually increasing, which is the opposite of what happens when you would pass out. That is reassuring. But...it stinks. Are you particularily stressed out about anything?

[gaillardia]

Many years ago I had an accident, unconscious, car had to be cut open to get me out, flown to hospital, came to at one point, I don't remember it though.

Fast forward to 5 years ago. Snorkling, for the first time, going around in a clear, calm bay (Keys) for a while, no problems. Drive to a place, get on a boat with a bunch of other people, go way out near the coral reef, get in water and attempt to swim to reef. Tide is coming in, waves are noticeable and suddenly I can't remember how to coordinate breathing through the mouth, keeping the snorkle above water, paddling, and enjoying myself. NO. I had a panic attack.

I didn't make it to the reef.

It was a claustrophobic related thing for me I think.

[Jeanne in MN]

When I have a panic attack I can feel it coming on by the tingling on the skin on my arms. It's the most frightening feeling in the world, to feel so out of control and so afraid. I was told that the body is experiencing a fight or flight response, that's why your heart starts to race, and you're body feels so revved up.

 

I have also learned that it can very much be controlled by thought. The brain will believe what you tell it. When I had my first panic attack we were living on an acreage where I felt so isolated for one. Hated that, "all alone, out of the loop of the world" feelings. I couldn't keep my house clean and spent a good deal of time trying to avoid it while telling myself how horrible I was. Then we got infested with fleas. That was the last straw. I'd told myself one too many times that I couldn't live like that (isolated, messy home) and the fleas just pushed me over the edge. Sheer panic.

 

I saw a therapist, learned some calming techniques (Emotional Freedom Technique-EFT) and how to give myself more honest messages that my mind will believe. It has helped tremendously. Get help immediately so you don't have to live in fear or worry about it happening again. You can learn tools to help prevent a panic attack and to get you through it should it happen again.

[Donna]

I had my only panic attack on an airplane this summer flying overseas to Ireland. It was an all night flights. I had fallen asleep sometime after dinner (why they serve dinner at 11pm I have no idea but that's beside the point). I was woken by someone screaming and the plane bouncing around horribly with the worst turbulence I've ever felt. I am afraid of flying anyway and the plane was dropping slightly then bouncing back up and jiggling.

 

I didn't feel bad for the 10-15 minutes it was happening (felt like an hour) but kept thinking of how I'd save my dd when the plane went down. LOL Afterward my hands and feet felt tingley and I was freezing with the worst stomach pain. My husband said I was white as a ghost and I thought I was going to vomit and/or pass out. I got tunnel vision and I knew I was hyperventilating so took the little bag to breath into or in case I couldn't prevent my stomach. I sat there thinking how that little bag couldn't possibly hold everything in my stomach and the fasten seatbelt sign prevented me from going to the restroom. It was not a good night.

[Onceuponatime]

I have had panic attacks and episodes like you are describing. My panic attacks are usually caused from negative mental feedback. I think these others are partly physical.

 

Usually if I am in a vehicle and feel that way, I have to many layers of clothes on, the heat may be on, and all the windows are rolled up. I suddenly feel claustrophobic and short of breath which brings on a panic feeling. However, I feel better very quickly if I roll down the windows, shed some layers, have a drink of water, and get the fans blowing on me.

[delaney]

I'm glad you're feeling better now! That sounds like it could well be a panic attack. Have you had other episodes?

Well yes now that I begin to think about it I realize there have been other times when I had that flight response. The first time I remember was in high school at the movies. We were at Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a few minutes into the movie it was so gross and violent that I jumped up and made tracks out of there as fast as I could. I was with my boyfriend and I remember driving for like 10 minutes before I could talk about it. Another time I was at the movies with DH seeing that Harrison Ford movie where his son is kidnapped by the crooked cop and he turns the tables in the guy by offering a bounty on his head. I felt the insane need to leave and go home to DS who was maybe 2 at the time?

There was another time I was talking to my friend about but can't come up with it right now. Traffic has never been an issue for me since I learned to drive through NYC at an early age having grown up on Long Island. But it seemed to be more on my mind yesterday. On the way up I felt a bit light headed but assumed it was because I hadn't had lunch. Perhaps it was anxiety at that point?:confused:

 

I think the closest I've come to a panic attack was when I started to hyperventilate on an airplane. It was a late flight, the air in the plane was very cold, and they didn't have enough blankets for everyone. The flight was from Hawaii, so I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, with a layover in Seattle, which I didn't think about, or I would have dressed more warmly. I was so tired and cold that I started to hyperventilate. When I was a kid I had heard that you're supposed to take deep breaths in and out of a paper bag (which I did not conveniently have on hand), so I did it without one and was able to get myself calmed down.

 

 

 

I'm concerned that you wear sunglasses at night when you drive. You could go to an optometrist and get glasses or sunglasses with clear lenses without a prescription, and get an anti-glare coating put on them. ETA: you should be able to do this without an eye exam. You'd want to see the optician (the person who helps you pick out glasses and makes sure they fit right). Call first to see if you'd need an appointment with the optician (there shouldn't be a cost/copay, the appt would just be so he/she has adequate time set aside for you).

My sunglasses are prescription and the only ones I have right now since my regular glasses broke. They are amber and work really well at night but I will look into something anti-glare. DH used to have them and said that the coating messed up the lenses so I never considered them.

 

I used to belong to an anxiety forum, and there were discussions aplenty about panic attacks in Wal-Mart!!! How crazy!

 

Ok, so I have dealt with anxiety for the last few years. Your experience sounds quite familiar to me! One thing that I have learned in regards to fear that I will pass out while driving is this: supposedly you cannot pass out from a panic attack. Your blood pressure is actually increasing, which is the opposite of what happens when you would pass out. That is reassuring. But...it stinks. Are you particularily stressed out about anything?

Stress? Every day. I know for some 6 kids isn't a lot but in the past few weeks it seems like I am on an island and DH just lives a separate life. I feel like a single parent many days. I feel very unappreciated and the girls have been fighting during school time more. Now DS (4) is home from preschool and he is very disruptive. I had posted about DD's behavior and I realize that she is just mirroring my attitude and that really stinks. DH comes in from work and blows up at the slightest thing and I end up wrestling the issue with him because he can undo the "calmness" I have tried to maintain in a few minutes. It has been a real struggle. I am up late planning and doing school work and then up at 6 to get the boys off to PS. I actually have Welbutrin but can't take it because the toddler is still nursing.

Any suggestions?

[Laura Corin]

A side note: we have had good luck with taking fish oil capsules to reduce night dazzle.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[ktgrok]

Yup. Oddly, the only time Ive had panic attacks I've either been overheated or dehydrated a bit.