Was i having an anxiety attack ?

[GoneCrazy]

Yesterday i was thinking about work that night and today going to a city that i always go, wen't to buy a new computer.

 

Anyways i started to feel..

 

- nervous

- worried

- fearful

- shaking

- my ears got red hot

 

After about 20mins. later that night i got to work as i always do wen't to buy a drink before the store closed and i started to feel the same thing tho this lasted for a few mins.

 

Was looking on the web and it said it could be a anxiety attack. Was it one or was it something else ?

 

Thanks.

[Speranza]

Sounds like one. Are you worried about the cost? Or anything else?

 

Don't worry, it doesn't mean you are 'starting with them'. If it happens again, take a mental step back and think, "Oh look! It's happening again!" and instead of 'going through it', observe it. This removes you a little from the attack itself.

 

If it does happen again though, I would just pop and mention it to your doctor.

[GoneCrazy]

Not so much the cost but the drive down there, for some reason thinking of driving somehwhere that i don't drive to that often starts to wrry me and get abit nervous. Of course today i wen't and everything worked out fine.

 

Also i seem to be fearful of people, i'm always on my guard thinking of the worst

[Speranza]

That's strange, mine used to be when I was driving. Those noises in the car you've never heard before... etc.

 

It's often down to some unacknowledged anxiety somewhere in your life. Maybe a fear of the future, or something you never really sorted in your head... Anything like that going on for you?

 

Well done anyway!

[GoneCrazy]

Future does a have big roll. Like me going back to school. Ex last week i wen't on a college campus and i started to get nevous an worried, lasted for about 15-25mins after i talked to one of the adminstators i started to calm down.

 

Now i know going back i will get nervous an worried i always had a hard tiem with school i would lose nights of sleep and be stressed out when starting school wether it be a new school or a new year.

 

Going back i felt like i was going back to jail lol.

[Speranza]

Are you sure you ought to be going?

[GoneCrazy]

The way i see it i've been out of school for 3yrs and for those 3yrs i've been living in my little isolated bubble. And i know i have to break through it i wish i could drive somewhere new, go to a different place, go to a social event, be around people without fear or worry.

 

sadly thats not gonan happen without me going out and doing something. I just hope that when i go back to school i get use to the people and things easily and stop worring so much.

[Speranza]

Can I suggest that perhaps this is too big a step all at once? Could you enrol in some part time study for a year? I admire your resolve to 'fix this' but - you are getting a VERY clear message from your body that you are not listening hard enough to your fears - which after all come from a KNOWING what is right/wrong for you.

 

If you push yourself too hard then you may not have a postive experience and this would be quite a backwards step.

 

Just imagein you are posting, "Hey, so I decided to study part time this year and go back full time NEXT year."

 

Does that give you a kind of happy, excited feeling at some level?

 

Listen to your body. It's where we FEEL our FEELINGS.

[GoneCrazy]

Well this college is not a dorm kinda thing i go in for an hour or so in a class of 16 students, and go home in the end of the day.

 

I understand my body and mind is fearful adn worried...so how would i go on and approach this ?

 

As for moving away and living in dorm room i don't think i could do that i got such a fear against that.

[Speranza]

It's a fine line between pushing out of your comfort zone nad going TOO FAR out of it.

 

Perhaps you could try visualising everday situations? What exactly triggers your panicky thoughts?

 

Just remember - if it is too much, you don't have to do this right now. Do you live alone?

[GoneCrazy]

I'm always worried that i'm gonan get into a fight, i'm worried that i will freeze and not know what to do i'm worried about embarrasment in general. If i do dislike someone or they tick me off i'll go week heck yrs on end thinking how i can get back at them....even tho i believe in karma lol.

 

I understand that whole step out of the box when your ready but if i wait a week that week comes a month, month comes a year and so forth, so far i've spent 3yrs working for my folks going really nowhere while most of people my age got 2 or so years left of school and they start there careers.

[Speranza]

OK but they are pretty specific worries - is this your history, random fights? What is your strategy to NOT do this in the future?

[GoneCrazy]

Well besides the fights i also worry carrer wise, relationship, mentaly and phsyicaly when i put all those together i get a ball of worry.

 

As for my way of avoiding fights well avoid peopel i guess. I know thats the wrong and worst way plus you gotta deal with people evetyday wether it be in person or here. I always try to stay out of peoples way and mind my own business, however trouble always seems to find its way and so do the a-holes.

[Jeen]

The psychologist, Alfred Adler

"A person's behaviour springs from his ideas. It is his attitude towards life which determines his relationship to the outside world."

 

One of the basic assumptions of rational thought is that emotions are not caused by external events, but are the result of the inner dialogue a person has with himself. A central and consistent theme in this approach is that I can still be in control of myself. I can choose the thoughts I want to think and therefore which emotions I want to experience.

[memphis1]

I don't know, because It happened to me and I dont know.

My symptoms were similar to yours. I was using the bathroom and went over to wash my hands and all of a sudden i got dizzy enough to where it felt like i was hammered out of my mind. I lost all vision ( everything went completely white. imagining looking into the sun straight through ) and i fell to the floor. I thought i was dead... it was only a few seconds though. I think it was a panic attack for me. May have been for you. You should probably get some anxiety meds for something like this, 'cause it can be scary sometimes.

[GoneCrazy]

The psychologist, Alfred Adler

"A person's behaviour springs from his ideas. It is his attitude towards life which determines his relationship to the outside world."

 

One of the basic assumptions of rational thought is that emotions are not caused by external events, but are the result of the inner dialogue a person has with himself. A central and consistent theme in this approach is that I can still be in control of myself. I can choose the thoughts I want to think and therefore which emotions I want to experience.

 

Alfred is a smart man i should look more into him and what he has to say. And yup its all in the mind for the most part which can be the worst to control of.

 

I don't know, because It happened to me and I dont know.

My symptoms were similar to yours. I was using the bathroom and went over to wash my hands and all of a sudden i got dizzy enough to where it felt like i was hammered out of my mind. I lost all vision ( everything went completely white. imagining looking into the sun straight through ) and i fell to the floor. I thought i was dead... it was only a few seconds though. I think it was a panic attack for me. May have been for you. You should probably get some anxiety meds for something like this, 'cause it can be scary sometimes.

 

That sounds like a full blown panic attack. I dunno if you've ever seen the show the sopranos. Well the main boss tony he always has panic attacks and its basically the way you discribed, his son had a panic attack were he passed out for a few mins. I don't have this problem.

 

Another problem that i have is if i'm waiting in line and if there is a big line like 6-7 people or more i get to start feeling uneasy and have no patients, i would leave the line even if my turn was coming up. Also sometimes if i'm in traffic i get another uneasy feeling like i'm trapped and can't get out so i start to freak inside this is one of the reasons why i can't drive in the city or places i dunno very well.

[Jeen]

Alfred is a smart man i should look more into him and what he has to say. And yup its all in the mind for the most part which can be the worst to control of..

 

That is where you have to change the way you think in life, every day we have to make choice's and they can stress us out, when spending money, going somewhere or where we feel we are not in our comfort zone. First of it is a challenge for every one, don't feel alone we all feel this way, I still get this way when I have to do a presentation or seminar even after I did close to a thousand.

 

What helps?

Self-help tips for panic attacks and panic disorder

When it comes to panic attacks, professional treatment and therapy can make a big difference. But there are many things you can do to help yourself, too:

 

Learn about panic.

Simply knowing more about panic can go a long way towards relieving your distress. So read up on anxiety, panic disorder, and the fight-or-flight response experienced during a panic attack. You’ll learn that the sensations and feelings you have when you panic are normal and that you aren’t going crazy.

 

Avoid smoking and caffeine.

Smoking and caffeine can provoke panic attacks in people who are susceptible. As a result, it’s wise to avoid cigarettes, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages. Also be careful with medications that contain stimulants, such as diet pills and non-drowsy cold medications.

 

Learn how to control your breathing.

Hyperventilation brings on many sensations (such as lightheadedness and tightness of the chest) that occur during a panic attack. Deep breathing, on the other hand, can relieve the symptoms of panic. By learning to control your breathing, you develop a coping skill that you can use to calm yourself down when you begin to feel anxious. If you know how to control your breathing, you are also less likely to create the very sensations that you are afraid of.

 

Practice relaxation techniques.

When practiced regularly, activities such as yoga, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation strengthen the body’s relaxation response – the opposite of the stress response involved in anxiety and panic. And not only do these relaxation practices promote relaxation, but they also increase feelings of joy and equanimity. So make time for them in your daily routine.

 

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[GoneCrazy]

Thanks Jeen coffee is hard to kick since i drink it as if it were tap whatever. Also i never found yoga to be relaxing always found myself wondering around thinking about the worst, i know i should clear my thoughts and listen to the teacher but i just find myself in the negative unhappy land.

 

Anyone know what the going rate is when it comes to therapy ? i heard it was about $300 a week for 2 sessions each one hour

[Speranza]

Ha! Well there's the cheapest part of your answer.

 

Come off the caffeine. Cut down to begin with, maybe half your drinks a day change for decaff.

 

Then substitute other drinks.

 

Caffeine has an incredibly strong effect on us. I had to stop it cos of my panic attacks. Sometimes even a few squares of chocolate can give me palpitations.

[GoneCrazy]

I'll give decaf a try, i had thread once not sure if its still up but i got number of post from people telling me how coffee can do a number on the nerv system