Quasijocund
10-10-2013, 07:58 PM
Hi, my name's Alex. I'm sixteen, and I've had panic attacks since I was eight. It was much more frequent when I was younger, because I was stuck at home with my stepfather (the root of my problems). However, in recent years I've become more active in my school's theatre, and I've even started working at an ice cream shop near where I live. Basically, I'm rarely home. Due to this, my last panic attack was over the summer, so I've had a great streak. My main trigger (that I've noticed) is shouting, typically by males. It frightens me, causing me to feel a fluttering feeling in my heart and a shortness of breath. It is soon followed by tingling and coldness on my face and extremities. Sometimes I get dizzy, but if I'm left alone I can handle it. It's the most awful feeling, though, and I'm very glad I've not felt it recently. Unfortunately, I came very close at work yesterday when a customer was yelling at an employee. It wasn't directed towards me, mind you, but my whole body felt like it was shutting down. I immediately informed a manager and stepped into the back room and drank some cold water. I felt the panic rising in me like vomit, and I actually had to step outside into the chilly night air before I could calm myself down. That's basically why I joined this forum. I want to be able to control myself more so I can handle a situation like that rather than leaving my friends/fellow employees in the dust because I can't handle a man raising his voice.
This is probably the worst 'hello' message ever. Sorry. :(
This is probably the worst 'hello' message ever. Sorry. :(