RachB
04-04-2016, 08:00 PM
Hi everyone! I'm new to this forum and I'm hoping somebody can answer a question for me that I can't get out of my mind. If I could get an answer that makes sense, I think I could really get over my panic attacks. I started getting panic attacks four years ago a month before my dad passed away from his second battle with cancer. When I first started getting panic attacks, I didn't know what they were....like so many of you I'm sure. The first one I got when I was driving home from work and my vision went totally black out of nowhere for a second and my breathing was very labored. I was lucky because a man was standing outside and came to my aid and helped me in his home so I could call my sister to come get me. My sister took me to the ER and they couldn't find anything wrong with me, but that panic attack forever changed me. I would eventually find out through my family doctor that I was having panic attacks. I continued to get them more and more...especially when I was driving (after my dad passed). I didn't drive for six months because I was afraid I would have another panic attack while I was driving. It took about a year, but I was eventually able to drive again. In the back of my mind though, I would think what if my vision goes black like it did before when I'm driving and what if my panic would come back. My anxiety has shown itself in other ways since then, but I was still able to drive. This fall after going through some things personally with my in-laws the panic attacks came back. I was driving and once again my vision went black for a second. The last six months of driving have been rough, but I've never stopped driving even though there have been times I really didn't want to or think I could. I have felt a lot better lately with fewer attacks. I'm not afraid anymore of any of the symptoms that go along with panic attacks while driving or if I get them anywhere else for that matter...EXCEPT there's just one thing I can't get over.....I still want to know why my vision went black temporarily. I don't drive my four year old anywhere because I worry if I would have an attack and my vision would go black I could somehow hurt him. I have never lost consciousness or passed out even though it feels like I could. Could that happen? I've had lots of panic attacks, but why did my vision go black for a few of them? Could I get hurt if that happens while I am driving? Could I pass out, lose consciousness, or black out for longer than a second? Thanks so much for your time and help with these questions!! I know I can beat these panic attacks if I could just understand the black vision issues. It's very scary!!
Rachel
Rachel