mikel
03-22-2010, 12:26 AM
About a year and a half ago I had my first panic attack. I went to a Medi-Center and EKG and blood tests came back fine. Two days before NYE'09, I had a panic attack that sent me to the ER. An overnight stay, vials of blood taken, EKG, ECG, chest xrays, nuclear dye test and a treadmill style stress test all came back with the same results. Nothing wrong!
So.. I have panic attacks and anxiety. With every panic attack I think, "Maybe it's real this time. Maybe I WAS fine back in the ER but something's developed since then."
My panic attacks have become few and far between, but I'm left with this annoying and very frustrating anxiety. It's not only frustrating to me, but to my girlfriend as well. She's frustrated that there's nothing she can do for me to make it all go away. During an attack, she fights with herself wondering whether or not she'll take me to the ER if that's what I ask for. The anxiety keeps me up at night, a lot. I'll feel tired and perfectly ready for sleep, then as soon as I lie down, I get nuts. My heart feels like it skips, I feel tingling in my hands, especially my left which makes me thing I'm about to have a heart attack. (Incidentally, I have mild carpal tunnel in my hands which causes pins and needles. You'd think I would realize this first instead of going right to the bad place!) During the day, it's not so bad. But, as soon am I'm lying down comfy and quiet, that's where all the worries and stress of my life have a chance to come crashing down.
I wind up sitting up at night, googling on my phone anxiety and panic and the like, only to come to the same conclusions that the doctors seem to have come to... nothing's wrong! Well.. almost nothing.
What's so comforting, is coming to a place like this to see so many people have the exact same issues that I do. It bring a huge sigh of relief to know I'm not alone with this and I'm not a. dying and 2. going crazy!
One of my biggest concerns that my friends seem to get a kick out of is when I'm sleeping, I like to sleep "freely".. and I think to myself during a panic attack, "I should put clothes on.. I don't want to be naked when the coroner comes!" While this brings a roar of laughs to my friends.. and as silly as it sounds to me as I'm typing this, during an attack, it's a real concern of mine.
/rambing off.
It's time for me to try to get some much needed sleep and take comfort in the fact that there are others who know exactly what I'm going through from first hand experience.
So.. I have panic attacks and anxiety. With every panic attack I think, "Maybe it's real this time. Maybe I WAS fine back in the ER but something's developed since then."
My panic attacks have become few and far between, but I'm left with this annoying and very frustrating anxiety. It's not only frustrating to me, but to my girlfriend as well. She's frustrated that there's nothing she can do for me to make it all go away. During an attack, she fights with herself wondering whether or not she'll take me to the ER if that's what I ask for. The anxiety keeps me up at night, a lot. I'll feel tired and perfectly ready for sleep, then as soon as I lie down, I get nuts. My heart feels like it skips, I feel tingling in my hands, especially my left which makes me thing I'm about to have a heart attack. (Incidentally, I have mild carpal tunnel in my hands which causes pins and needles. You'd think I would realize this first instead of going right to the bad place!) During the day, it's not so bad. But, as soon am I'm lying down comfy and quiet, that's where all the worries and stress of my life have a chance to come crashing down.
I wind up sitting up at night, googling on my phone anxiety and panic and the like, only to come to the same conclusions that the doctors seem to have come to... nothing's wrong! Well.. almost nothing.
What's so comforting, is coming to a place like this to see so many people have the exact same issues that I do. It bring a huge sigh of relief to know I'm not alone with this and I'm not a. dying and 2. going crazy!
One of my biggest concerns that my friends seem to get a kick out of is when I'm sleeping, I like to sleep "freely".. and I think to myself during a panic attack, "I should put clothes on.. I don't want to be naked when the coroner comes!" While this brings a roar of laughs to my friends.. and as silly as it sounds to me as I'm typing this, during an attack, it's a real concern of mine.
/rambing off.
It's time for me to try to get some much needed sleep and take comfort in the fact that there are others who know exactly what I'm going through from first hand experience.