Panic attack causing fainting spell

[broadway91]

I was just wondering if this has happened to anyone else before.... I was at work in a meeting waiting to give a presentation, and i started to get very hot. I had been standing for about 30 min. at least at this point. I started to panic a bit because I did not have water with me to cool me down. Not having water with me tends to be a trigger for my anxiety for some reason. I left to the washroom to see if I could calm myself down but it did not work. I went back into the room and walked towards a chair and fainted before I could sit down. My body collapsed and I blacked out for a second or two. 10 minutes later I felt better.

Has anyone else had a history of panic attacks leading to passing out?

[14sierra]

Absolutely, that is actually what happens in my worst case panic attacks, if I let them get too far out of control and is what I'm most afraid of happening. Mine are caused by not enough oxygen getting to my brain from my diaphragm being so tight, but I have managed to get it under control before I actually pass out when that happens. Did you have a tingling sensation in your head and or body before it happened?

[broadway91]

Glad to see I am not alone!! I had a tingling sensation in my head for sure.. as well as heart racing, profusely sweating etc.. I don't know why, but being overheated and not having water is a major trigger for me, and the panic about that then causes more anxiety....it's a vicious cycle and it sucks!

[14sierra]

Yeah that is definitely a panic attack, the first time that happened to me I thought I was going to die and ended up in the hospital. What helps me is to realize that it is just my diaphragm getting too tight and that I'm not gonna die. Easier said than done right? Well, for me I have to reassure myself of whats going on so I can work myself out of it before it gets to that point. Having to have something with you to keep it from triggering is normal for me too, so keep a bottle of water with you, whatever it is to calm it down before it gets out of control.

The heart racing and sweating happens to me a lot, they come in right before the tingling crap. Unless people have been through it they don't know how much of a vicious cycle it really is... You have a panic attack cause you're worried then worried about having a panic attack, over and over.

Yeah it helps a lot talking to people, hope things have calmed down for you

[aml0017]

It is important to keep breathing even in the midst of a panic attack. Easier said than done I know, but it is just a matter of purposefully taking slower, deeper breaths as best you can. It's also a good method to distract your mind a bit so you don't get too swept up in the panic. Acknowledge you are experiencing some anxiety, accept it, and let it pass. Sounds simplistic but not giving in to the panic is key. Anxiety sucks but it won't kill you. Once you really believe that you can let go some of the fear of the anxiety itself. Then the way you react to an oncoming anxiety or panic attack changes, you won't tense up so much, which makes the anxiety even worse.