Does it ever go away?

[IusedtobeJeff]

Hi all. This is my first thread here on the forum and as my username suggests, i used to be what most people would deem normal. Then, all of a sudden, one day while driving home from work, my hands, face, and chest started tingling...i started feeling extremely scared and had to pull over. When i got out of my car i sat on the curb for a minute and collapsed while my hands clinched themselves into fists so tightly that i couldn't open them back up. My facial muscles were so tense that i couldn't speak properly. An ambulance took me to the hospital that night. They did bloodwork..gave me an ekg, gave me a muscle relaxer, and ultimately they gave me a clean bill of health and suggested that i had a panic attack. Ever since that night (October 2013)..i constantly feel as if im scared/worrying. Sometimes i don't know what im scared of, sometimes im scared ill have another panic attack, (which has happened) and sometimes im just scared that im going to die. My own mortality is a big trigger for me. Also, i can barely drive my car anymore without my heart pounding out of my chest and my body getting those tingling sensations. The further i get from my house, the worse it gets. I just can't seem to find peace. Ive taken to meditation, and that seems to help for an hour or so before the scared feelings come back. Im a new father of a 9 month old baby boy and i can barely enjoy my time with him. I ended up losing my job because driving has become such a scary and draining task. I feel like ive been robbed of my life. I had an appointment with a shrink on Wednesday...and have another in a week. Has anyone here dealt with this and gotten back to normal? I can't imagine living this way forever. Sorry for the long post btw...i tried fitting everything in one post without it taking too long to read.

[NixonRulz]

Well you've got a new 9 month old. That's stressful. And you have responsibilities of a job and a family. More stress.

Your case is the typical of discovering panic attacks

You associate the car with the attack since it it where it first occurred

You sensitized yourself to associate the car with panic

Your fear of another attack is the same that caused me so much trouble.

You scan your mind and body for anything that points to the panic and sure enough, here it comes.

Yes. You can overcome this with some help from meds, natural remedies, CBT, a shrink or maybe all of them

Point is, you're here where you are. Stop looking back at how you were prior to October. It's not where you are now.

Looking for help so quick will surely help you get past this sooner than later. Took me years and years before I looked for help

This forum is a great place for reassurance and advice

Your priority should be to get your mind to stop racing.

Once that is done, settle in and desensitize yourself to your triggers

Lots of people will chime in to give you suggestions how to do that

You'll find your way

[Enduronman]

Welcome!

How old are you btw?

Hmmm...find this abit odd, to just all the sudden BAM!!!

Congratulations on the baby boy though, they're wayyyyyyy easier than baby girls, or grown girls for that matter.

What do YOU think triggered this? This is really rare to see posts with no previous issue and then suddenly something happens...like childhood issues or something prior.

My kids are 22, 17, and 15 yrs with 2 grandsons...kids everywhere!

E-Man. :)

[NixonRulz]

Welcome! How old are you btw? Hmmm...find this abit odd, to just all the sudden BAM!!! Congratulations on the baby boy though, they're wayyyyyyy easier than baby girls, or grown girls for that matter. What do YOU think triggered this? This is really rare to see posts with no previous issue and then suddenly something happens...like childhood issues or something prior. My kids are 22, 17, and 15 yrs with 2 grandsons...kids everywhere! E-Man. :)

That's how it started for we, I was just worrying a lot and then BAM, outta nowhere

[IusedtobeJeff]

Hello. Im 27 years old. I dealt with something similar to this in my early 20's following a cancer scare. But never had the tingling sensations or the pounding heart beats and palpitations. Back then my anxiety was strictly health related...as in i feared having this or that disease. Ive experienced the tingling sensations a few times before this the day after a night of drinking. (I used to drink a lot...ive since quit drinking as hangovers are a massive trigger.) But i somehow got through the health anxiety and felt normal after just a few months. This time around im having panic attacks and im worrying most of the day....don't like getting out of bed sometimes....its just all very scary and im unsure if ill ever be normal again. It's a different sort of anxiety i feel like.

[NixonRulz]

Well that explains a lot

So you probably had the tendencies to panic because of your anxiety concerns

Not all get panic with anxiety, and I don't know why some do or don't

But it seems like those who often panic, have anxiety disorders as well

My wife has had a few panic attacks in here life so it was cool that she understood

But she just let it go and it never concerned her

Me, you....not so lucky

[Applecherry]

Having a new baby is a huge life change, so anxiety is quite normal in this instance. I will tell you, people who suffer constant panic are generally unsure of something in their lives or the future, they feel emotionally unstable about something. Perhaps, it would help for you to think out what it is you want out of life, what's making you unhappy, or worried..and try to move from there. Attacks do not happen for no reason.

Do they go away? Not really, it's fear, fear doesn't go away, it's like many things in life really, peaks and valleys, it'll just be bad sometimes, but better other times.. You are a person who is unfortunately susceptible to panic attacks, and it's a condition, that worsens depending on how stressed you are currently with life. It varies in degree.. But, the attacks can be managed, you don't have to remain anxious for days and days over your symptoms once you understand them and why they are happening. The best medicine is finding ways to relax yourself.

I'm sure you've read before exercise helps, hobbies..you simply have to engage in some kind of hobby, even if you don't feel like it, it forces you to relax your mind, that is valuable when you are suffering bad bouts of anxiety.