panic attacks

Sudden periods of intense fear. But remember, you're not alone.

The Ins and Outs of Panic Attacks
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, approximately 4 % of the population will experience Panic Disorder in their lifetime. I am one of them. People with Panic Disorder experience unexpected and repeated panic attacks. These attacks are characterized by an intense fear or feeling of discomfort and can include the following symptoms (according to anxietycanada.com):
By Misty Rae4 years ago in Psyche
M.H.A
So this is basically a personal edition of Mental Health Awareness. What better way to introduce myself than to speak on something I go through that others can relate to, right? There are a lot of different disorders and such when people talk about Mental Health but only a few are highlighted honestly. Sometimes people do not fully understand what it means to suffer or deal with any of these different types of mental health issues and illnesses. So I’m here to specifically talk about the mental health issues that I experience. I guess this is a way to talk about it out in the open and maybe someone out there could relate or use it as inspiration or motivation honestly. (Quick disclaimers: I may not always use the actual words ex: ‘Mental Health’ or ‘Mental Health Awareness/Illness’ so I will abbreviate. I also have not worked through my MHI but I am currently on the path to coping with them.) First up is Anxeity/ Panic Attacks and what happens when I have them. I honestly, from my knowledge, do not know how long I’ve been suffering from anxiety initially. I thought it started after I had my first daughter when I went back to work. They honestly never really tell you EVERYTHING when you become a new mother, most times you have to figure it out on your own. Either you succeed or you fail or you simply do both. My dad has told me on many occasions that I’ve been dealing with anxiety since I was a kid. Somehow life and my traumas blocked it out because I don’t recall anxiety as a child. In reality I didn’t know what anxiety and depression fully and truly meant mainly experience, expression, and coping wise. I was most definitely going through life so far very wrong and didn’t know that my actions, feelings, and thoughts were symptoms of A & D. When I first started working after my baby I was excited, nervous and sad. I was excited to start making money again, nervous because it was my first time back in a while, and sad clearly because I was leaving my baby. It’s normal to feel this way (don’t let ANYONE tell you it’s not). The training was a breeze it wasn’t until it was showtime, that’s when everything fell apart. I was working inside Cedar Point getting the park clean and ready for opening day. The first day of actually serving customers my body and mind took a turn for what felt like the worst day. My body felt different, I wanted to cry, I was breathing faster, and panicking when no one was around. I tried to breathe as best as I could, I tried to control it, I talked to my boyfriend and my dad. I tried to get their help, I didn’t know what was going on. Was I not ready to be in the work field that fast paced? Was my body telling me ‘Now is not the time?’ Like what was it? I was crying so many times that day to where I asked if I could go home. I didn’t know what was happening and clearly I was in NO condition to be working that fast paced. My dad said it was anxiety, I went to get help and was put on medication, new mom on medication for anxiety wow sounds fun right? Wrong. Throughout the years since the first time I realized I was having a panic attack, I noticed what my body was going through. Physically if I was moving fast paced and was running low on energy things got ugly once I wasn’t moving so fast paced. It’s like once there was nothing for me to hastily do, my heart didn’t stop racing, my feelings was overpowering me, and I was starting to shed tears and hyperventilate. Once the tears are dropping and the breathing gets faster my body temperature changes. It’s like the outside feels hot but I have the shakes. I try to calm down but once I do I panic again and it doesn’t stop until I lay down and close my eyes. Once I have a full blown non-medicated panic attack there’s nothing I can do besides sleep. I really feel like that’s my bodies way of saying I’m doing too much at that time in life and I need to be forced to reset so I can be myself again, whatever that means. Well that is a wrap on MHA- Mental Health Personal Edition Pt. 1. Part 2 will begin to talk about my depression and depending on how long that is there could possibly be a part 3 to wrap this portion on MHPE.
By Liaa Necole4 years ago in Psyche
How To Not Hate People.
I was on the bus yesterday, ready to murder the man standing next to me with his mask down by his chin. You’ve found yourself in something similar; consumed by anger at how stupid someone can be. You’ve followed rules your whole life and just can’t help but feel vitriol when you see someone breaking them, as though they are somehow above these rules.
By Conor Matthews4 years ago in Psyche
My Uncle Had a Panic Attack
I remember it was a rainy day in 2009, my uncle was driving a car and I was sitting next to him, we were going to Saharanpur from Dehradun. I wish I could drive but I didn’t know how to drive a car at that time, we both were enjoying the journey because the route went through a jungle full of greenery and unexpected sighting of wild animals. Suddenly He pulled over, I thought he saw something in the woods, I opened the window and was looking everywhere with excitement. I didn’t find anything, and suddenly I heard fast breathing, I looked in the side glass, and the sound increased, he was none other than my uncle.
By The Psychologist Blog5 years ago in Psyche
An Inner Struggle: Watching Someone Suffer from Panic Attacks
The words "panic attack" bring with them a certain image: you might imagine someone passing out, overtaken by such a wave of anxiety that they fall prey to tremors that wrack their whole bodies.
By Jillian Spiridon5 years ago in Psyche
Five Things I Can See
Five things I can see. The breeze left its brushstrokes along the gently billowing sails of the charter. It painted their divots with shadows of dark blues from the sea and highlighted their convexities with bright whites from the midday sun. The boat sailed along with ease and with no great haste, making its way to the end of the world, where the sky meets the ocean. Several dolphins in a pod danced off to the left of the journeying sailboat. The brightness of the day was cause for squinting, even more so as it reflected off the white sand. Trees on shore swayed casually side to side, dancing to the lullaby of the wind and waves.
By Skylar Callahan5 years ago in Psyche
5 Tips to Help People Who Suffer Panic Attacks
Several years ago, I suffered my first panic attack. During this episode, my heart raced, I broke into a sweat, and I passed out momentarily. Thinking I was suffering a heart attack, my wife rushed me to the emergency room. A few hours later, a doctor explained my health scare stemmed from stress, fatigue, and dehydration and to follow up with my primary care physician. It was at this appointment my doctor explained that I had suffered a panic attack.
By Bryan R..5 years ago in Psyche
Stigmatised types of OCD that you should know about
When we talk about OCD, shortened from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, what first comes to your mind? Well, this is all dependant on whether you have experience in dealing with the disorder yourself, or know people that do.
By Leah 5 years ago in Psyche
Panic Attack
WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK? A sudden episode of intense and often overwhelming fear which triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or evident cause is a panic attack. It can be very frightening. While the panic attack, one may feel like losing control, having a heart attack or even feel like dying.
By Kingsway Hospital5 years ago in Psyche
I Had No Idea I Was Having Panic Attacks
Chalk another thing up to misrepresentation in media. In TV shows and movies when someone has a panic attack it’s a big deal. They clutch their chest, fall to the ground, or are sure it’s a heart attack. They heave big, panicked breaths.
By Erica Ball5 years ago in Psyche
My medical emergency flight landing
A little over a year ago, I experienced one of the worst days of my 23 years of living. I was just sitting at work one morning when my fiance (now husband) called and said his father had a heart attack the night before. My fiance's dad and step mom were in San Antonio visiting her daughter who just recently had a baby. My fiance had the plan to leave and go see him. He wanted me to stay home. I protested. I should have listened to him and stay home. But I am a Taurus and extremely stubborn.
By Krista Garlock5 years ago in Psyche
Surviving Your Panic Attack
It's torture. There's no other way to describe the feelings and physical elements of dealing with a panic attack. You are under attack from your own mind and your own body. It can last for what seems like an eternity and feels like you may actually be dying. My first panic attack resulted in a 911 phone call and an ambulance ride due to my true and sincere belief that my heart was failing. But I'm not writing this article to discuss the symptoms and the triggers. By now, you likely already deal with them on a day-to-day basis. This article is a few tips and tricks I've picked up along the last three years that have given me a winning edge in the moment of a panic attack.
By Jon Jones5 years ago in Psyche