by Jacqueline Dodd

Created on: February 28, 2010

I am not, nor do I claim to be an expert on panic/anxiety attacks. I can't specifically tell you what causes them or why one person is prone to experiencing them when, say, under an unusual amount of stress, while another person in a similar type of trying situation does not. What I can tell you about is what it feels like to have an anxiety attack because I have been experiencing them periodically for the last two years.

I usually have a good idea of when one of these attacks is about to strike. The first sign is that my mind is racing. I'm having these insane, disjointed thoughts & I'm conjuring up new points to ponder before my mind has even completed the first thought. My face then starts to feel hot & I know that my skin is turning red. The room feels like it's a million degrees. My mouth will dry up & I feel like I'm suffocating because of the tightness in my chest, which seems to increase with every passing second. Oftentimes a feeling as though I'm in some sort of dream state - not completely asleep, not fully awake, but somewhere in between - will come over me. My heart will pound & I'll sometimes shake uncontrollably. I feel like I just have to take off & run away. No matter where I am or who I'm with, I feel like I just need to get out of that place, that situation. I feel paranoid, like everybody around is watching me have a total collapse & I wonder & worry about what they must be thinking.

They certainly aren't any fun. The aforementioned signs I experience before my attacks are all on the list of symptoms to look for when diagnosing panic attacks. Actually, it wasn't until I had my first full-blown anxiety attack that I realized that I'd been having them for awhile without knowing what they were. I just assumed I'd had too much caffeine (though caffeine is a trigger for some) or was just a little more on edge than usual that day. They can be brought on by all types of things & situations. It might be helpful to figure out what sets you off if you have them. I realized that for me, certain social situations, having to speak out loud in public & being in large crowds are the main things that trigger anxiety for me.

I often have a difficult time controlling them. I try to tell myself to relax. I have a mantra I chant to myself in my head over & over again to try & bring myself down even the slightest bit. Sometimes these things work & sometimes they don't. I personally don't feel like mine are bad

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