Folks,
Many warm thanks for all the information and personal sharing that you've done here.
A few months ago, I started experiencing panic attacks out of the blue at work. I smelled something burning and thought I was dying. Short of breath, tingling in hands, dizzy, etc...thought it was a terrorist attack and didn't realize I was the only one with symptoms. Made a complete fool of myself running around asking everyone else if they could breathe.
It's been a few months now, and I'm still having symptoms. I have almost constant pressure behind one ear, the other or both. I'm often nasally congested for no apparent reason. I've been to the family doctor, neurologist, ENR and an allergist.
Found out I'm mildly allergic to some things including dogs (I have 8). My symptoms occur at any hour and come and go seemingly at random. I get headaches and for a while I was getting terrible eyeaches. I often feel as if something is caught in my throat or something is irritating it. Every now and then I feel as if I have a mild fever. My blood pressure shoots from 110/70 to 135/90 several times a day.
I've been through an MRI and CAT scan. Nothing shows up. I've had some blood work done. Nothing shows up. I've been prescribed Paxil twice, but so far, I haven't decided I need to take it (more scared of side effects than I am of my current symptoms)
Without some of the personal experiences related on this site, I would truly be convinced at this point that I was dying of something horrible. Thank you everyone for letting me know I'm not alone, not crazy, and can survive the worst moments involved with these panic attacks.
I hope that I can be helpful to one or two of you in the future.
All eight of my dogs are indoor pets and they are sometimes helpful. I wish I had a few less, but they all want and deserve my attention, and they're all sweet and good natured.
Hi,
I'm a 31-year-old male who lives in rural North Georgia and works in Atlanta as an IT manager. My company builds airports, schools and other multi-building facilities such as convention centers.
I've been having panic attacks since June of this year. I've had almost every symptom in the book and been to the emergency room three times because I thought I was having a heart attack or dying.
I believe my panic attacks are strongly related to 9/11 and my lack of faith that my government is doing anything meaningful to protect me or other Americans from future attacks.
I have also had many stressful work incidents and home life incidents with my wife during the last year. I sold my house in an urban environment and moved to the country, partially due to a fear of what I think are inevitable terrorist attacks against urban population centers. My grandmother died early in the year and I had to fly to Canada for her funeral - overall a very stressful event for me, not only because of the death of someone I cared deeply about, but because I do not want to fly anymore. This is not because I have a fear of flying. Rather, my fear is of the idiotic "security" buffoons that pretend our airports are secure when they are far from it. Anyhow, I'm sure you all are getting the picture. By the way, I'm a former member of the U.S. military who grew up overseas. I've visited about 85 countries and lived in four of them, including the last 19 years here in the U.S. Perhaps my resulting unsual world view is part of my panic disorder?
Reading the posts here is often helpful to me because I know I'm not alone. Thanks for sharing your experiences everyone.
Tremor,
I have similar experiences that I can relate. I find my fingers trembling slightly on a fairly regular basis and my lips and forehead or top of my head sometimes go numb, get cold or tingle for no apparent reason.
I also had an MRI and a CAT scan and both showed no problems.
I am able to will these symptoms away in most cases, by simply thinking to myself that I am not dying, and that they are only being caused by stress. I don't know if that is helpful in any way, but you aren't alone.
Smack me on the butt and call me silly but if you have a boyfriend (and you're trying to make him one of your "safe" people) why were you looking forward to a date with someone else just a few posts back?
I must have misread something! Hehe. In any case, it's really helpful to me to read everyone else's personal foibles. It lets me know I'm not the only one who thinks he's going nuts but probably isn't.
My second question is: what part of Ontario are you in Beth? I was born in Kitchener myself. Canada is beautiful but I had to flee the socialism. Ugh! If Canada ever starts leaning towards libertarian government I'll be back in a heartbeat.
By the way, you're very silly, per your request.
For several months now, I've had a fear of planes nearby. I live 70 miles north of the northern flight path for the busiest airport in the world so the high flying jets overhead are constant and make me slightly nervous.
I work just a few miles from an Air Force Base and the fighters sometimes fly by near the ground. I'm on the 5th floor of a building and they shake the entire building. It makes me extremely nervous. I am usually able to rationalize my fear away after a few minutes, but I can relate to you perfectly.
I have lately stopped watching as much news, it's not designed to be helpful to people in an emotionally fragile state.
Terrible things happen every day in the world, and we as a society tend to overexpose ourselves to them. If you worrying that you're alone, you aren't. I'll be you and I are far from the only people who feel nervous about low flying planes or who get pouding hearts when the footage of those two buildings collapsing is shown.
I am not avoiding September 11, but I am facing it with those I love near me and with an attitude that I will not give in to fear. I don't know if that's helpful to you at all, but I hope you find you own way to peace.
If life weren't complicated, I suppose it would be boring. I prefer complicated!
I used to live on Erb Street in student housing for the University of Waterloo. It was horrible. The walls were very thin and I was cold because I had just moved back to Kitchener from Florida. But that's another complicated story!
You have a good night too,
Trevor
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