My first "good" panic attack was during my freshman year in a student government meeting in college. I literally fell back into a chair as I was speaking and the guy I was seeing had to take me out of the chambers. It was one of the most frightening feelings EVER, especially being the control-freak that I am.

Your long term solutions are REALLY good, it's actually why I started doing yoga twice a week. I still get worked up and freak out occasionally, but that's why god made doors for offices. :)

I started having panic attacks last year. I was sitting at my desk, doing my normal morning routine, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I felt like I was going to pass out. I told my boss that if I screamed (from downstairs), to come check on me that I wasn't feeling good. It happened again. We worked across from the hospital, so we just walked over, walked around the place, then I waited an hour to get into the clinic. That was the longest hour. Like you, I had all of these things going through my head about what my life would be like if I wasn't able to do anything or if I died while my wife was out of the country. What would she do? I got into the doctors office and when the doctor and an intern asked me what was wrong, I began crying and telling them, "sorry, just a second." And to be clear - this isn't me... this had never happened ever in my life, nothing even close to this. So after they looked at me like I was crazy, they let me go and I spent a few nights falling asleep and jumping up right at the brink of sleep gasping for air. It slowly got a little better, but I finally went to see if there was any medication to help because I wasn't going to be able to function if it continued. About eight or nine months later now, I haven't had one of those nights again, but occasionally I could feel it coming on and it seemed to be certain times: driving alone (especially to the airport or any high-stress areas), driving at night, and falling asleep.

Similarly to Elisa, while not actually doing yoga, I started reading a lot about certain yogic practices and reconnecting to a spiritual side of my life. I think for a while there I felt like I was sounding too much like these new age hippies, but it has helped me in the long run. At first, I did a lot of the things Rikin mentioned... breathing exercises (which I've always done), neutralizing thoughts, and one thing where you close your eyes, concentrate on what your body is doing... do you feel anything anywhere? What does it feel like? Can you relax that part of your body? Try to go through and relax each part. What it does is gets your mind off of things you may be unconsciously thinking about. It focuses you on the here and now. I think that's where most of our anxiety comes from is thinking too much in the future about things. The things I've learned are how to "be" instead of thinking about where we'll be constantly.

Sorry to be so long - it's just a topic that is very important to me. I think a lot of people go through these same things but never talk about it because the stigmas involved. I'm happy to see a post on here about it, though, because I think it's going to increase more and more in our lifetime. I feel like it's a wake-up call from our subconscious to take care of things that we've been pushing back or ignoring.

Hey Rikin,

I am in the same boat...  I have been having panic attacks since I was in 8th grade, and when you say they limit what you do, you are very correct.  My panic attacks usually came because I felt guilty of something or was holding something back.

Clearing my head through excercise and talking about stuff with close friends has been a big part of getting rid of the attacks, and I haven't had one in a while.  I do feel your pain though, there is no worse feeling in the world.

Dan

Hey Rikin,

Great post. I've noticed this seems to be a pattern with people who feel overworked, and feel like they have to have the controls. I know many people who get them. You offer some great tips. I think the best things, as everyone above has stated is to have someone talk you off the ledge, and for you to work through the panic.

Keep on powering through!

@Smith+Fritzy I never really thought or heard of the body concentration method but I can definitely see how that makes absolute sense and will have to try it out.

I'm actually really surprised that the doctors didn't give you a good diagnosis and just calm you down with a few words that this is normal. The one thing I'd be against personally though is taking medication for anxiety attacks. I don't know maybe I'm old fashioned in that sense. BUT I remember in the movie Garden State where Zach Braff stops taking meds for a temper problem because they simply made him feel numb. I'd rather feel like I'm going nuts than not feel a thing.

@Ryan Paugh - Mate you deal with 20 somethings all day long, no wonder why you get anxiety attacks!

@Dan Healy It's really interesting to see how panic attacks can really come at any age - either that or you one really stressed out 8th grader. You're right it definitely is one of the worst feelings in the world because it's almost indescribable and without reason.

@Tim Healy I'd be glad to promote your post when it comes out and I can't believe I forgot about fresh air. Going outside is a great idea but I definitely would not go somewhere crowded or noisy like a park.

@Mehnaz The more people say it I can't believe I didn't include talking to somebody as a word of advice. To be honest I've never done it at least not during a panic attack although I think it's really important to prevent them.

@Ashley Mittman Caffeine was one of my triggers and I had to cut back significantly because I'd literally get the shakes because of one too many coffee cups. As for body stimulation my favorite is actually doing hand/head stands. The need to find balance and concentrate on one thing while deep breathing is great to relax and really gets my blood flowing.

I never had panic attacks when I was younger, but I have always flip-flopped between being very Type-A and very relaxed - I think the switch between the two has been what has kept me from having panic attacks in the past, since I didn't spend ALL of my time in Type-A mode. However, it is an inherent personality trait that I am very detail-oriented, and I have always felt that if you are going to do something you should do it right.

A little over 6 months ago I quit smoking - a habit that is probably one of the best vent-releasing activities in the known world despite also being one of the worst things you can do to your body. Losing that "release" control in my life has meant that I have needed to learn to deal with stress in new ways, although I admit that this is something I am still very much learning to deal with.

A few weeks ago I had an incident at work that my doctor and I have now decided was most likely a panic attack. Between stresses in my job, some side projects I promised to which have eaten up much more of my free time than I would like, and trying to balance family life with my wife and toddler, I was reaching a breaking point. As I was returning to my office, I sat back down to my desk and felt a severe tightening in my chest and felt a bit lightheaded. My heart started to race, I was shaking, and I had no idea what had just happened. I stepped outside for a bit, came back in and still felt largely out of sorts, and took off early for home to lie down and relax close to "home base".

What I found interesting was that my doctor pointed out that like many people above seem to have indicated, that the panic attacks most typically come during a "rest period". He explained it that similar to how people get sick just AFTER a big date they were pushing hard to do things for, or after sustained periods of crunch time, your body tends to "get back at you" once you have backed off so a panic attack won't usually come while you're still amped up and running around, but in a quiet period when you otherwise may not be feeling stressed at all.

I'm looking to increase my exercise program and overall try and find new ways to release my stress, since keeping pent-up seems to be my biggest issue. The doctor suggested that I could qualify as being a victim of anxiety disorder, but I'm not looking for any medications, since in my opinion some of the traits which lead to my stress are the exact characteristics which make me GOOD at my job - and I'm a bigger fan of looking to implement some minor life changes instead of throwing pills at the issue. The one thing I know is that I'm certainly not looking to go back to smoking, which is at least one good thing I've got going for me :)

@S OConnor: Yes, I usually experience them while sleeping. I'll wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning feeling most/all of the symptoms described above and literally feeling like I'm going to die. Getting up, going outside, drinking some water, trying to concentrate on one particular thing, etc., all help.

@Rikin and everyone else, great posts. It's comforting to read about other experiences so similar to one's own on a topic not generally discussed.

Good post Rikin.

I haven't had a panic attack for a long time, but I remember the feelings vividly. It really does feel like you're having a heart attack

My panic attacks would generally come when I had a bout of negative thoughts and high stress and worked myself into a state. An additional long term solution I'd like to add is learning how to recognise and try to stop thought patterns which could set off a panic attack.

For me, what helped (in conjunction with some counselling) was completing a MoodGym module. It is an online cognitive behaviour therapy program developed by the Australian National University, and whilst that probably sounds a bit boring I found the modules fun, insightful and really useful.

http://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome

Was the last comment spam or for reals?

If for reals. I wish you nothing but the best of luck and the condition is too serious for me to even give a banal opinion on. If spam - piss off because you're making me panic for no reason.

I really think that this is a subject a lot of people experience, and no one talks about. Thanks for writing this post!

Although I don't suffer from panic attacks, I do have a high-dose of anxiety. It mostly turns up when I'm planning things- I make lists/itinerary's/ideas way ahead of time and then i'm nervous the entire time because I worry that it won't turn out right.

Since graduating college it's become more apparent that I have this issue. Social settings are hard to relax in, I agonize over preparing for meetings, events, etc. Being intimate causes anxiety-it sucks!

I have learned that since I know I have this issue, that if I mentally prepare myself for what I'm most worried/consumed by, then I seem to be able to perform better, relax and enjoy myself.

I think a lot of it does come from wanting to be in control of a situation, or being fearful of not knowing what can happen in a situation.

Best of luck

@anonymous

I'm really sorry to hear that you just had a panic attack - I know they're an absolute nightmare and can be a complete scare during and after one.

This comment means the most to me out of all the others I've ever received on any of my posts ever so I really do thank you for taking the time to visit and leave your thoughts. I'm amazed by the outpouring of support as well as the honesty in the comments above and yours is truly outstanding.

Take it easy one breath, one thought, and one step at a time. Oh and by the way I'm sure you'll knock the socks off (do people still say that?) that guy!

Hi, great posts on here. Just wanted to say I'm a former panic attack sufferer and know what its like. I still suffer from social anxiety but no longer experience panic attacks. Its great to see such support out there!