Anxiety Attacks

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http://www.anxietyremedy.com/herbal-rem ... ety-attack

I did not know what these were - but they are getting worse, but not regular.

I suffered an incredible attack last year after a work related hatchet job done on me. I really thought I was having a heart attack

Anyone else or is this Aspie/HFA dominant?

Ya'll can post in here - I won't bite. honest injum

These used to cripple me totally to the degree I was agoraphobic.
I am still very sensitive to them.
I get them mostly in enclosed spaces and in crowds, or when I am feeling especially isolated...oh, and I have to avoid too much caffeine and alcohol can set them off too.

First one I had was when I was 28 - thought it was a heart attack, later I found out it was from stress.

Now I have learned to deal with stress better, like driving around in the countryside and screaming, it helps.

Is it like a mini-meltdown??

For me they were never anything like a meltdown, just an overpowering urge to "get to safety," whatever that means.

The triggers for them weren't always all that consistent. One, it occurred while I was touring a college prior to graduating high school. I was walking outside with my parents, and there were a lot of people around. That doesn't always bother me, and even if it does it is just (hah... "just") a mid to high level of anxiety. That time, I had to get out of that environment, rather suddenly. Increased heart rate, slight feeling of nausea, light-headed. I wound up rushing to the nearest building and finding a quiet spot and sitting down. My mother was supportive, my father yelled a bit because he thought I was acting ridiculous. Crowded spaces and people have not been the only cause. Unfortunately, that's all i remember, it has been quite a long while since I've had one, and other than the next example, the one on the college campus is the only one I still remember to a degree enough to mention.

The most annoying times were during psychology classes where panic attacks were part of the material. Just hearing the descriptions of all the symptoms, that was enough to cause me to vividly remember my previous experiences with them, and it took a lot to keep from having one in the middle of class.

I used to get them allot when I was younger and then suddenly they stopped. I'm glad because it was the awfulest feeling. That feeling of unreality.

Actually I confused myself with the hollering. Most of mine are like fear-based/job stress, but standing up for myself in 2007 has really helped loads, I used to eat a lot of crap but no more, now I appear to be a heartless bastard, but hey you gotta do something.

I smoke pot before a situation that I know will cause me to have an a bad anxiety attack. those anti-anxiety pills like ativan and xanx are useful, but don't enjoy taking them, i can't function after i take a ativan

Mine generally center around multiple environmental issues. If it is bright AND there is a lot of noise, usually a lot of conversations in a small space, I lose it. Happened last night. Wife is completely apathetic to me when I have them. I now have Xanax XR to help, but it takes time. I usually just remove myself from the situation, but this pisses my wife and her family off, and I can't always because of my kids.

The best way to fight them is to get knowledge. Like if you think you're having an heart attack, then, what do you know how the body function? The heart works in it's own way, and small pains in the chest, doesn't have to be a heart attack attempt. And if you're under 40, then you're safe

The thing I've been struggleing myself the last months is that I got the idea that I am going to swallow my tongue and it has been really tough fighting it, because it feels like I am, but i dont. then the heart rate raises, and, everything just gets out of tune. A walk outside, maybe playing with some instrument, talking to a friend, anything, just to get distracted from the thoughts you have could work.

(Pot works sometimes too it could worsen the effects though. I prefer xanax and such)

No it is different from a meltdown

I used to get them but I haven't had them in a while. Long term CBT is the most effective once you know what is causing it.

Mine were quite bad. I would get cramps in my legs that cause buckle and collapse. I would get them for social anxiety and when I got ill. After vomiting my potassium levels can drop to dangerous levels combine that with a panic attack and hyperventilating that can cause severe cramping. My fingers would curl up and my jaw would lock. My jaw locking as a good thing and I learn not to be afraid of this. Hyperventilating is taking in too much air. So if you can't breathe because of a locked jaw this can cure your hyperventilating faster.

It is common for panic attacks to involve hyperventilating, though not all panic attacks involves hyperventilating I found those were the ones that usually had the most physiological effect. Many people think when they are hyperventilating, they can't breathe and make it worse because it is the opposite. Some of my panic attack were actually holding my breath or being afraid to breathe. That is because they started out that way. I would be afraid to gaze in any direction too long and be seen to breathing (now that I think about it in hindsight it sounds crazy), so I would hold my breath, but would have to breathe eventually and i would gash for air, which would be even more embarrassing. Other panic attacks you can get hot and faint, throw up but not necessarily hyperventilating.

let me clarify. Panic attacks could be triggered by senses, however a panic attack is an overly active 'fight or flight' (mostly flight) response or 'anxiety' to do with the limbic system and adrenal glands. Whereas meltdowns are more a problem in cognition to do with sensory overload and is probably more to do with the frontal lobe makeup. Which is explains why meltdown can result in aggression, poor decisions and also spacing out or 'nullness'

Meltdowns definitely describe how I feel. I used to have panic attacks, but now I just get that spacing out / nullness feeling you described. For me it definitely feels like sensory overload. I just want to get to someplace peaceful to relax.

I'm beginning to think the attacks are hormonal based. I didn't start having them till I was 33. A number of people at work in late 20's to 30's have told me they have them too and it just came on kinda sudden because they didn't always have them. I can't imagine someone taking Xanax for anxiety attacks. I mean Xanax makes me hyper and my heart beat fast kinda like actually having a anxiety attack, but without the fear.