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Did I have a panic attack???
What's a panic attack? I'm not sure if I had one or not... For length of question's sake, I won't share too much details, but something happened while I was at work, and I flipped. First I got really paranoid, and freaked out. I couldn't speak coherently, it was all stutters and my coworkers could hardly understand me. I thought I would calm down and it would go away, but it got way worse. I punched out for my lunch break, went out to my car and immediately FLIPPED. I couldn't breathe, all I could do was scream out, and GAAASP in. I was crying furiously, my heart was pounding like mad, and it felt like someone was squeezing it, my chest hurt terribly. My face got extremely red and tingly. I couldn't stop shaking, my hands were trembling like mad. I was in the back seat, and thought maybe I could calm down with a song or something, so I grabbed my keys and tried to make my way up to the front to put the key in the ignition, but failed, I just keeled over and wheezed. I called my mom after I stopped screaming, was still wheezing and sobbing, and she and my step-dad had to hurry and pick me up, my mom went inside to explain to my boss, and drive me home. While I waited for my mom to come get me, everything scared me and made me jump. A guy behind me honked his horn, which made me jump, then start sobbing again after I had just stopped.
When we got home, I was exauuuuughsted, and my mom had to help me to bed.
The whole experience was terrifying and pretty traumatic. Thinking back on it kinda scares me. When I went to bed, I was scared I wasn't going to wake up. xDD;; Was what happened a panic attack? I had never had one before, so I wouldn't know. xDD!
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It does sound like you may have had a severe panic attack. One that may have also lead you down the slippery slope into a depresive episode.
While no two people are effect the same by the same sounding symptoms. The ones you wrote about sound just like the ones that I had just before I admitted I needed help and was diagnosed with clinical depression.
Panic attacks are the result of stress. Stress causes depression. Depression causes, real pain. It is a viciouse circle that needs to be broken if you want to stop the attacks.
Clinical depression while mostly the result of stress is also caused by one of two or both hormones that control mood not being secreted enough. These hormones are secreted into the brain making the best doctor to treat this condition being a Board Certified psychiartist, for medication if needed. A pschologist for talk therapy to finf out what the stressors are and how to deal with them.
You first need to find out if you are indeed suffering from depression. This can be done by your family doctor. The test itself is painless and consists of a list of questions you will be asked. Answer as truthfully as you can. Your doctor will most likely want to do a complete physical at the same time to rule out any organic problem that may be effecting you. Then a referal to a board certified psychiatrist would be in order.
I have been there and I know how scarry it can be. It can happen again if the right stressors are in place. Those stressors can be things you may not even be aware of. They could be a combination of things, such as sounds and smells.
This is not something horrible and you are experiencing it for the first time. I implore you not to be like I was and try to ignore this, it just won't work. Seek treatment now and if medication is required it should be only for a short period of time if you are clinically depressed. Only a doctor can make this call. I'm not a doctor I can only tell you what happened to me and this sounds like what happened to me.
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You should see a doctor.
Was is a panic attack? Almost definitely.
HOWEVER, the very slight chance that it might be a heart issue, or a neurological issue, means you should talk to a doctor.
Even if you don't want to seek any treatment for the panic attack (and if it was just the one, maybe you don't need too) you should go to a doctor and rule out any possible physical problems, because as unlikely as it is, if there is something physically wrong that contributed to what you experienced, it could very serious.
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What you experienced was indeed a panic/anxiety attack. Not fun...I know. Have you gone through a stressful time at work or at home in the past few months? Sometimes we don't realize how stressful our daily lives are, or if we do, we push it aside and continue to press or "stress" forward. Then it catches up to us. I can only suggest to maybe take a week off from work to just rest and if you have another episode, visit your doctor to get a complete physical. Other factors may contribute like high blood pressure or poor diet. I wish you luck and try to take it easy.
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