What do anxiety attacks feel like for you?

1a) I feel like I'm losing control of my body. b)I fear that I will die of a heart attack c) I can feel my heart beating out of my chest (fight or flight syndrome kicks in and an adrenaline dump kicks me into super alert mode) d) I get nervous that I'll lose control of my bowels, even if I'm at home, when I go to the washroom I feel like I'm going to pass out on the toilet, my vision can become blurred, and again my racing heart is the #1 reason for all the fear
b) Covered above, but my main trigger seems to be a racing heart. It can happen out of nowhere (like when I'm relaxing as asked in your third question).
Also, as I was laid off last July, I have become increasingly scared of leaving my house. Even going outside across to the gas station for a bottle of ginger ale or whatever can cause my heart to go from 60bpm to 150bpm in a matter of seconds.
The idea of leaving the house can also cause it.
Thinking about my EI benefits running out and not having a job is a rationale reason that I get nervous, but for the most part there's not too much on my mind when they happen, just that I feel helpless and like a failure (during the attack. I have gotten better at NOT beating myself up about them after I have calmed down somewhat).

I don't know what it'd be like to have a panic attack without my heart either racing, beating incredibly hard (so i can feel each beat with severe pressure) or just the main focus of my mind during the ordeal. From the people here, I seem to be relatively alone on that. Other people's hearts can race, but it's not their main focus, for a lot of people the main focus is simply the fear itself...but not of a heart attack per se...just of losing control.

No matter what your symptoms are, I think we can all agree on the petrifying feeling that sets in and takes over. And you can't just 'get over it' as some of my less informed friends think I can. LOL. Grr, that angers me.

But we certainly can learn and share coping mechanisms that make them less severe/lengthy and eventually less frequent. If you'd like to hear some of my coping techniques, feel free to ask.

Hope this info helps you in some small way.

Post Edited (flames23) : 5/24/2010 3:08:25 AM (GMT-6)

I don't know if what I feel is normal, sometimes it varies. I'll be just sitting here at home, nothing seemingly going on and I'll get this weird pain in my chest as if someone were reaching thru me and squeezing my heart as hard as they can, i feel it all the way thru my back like it's spazzing. When they first started a couple years ago I thought they were asthma attacks (I'm asthmatic, not usually that bad just slight weezing that's more irratating than anything and I use a rescue inhaler) but my breathing wasn't affected my chest and back just hurt really bad for no reason at all.
That doesn't happen all the time, it's pretty random. On the other side of things when I'm stressed or feel pressured I don't want to go anywhere, I want to cry, if I can function I'll go shopping or just wander around, if I can't I won't leave the house, I'd rather stay in bed...it keeps me from doing anything stupid to stop the crap going thru my head. I feel worthless, like I can't do anything right so I don't want to do it all.

Am I alone in this feeling?