HELP!

Hi :)

Im new to this. I came across this site whilst reasearching my symptoms.

Im a 23 year old female, recently I've been taking what i believe to be panic attacks which only started 4 days ago.

I get a rush to my head, with a sensation of heat, i loose concentraition of what I'm doing or what is happening, i feel really dizzy and VERY faint! I feel like the room spins and I'm falling to the floor. My heart also beats a little faster but not too much.

This lasts for only seconds at a time but it happens all the time, especially in work (Im a hairdresser) or when I'm out in public places. The more i think about it the worse it gets, I'm constantly worried about leaving the house incase i get this overwhelming feeling of faint. It happens mostly when I'm speaking too. It makes me want to just get home asap!

Also before i had ever had this feeling about a month ago i did actually faint in the morning but i have been absolutely fine since then, and no underlying health issues.

I've been on holiday for 3 weeks and never had this feeing the whole time i was away. It only started about 4 days ago.

I do have a fear of flying and had myself worked up about the flight on the way home so i wonder if this has anything to do with it?

I just don't know how to deal with it and was looking for some help on what this may be and what may be the cause of it.

If anyone has any information that could help id be grateful.

Thanks

Thank You Jessica

Do you have any tips on how to control or help it?

Do you ever pass out with it or just get the feeling?

Hi CW1,

First and foremost...were you examined after the fainting spell last month? Had you just gotten up? Do you have low blood pressure possibly?

I would recommend getting a full check up if you've not had one in the last 6 months...simply because ruling out a physical cause of your symptoms is always step one.

At this time, you can also talk with your doctor about possible anxiety treatments, if it does turn out that you are dealing with A/P.

Until then, we have some great links to help.:) Practicing these consistently everyday...even when you are feeling fine, will give you the best results. They will lower your overall anxiety, and therefore your symptoms as well.

Self Help sites with breathing/relaxation exercises instructions

Panic attack relief exercises:

 

http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/c/73076/34334/breathing-lessons/

http://www.healthyplace.com/

http://www.stress-relief-exercises.com/

http://www.ehow.com/video_4405003_breathing-exercises-panic-attacks.html

http://www.psybersquare.com/anxiety/panic_relax_I

Keep posting with us if you find it helpful. Support is key!

Scaredy Cat

It might be more some type of social anxiety then just straight up anxiety, does it happen when you talk/meet new people as well? or just when you're out in certain places? Some of these things are specific types of disorders.

Seems like some kind of social anxiety, if you do some google research online, you'll find that sometimes anxiety is triggered by places, people and other little things too.. i myself deal with Generalized Anxiety Disorder on a daily basis and at least some form of social anxiety, even little. Don't think you're alone feeling like this! : )

I too share you fear of passing out outside of my home. Although I never actually have, I feel like its connected to a general sense of anxiety. When you feel anxious one of the things we tend to do without noticing is hyperventilate, then our chests get tight, we feel dizzy and then we have a panic attack and feel like we're going to pass out. That's how most of them start so you're right on track with that feeling i can tell you that. Have you tried slowing down your breathing when this happens, maybe doing the "Tier breath" like they talk about in one of the help links at the top of this section.

1. Take a breath and fill your lungs a third up. Finish the other two sections just like the first, taking a SMALL break in between.

2. Exhale in tiers as well, until you feel like you can start to breath normally/easier again.

This helps you stop from hyperventilating.


Have you ever felt chest tightness/maybe feeling like you're hyperventilating a little bit?

Although you might feel like it will last forever, I can tell you that there is multiple ways to help yourself, and it probably won't. I myself am only 21 years young, and I've seen mine on and off over 10 years. Mine PERSONALLY comes and goes, because it's most likely different then the type you're dealing with. Mine NEVER goes away, there's always something triggering it in the back of my mind. If your parents/siblings don't have any kind of anxiety/panic disorders, it's possible that there was just an environment in effect to first trigger these things, which your brain now recognizes as threats, and every time you're out you wonder the classic thing: "What if...". Too much stress, too little sleep, too many emotions, not enough vitamins/water, are all common things to why this type of thing starts up. Mine was worsened when i found that I was magnesium deficient and my heart was constantly racing even when i was sitting down, I've been on the supplements for a month and have already seen a BIG improvement, still not the old me, but a start. The most common vitamin deficiencies that cause anxiety are the B's and Magnesium to my knowledge, both of which can be checked by a simple blood test.

I'm sorry if my english isn't perfect, i was raised in French : )

Not a problem i'm glad I registered on this site and it honestly makes me happy I helped someone else who's been in similar shoes as my own! If you have any other questions don't fret to ask, from what I've seen in my short time on here, there's tons of people in your shoes!

Don't give up! Stay strong, you'll beat it!

Hi CT2014

The support from this site has been amazing so far!

So by trying to ignore this do you advise that I get out there, go to work, try not t worry about the fainting thing?

Also does anyone know of any herbal remedies or vitmimans I could take? I don't like taking medication.

Once you've had the all clear from your doc and the fainting thing is definitely anxiety related then yeah, if you are able to ignore the symptoms of anxiety then it tends to not affect you as much! That's what I've noticed anyway, might not be the same for everyone!

I was constantly having chest pains from my anxiety and when I started to ignore them, they happened less :)

If you find that you can't manage on your own then the doc will give you lots of options to help you manage the anxiety ( if thats what it is!) :)