Would you call this some form of anxiety?

Since I was somewhere around 16, I would have these little episodes hit me out of nowhere and never knew what they were or why I had them. I've been dx with GAD, but I know this is something else. What I'm not sure is if it would be classified under some sort of anxiety label. That's where you guys come in! I would love opinions on what this could be. Let me explain....

The first time it happened, it freaked me out. I was about 16 and was laying in my bed getting ready to fall asleep. All of a sudden this wave of fear came over me. I had never felt anything like it before...absolute pure unadulterated fear. The fear was so intense that I was convinced that there was someone in the corner waiting to murder me the second I fell asleep. An axe murderer in my room. Now the logic in my head told me that no one was in the corner, but the fear was so intense that I couldn't even look to prove the feeling wrong. I can't remember how long it lasted, but I ended up falling asleep from exhaustion.

I didn't think it could get any worse than that episode until a few years ago. I had been helping this woman with her kids while she was getting a nasty divorce. She had just gotten this house and a bunch of people were painting the inside of the house. I decided to pull an all-nighter and paint after everyone left. This time another wave of intense fear came over me out of nowhere. This time I couldn't shake the feeling that her ex-husband was going to come to the house and blow it up. I fought the feeling for about 15 minutes (felt like forever), but the fear got so strong that I had to get into my car, drive across the street, and sit in a parking lot watching the house. It was about 30-45 minutes before I calmed down enough to go back to the house (still very afraid). The rest of the night I was extremely on edge and the slightest noise would make me freak out. I couldn't lie down to sleep until after the sun rose. Worst fear I have ever felt in my life.

I've had a few other episodes like these and a bunch of minor ones. I have no clue what to call them. Since I know I have anxiety issues, I've always wondered if these episodes could be related or if there is something else screwed up with my brain.

Anyone else have stuff like this happen and know what I should call it?

I decided that the next time I see my pdoc I was going to ask him about this, but I really wanted to get an idea of what it is that I'm experiencing. I won't see him for a few months. Any ideas?

Yes, I would say that you had episodes of a panic attack. Panic attacks stem from our mind thinking thoughts that are not rational and the what if thoughts that go through your mind. All most every time our thoughts make us think we are in trouble or in danger. The truth is usually just the opposite. We are usually always fine, but the panic feels so real, that it's hard to convince ourselves this during the panic. There are several ways to try and relax during a panic attack, what I find that helps me is deep breathing through the abdomen, and breath threw your nose. Don't breath fast, just breath deep and slow. Also I try and talk my self out of the falseness and unreality of the situation. I usually just tell myself this is ridiculous and in no way am I in danger. When you can tell your self that the reality of the panic attack is just a manifestation that you created it sometimes makes you chill out. But to answer your question I would say yes that what you are experiencing is anxiety or panic brought on by un-realistic thoughts that in most cases is never the reality. Please contact someone about this and get some help with it. I waited too long to get help for my panic attacks and now I am fighting severe agoraphobia. Good luck my friend! Just remember that it's your thoughts that are doing this to you and you are in no real danger.

Hi, Just Try, and welcome.

What you explain sounds like panic attacks to me. It's the quick onset of intense anxiety in the form of panic/fear. They can manifest in different ways with people and it certainly sounds like you've had panic attacks to me, and makese sense with your dx'ed GAD.

There's ALOT of really good information out there regarding panic attacks. Also, bio-feedback therapy all but ended my almost daily panic attacks. There's also great meds that can stop them in their tracks (depended on person and case, of course).

Basically, you have alot of options available to you. You never forget them, do you, dear? It's terror.

I wish you more than well and keep us posted, ok?

KD

Very interesting. I had wondered if they were panic attacks, but every story I've read about panic attacks deals more with the physical symptoms and people panicking from those symptoms. I never knew episodes like these could be panic attacks. hmmmmm....

I guess it would make sense though. Growing up, my mom had panic disorder w/agoraphobia, and it is genetic. This means I'll be mentioning this to my pdoc when I email him in a couple weeks. Luckily, they don't happen THAT often (last one was in Sept), so I know it's not panic disorder, but I don't want it to get to the point of panic disorder. I'll see what he says...

Hi, Just_Try

I have experienced some of what you have gone through and like Kimmy said, it is terror. In fact mine hits early in the mornings and there is a name for it - "morning terrors." I wake up and the feeling is like I have gotten the worst news possible. I literally hide under the covers and tremble. By the time I get up *if* I get up, I'm in full-blown anxiety.

By the middle of the day I feel fine and wonder why I was feeling like that. I rationalize it in my mind...until the NEXT morning when the same thing hits. pdoc prescribes Ativan for me to ward it off so I can get up and go to work. I would like to know how to do other things, though - like breathing exercises, etc.

BTW - I had a panic attack so badly once that I walked off an airplane before it took off. Let's just say it wasn't one of the better days of my former marriage.

Hope you get some help for that soon...I know just how awful that feels!!