No Panic ('til I felt weird)- Why Called Panic Attack?

Why the hell is it called a Panic Attack or Anxiety Attack if you don't have to be feeling panic or anxiety when you get it?

I just figured out today that I have suffered several of these over the past 10 months. I just called it: "Feeling really friggin' weird all of a sudden for no g-d reason!" You better believe I have some panic when it hits like: "Holy s*** [wife]! I have to pull the car over to the shoulder of the interstate because all of a sudden I feel like I was just possessed by a ghost!" (The first time it happened). The next time: "Oh f***! Not when I'm driving again! I'm gonna end up killing someone!" I don't think that's the "panic" implied by the name, is it?

Most recent one is the best: Sitting in a movie theater about halfway through an enjoyable movie having popcorn and water then - "WHOOSH!" -that feeling just streams right into me without warning. My reaction: "Are you friggin' kidding me?! Here! Now! What hell for! I'm just sittin' here watching a pretty enjoyable movie having popcorn and water! For cripes sake I didn't even get drunk last night!" Wait ... let it pass ... still feel kind of weird for a while, finish movie and drive home.

I'd always figured that feeling was some kind of reaction to the ADHD stim meds. It feels a kind of like a stim med crash multiplied by about 100. But maybe some of my "stim med crashes have been a limited symptom attack.

I love asking questions like this here: Is this a normal Panic Attack feeling? Heh, Heh - "normal" - riiiiiiiiight.

"Possessed by a ghost" . . . what do you mean? What emotion do you feel when this happens?

Thank you for this. Many years ago (the old woman began) I began to have what I called "fits" when, well, the world was just NOT RIGHT and EVERYTHING was just a bit wrong, and I knew I might die even though I also thought it a silly thought but-----------------
I researched, I found something called "anxiety" and said "WHAAAA?" I am a calm person. I do not get anxious, panic did not exist at the time, DSM didn't yet exist, or antidepressants...anyway
It took several years for the anxiety and the experience to "click" and now, yes, I feel anxious...I don't think it helps much except to talk to other people who may know what I am talking about...and I think in some ways (maybe not, I tend to avoid thinking too closely about then) it scared me less before I knew what was going on....
Oh, yeah, it is quite normal. I love to say that. It's a normal panic attack. The answer sounds a bit disappointing to me right now...

Yet again I completely misunderstand and make assumptions about a condition based on its name, then go study the symptoms and realize, "Oh, yeah, I got that." I assumed a Panic Attack meant you went into a "panic," like running around pulling your hair out.

While I see it certainly could happen that way, I believe the "panic" refers to your body's "fight or flight" response kicking in irrationally. So your body reacts as if you're panicking, like as if a crazed killer suddenly burst into your bedroom, but instead nothing has actually happened to provoke that response.

I've also learned an attack doesn't have to include fear and there's something called a "limited symptom panic attack" where you have less than 4 symptoms.

Exactly I was about to say.

I stil believe that they are panic attacks because it involves your brain's/body's/subconscious's flight or fight response. You may find yourself calm, but it's possible that these attacks are a release of stress in your life. Consciously you may be coping fine, but sometimes our subconscious can get a little trigger happy when it comes to whether or not you are in a dangerous situation.

I am happy that you are managing very well in between the attacks! You also don't seem to be falling into the trap of fearing the panic attacks so extensively that the fear encourages them.

My first few panic attacks were exactly how you described -- weird, felt terrible, but had completely sudden, unexpected onset and resolved within half an hour. I did not have depression or anxiety issues at the time and I believed every time that I had food poisoning or something of that nature. I picked myself back up and didn't see anything wrong. Hmm, if only I could find a way to return myself to that mentality.

It's been a totally random occurance when it's happened, but yes it could certainly be something in my subconscious triggering it. I wonder if I've had more "limited symptom" attacks than I think, since I sometimes feel a little "unreal" in the late afternoon - usually when driving (Why always driving, when it's the worst time? Probably a sensory overload.) But it's about the same time the ADHD stim med is losing effect and that "crash" is similar - tingling skin, fuzzy brain - but the disassociation feeling is the difference. Like I can't feel the steering wheel in my hand, my sight narrows and I have to fully concentrate on just driving. (Again, don't worry, I never have a problem driving when this happens, it's just an unpleasant feeling.)

Can you talk to prescriber re: way to ease the stim med drop? (a low dose afternoon before end of day...) Just to see if there is a connection.
Typically, panic attacks do occur without warning or notable precipitant. We may make connections over time ("it is when i drive") to make sense of it---and some people limit their activities to avoid the feeling---I am not aware of this being very effective. It is all about flight or fight kicking in out of place.

We did do the med thing - switched to Adderall IR (from Vyvanse) so I can control the dose. So the crash is less a problem now.

The panic thing has been totally random and infrequent. Like I said, I didn't even know it was a panic attack until last week.

My panic attacks happen just like that. Its called depersonalization (or derealization. Cant remember which is what). I think its a natural defense to protect your mind from falsely percieved danger.

Is there a difference between a panic attack and an anxiety attack? I have anxiety and sometimes it gets overwhelming but I don't know if it's actually "panic" or what, but it definitely is an attack of sorts.

For me, a panic attack is a panic attack. If it reaches the boiling point, I do run around, screaming for help. But my panic attacks haven't gotten to that point for a long time, probably because of the drugs I'm on, and perhaps from learning coping strategies.

I consider an anxiety attack feelings of anxiety and perhaps a sense of urgency to get away, touch something or someone, or whatever your brain is telling you to do.

Google it. "Anxiety" or "Panic" Attack - I think "Panic" is the correct medical term but they're the same thing. I was confused about the whole deal and found out I was just ignorant about what it really is.