I woke up from a nightmare last night that I can't even remember what happened and my heart began to thump loudly in my chest and then it would skip beats altogether and have irregular beats when it didn't skip. I couldn't breathe, I felt dizzy and my fingers and hands were tingling. When my heart stopped beating I thought I was having a heart attack and I started slamming my hand on my chest to get my heart beating again.

I was so scared, my therapist didn't tell me what happened here, but when I googled it I learned that the irregular beats was probably heart palpitations and that I was having a panic attack.

I'm so scared it will happen again. I've never experienced fear like that before, though I have GAD so I am used to anxiety, I've never had a panic attack like that before. Is there any way to prevent panic attacks? If I have one, does that make it more likely I'll have more in the future?

[Blue_Bird]

They are scary there are breathing exercises that can help prevent one when your anxiety starts to peak but before you actually have a panic attack

[Disorder7]

There's a possibility that you could have more.

Don't be shy about telling a doctor. Antidepressants can help. Of course a benzo will stop them quickly, but they can lead to addiction.

Maybe try breathing exercises or meditation first to see if an alternative route works for you. If not, tell a doctor.

[Bipolartist]

I've been having panic attacks lately and last night I did a guided meditation. People say they can't meditate because they're too nervous, but this really really helps quiet the mind. Although the video is 18 minutes long, the meditation itself is only about 10 minutes. I hope this helps!

[CosmicRose]

Why did you think your heart stopped beating? Could you just not feel it anymore? That is scary. When I had my worst panic attack, I could feel my heart beating hard and fast, my limbs (hands, feet) started getting numb, my tongue became numb, my muscles felt like they were locking, I couldn't breathe or move, it felt like I was literally dying. So many physical responses happen during a panic attack and it makes it even worse.

Thanks for the responses, all.
I have talked to my therapist since this post and she did say that this sounded just like a panic attack. I really appreciate the recommendations. I'm definitely going to practice breathing more and meditation. My therapist has told me to try mindfulness meditation.

Originally Posted by CosmicRose

Why did you think your heart stopped beating? Could you just not feel it anymore? That is scary. When I had my worst panic attack, I could feel my heart beating hard and fast, my limbs (hands, feet) started getting numb, my tongue became numb, my muscles felt like they were locking, I couldn't breathe or move, it felt like I was literally dying. So many physical responses happen during a panic attack and it makes it even worse.

I swore my heart stopped beating because I felt it beat four or five times a second really fast and really hard, like it was going to pound out of my chest, then I wouldn't feel it beating anymore, but it would stop for about a second, and then start beating again really, really fast.

I was so scared! I definitely felt that the physical things happening made my anxiety worse!