On my way home from a nice time at my girlfriend's house, I got hit suddenly by an anxiety attack and I do not know why. It scared and worried me. It actually started just before leaving her house. We were watching a serious documentary on climate change, she was talking about the state of the world and politics, but I was thinking about getting home and what I needed to do today, and it just hit me like a ton of bricks out of nowhere.

I do not like this feeling at all & it still persists, after arriving home.

Anyone else experience this type of anxiety attack, just out the blue like that and for seemingly no good reason? It's not like I have pressing matters to take care of (well, I do actually), but my overall situation in life is anxiety-provoking right now. Perhaps that is why? I really don't even know.

Yes!! Exactly as you describe!

I've spent years fretting over the fact that our bodies seem to be dealing with things on their own, when we're not even aware of it. Tension, stress, building anxiety...they can all build without us being aware of it, until they reach the tipping point, and we are suddenly VERY aware of it!

It is very common for anxiety attacks to come out of the blue, I promise you that much. Was yours particularly physical, or was it more excessive thinking (or both)?

Originally Posted by Bjørnen

Yes!! Exactly as you describe!

I've spent years fretting over the fact that our bodies seem to be dealing with things on their own, when we're not even aware of it. Tension, stress, building anxiety...they can all build without us being aware of it, until they reach the tipping point, and we are suddenly VERY aware of it!

It is very common for anxiety attacks to come out of the blue, I promise you that much. Was yours particularly physical, or was it more excessive thinking (or both)?

Thank you so much for your reply! Mine was/is physical... with heart palpitations. I could feel it inside my belly and abdomen the most, the tension and also my racing heart. UGH. So frustrating!!!! It seems to be getting worse with age, too. I never used to be like this when I was younger. I take anti-anxiety meds as needed (Ativan), but have to fill my prescription, so until then, I just have to try and calm myself down somehow. I hate this so much. It interferes with my quality of life. Argh.

Originally Posted by golden_eve

Thank you so much for your reply! Mine was/is physical... with heart palpitations. I could feel it inside my belly and abdomen the most, the tension and also my racing heart. UGH. So frustrating!!!! It seems to be getting worse with age, too. I never used to be like this when I was younger. I take anti-anxiety meds as needed (Ativan), but have to fill my prescription, so until then, I just have to try and calm myself down somehow. I hate this so much. It interferes with my quality of life. Argh.

We could start a club. Everything you said I get completely. They always tell me to go be physically active when nothing else is calming down an attack, but it's hard to force myself to do that when the palpitations/racing heart are only adding to the anxiety. I don't want to make my heart feel more like it's going to pop out of my chest.

Does deep breathing help for you? It helps me some times, but not always.

Originally Posted by Bjørnen

We could start a club. Everything you said I get completely. They always tell me to go be physically active when nothing else is calming down an attack, but it's hard to force myself to do that when the palpitations/racing heart are only adding to the anxiety. I don't want to make my heart feel more like it's going to pop out of my chest.

Does deep breathing help for you? It helps me some times, but not always.

Thank you... it's nice to know that someone can relate! We should start a club! =)

Like you, deep breathing sometimes helps, sometimes not... lying down & trying to relax my whole body actually helps the most... resting and watching a good movie or something like that to distract myself... or sometimes an online meditation can help, but I don't have the energy to sit up and do this right now.

I seem to be calming down, but I can still feel it there, and it's been an hour. Distractions, like writing to friends, are helping.... perhaps just taking some type of action that will distract can help... anything. I agree about the exercise, that's the last thing I want to do. I just want to relax & unwind.

[Shazerac]

Mine could comes out of blue....

It's been another hour now....hoping you're feeling yourself again!

[Fuzzybear]

Originally Posted by Shazerac

Mine could comes out of blue....

I'm very sorry you experience this too. Ugh... guess it can be the nature of these things. Thanks so much for the hugs!! Back at ya!!

Originally Posted by Fuzzybear

Awwwww, thanks so much, Fuzzy!

Originally Posted by Bjørnen

It's been another hour now....hoping you're feeling yourself again!

I do, thank you so much!!! I am more normal now. But what the heck was that??? SO weird.

[childofchaos831]

I had some like that a while back. Seemed completely random, no reason I could pinpoint. For me it turned out to be caused by med changes.

One of the times, every afternoon and evening when the new med would start to leave my system, my anxiety would get worse. Doc changed me to an XR, and it subsided. Another time, my pdoc was adjusting a different med and it would get worse til I got used to the new dose. And then got worse with every adjustment, and got better again after time.

My point would be that sometimes it seems there isn't a reason, when there might actually be one, that we just don't see right now.

Either way, anxiety sucks, and I hope that you don't have to go thru that again.

[Sunflower123]

Mine are about 50-50 as to coming out of the blue versus being able to connect it to a thought or situation. Both are still vexing and incredibly hard. Fortunately I have them under control for now. Glad you are feeling better. Sending big hugs.

[Unrigged64072835]

Sometimes I would get one, but most of them are usually triggered. It may even be a day or two after something stressful.

Originally Posted by childofchaos831

I had some like that a while back. Seemed completely random, no reason I could pinpoint. For me it turned out to be caused by med changes.

One of the times, every afternoon and evening when the new med would start to leave my system, my anxiety would get worse. Doc changed me to an XR, and it subsided. Another time, my pdoc was adjusting a different med and it would get worse til I got used to the new dose. And then got worse with every adjustment, and got better again after time.

My point would be that sometimes it seems there isn't a reason, when there might actually be one, that we just don't see right now.

Either way, anxiety sucks, and I hope that you don't have to go thru that again.

Aww, I am sorry you were dealing with that. I've also had med changes that increased my anxiety.

For me, it's truly a mystery.... no med changes, just random anxiety attack. :/

Originally Posted by Jennifer 1967

Mine are about 50-50 as to coming out of the blue versus being able to connect it to a thought or situation. Both are still vexing and incredibly hard. Fortunately I have them under control for now. Glad you are feeling better. Sending big hugs.

I am sorry you deal with this as well, Jennifer, and thanks for the hugs! I still do not know what caused this 2-hour long anxiety spell. It worries and scares me.

It was probably the political talk that triggered you. Sometimes, you can see or hear something triggering but it might not hit you right away.

This is why I avoid talking about politics like the plague. I find political discussions to be both triggering and pointless since we can't do anything about the 9,001,000 issues this world has.

Originally Posted by Fharraige

Sometimes I would get one, but most of them are usually triggered. It may even be a day or two after something stressful.

Hmmm..... maybe mine WAS triggered but I cannot pinpoint from what. It is driving me a bit nuts. I don't want to continue to experience random attacks like that. :/