Here are two resources that might prove helpful to anyone looking for more information on panic/anxiety disorder:
National Institute of Mental Health - Anxiety Disorders Information
About.com - Panic Disorder Information
Thursday, June 19, 2008
First Post - The beginning
It all started back in 1992 during Spring Break. I was a freshman in high school and was on vacation with my family in Mazatlan, Mexico. At the time I believe I had an important history paper that was due upon my return and I had managed to leave all of my school stuff back at home in California. This was a big deal for several reasons, including the fact that I cared about getting good grades, and that my mother was a teacher and expected more of me.
What I remember is that I was watching the Cal Bears playing in a bowl game at the hotel room with my sister and mother. I recall feeling a strange fluttery feeling in my chest and abdomen which caught me off guard. I remember feeling terrified because it was still there 20 seconds later as I stood up and called out to my mother. I wasn't able to describe adequately what I was feeling, but by that point I was afraid that I was dying. I began to feel lightheaded and decided to go into the bathroom and take a cold shower to stave off the feeling like I was going to pass out. On a scale of 1-10 in terms of fear, I was at an 11. My arms and hands were tingling, I felt like I couldn't catch my breath and I was scared out of my mind.
I recall my mother asking me what was wrong and looking very scared (which scared me even more). I have a vague memory of her picking up the phone to dial for help. A doctor of some sort showed up at some point (in the midst of pure panic I wasn't really keeping tabs on what was going on around me) and decided that I was suffering from severe stress. I remember him pulling out a syringe and something about a shot to calm me down. I remember feeling myself go down as the sedative took over. The next thing I remember is waking up the next morning feeling whooped. Throughout the experience I don't recall ever being able to verbalize what was going on, I only remember being thoroughly terrified internally.
This was my first experience with a panic/anxiety attack, unfortunately it would not be my last...
What I remember is that I was watching the Cal Bears playing in a bowl game at the hotel room with my sister and mother. I recall feeling a strange fluttery feeling in my chest and abdomen which caught me off guard. I remember feeling terrified because it was still there 20 seconds later as I stood up and called out to my mother. I wasn't able to describe adequately what I was feeling, but by that point I was afraid that I was dying. I began to feel lightheaded and decided to go into the bathroom and take a cold shower to stave off the feeling like I was going to pass out. On a scale of 1-10 in terms of fear, I was at an 11. My arms and hands were tingling, I felt like I couldn't catch my breath and I was scared out of my mind.
I recall my mother asking me what was wrong and looking very scared (which scared me even more). I have a vague memory of her picking up the phone to dial for help. A doctor of some sort showed up at some point (in the midst of pure panic I wasn't really keeping tabs on what was going on around me) and decided that I was suffering from severe stress. I remember him pulling out a syringe and something about a shot to calm me down. I remember feeling myself go down as the sedative took over. The next thing I remember is waking up the next morning feeling whooped. Throughout the experience I don't recall ever being able to verbalize what was going on, I only remember being thoroughly terrified internally.
This was my first experience with a panic/anxiety attack, unfortunately it would not be my last...
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