I Had a Panic Attack and Now I Don't Feel the Same

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. You never feel the same after you have had a panic attack. Altogether, you become scared of having the next one. Maybe it will be worse.

Maybe, it will be in a very public place. Basically, you don’t want to embarrass yourself. What will people say? That’s why you never feel the same: the fear.

It’s common to feel drained of energy after a panic attack as your body regulates itself after the adrenaline-fueled “fight or flight” response.

Generally, this can lead to an “anxiety hangover” that can include other symptoms, such as: Fatigue, Anxiety, Poor sleep, Restlessness, Shaking or Trembling, Headaches, Appetite changes, Derealization, Brain fog and Confusion.

Symptoms From a Panic Attack

Fatigue

During a panic attack, the body experiences a surge of stress hormones. This includes adrenaline and cortisol, which can leave a person feeling physically and mentally drained once the attack has passed.

Additionally, the intense physical and emotional symptoms of a panic attack can be exhausting. This leaves a person feeling tired and fatigued afterward.

The body’s natural response to stress can also lead to fatigue as the body works to regulate and recover from the heightened state of arousal during the panic attack.

Finally, the emotional toll of a panic attack can also contribute to feelings of fatigue and exhaustion.

Anxiety

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. The anxiety is from the fear of having or anticipating another panic attack.

Also, the experience of a panic attack can also lead to a heightened state of hypervigilance. This causes a person to be more sensitive to physical sensations and more prone to anxiety.

Finally, the psychological impact of a panic attack, such as the fear of losing control. Also, the fear of experiencing another attack, can contribute to ongoing anxiety.

Poor Sleep

The physical and emotional intensity of a panic attack can leave a person feeling wired and agitated. Also emotionally drained, making it difficult to relax and fall asleep.

The surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, during the panic attack can also disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Additionally, the fear of experiencing another panic attack or the anticipation of anxiety can contribute to heightened anxiety and difficulty falling asleep.

The psychological impact of a panic attack, such as worrying about the implications of the attack or feeling on edge, can also interfere with sleep.

Restlessness

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. The intense physical and emotional symptoms experienced during a panic attack, such as rapid heartbeat, sweating, and feelings of fear and dread. This can leave a person feeling agitated and restless even after the attack has subsided.

The surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, during the panic attack can also contribute to a state of heightened arousal, making it difficult to relax and feel calm afterward.

Additionally, the fear of experiencing another panic attack or the lingering anxiety can lead to ongoing restlessness.

The psychological impact of a panic attack, such as feeling on edge or hypervigilant, can also contribute to restlessness.

Shaking or Trembling

Shaking or trembling after a panic attack can occur due to the body’s physiological response to stress.

After the panic attack has subsided, the body may continue to experience the effects of the stress hormones, leading to residual shaking or trembling.

Additionally, the emotional and psychological impact of the panic attack can also contribute to physical symptoms like shaking.

Headaches

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. The physical and emotional stress of a panic attack can lead to muscle tension, particularly in the neck and shoulders, which can contribute to tension headaches.

Additionally, the surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, during a panic attack can cause changes in blood flow and blood vessel constriction, which can trigger headaches.

The hyperventilation that often occurs during a panic attack can lead to a decrease in carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which may also contribute to headaches.

Furthermore, the psychological and emotional strain of a panic attack can lead to stress-related headaches.

Appetite Change

Although many people overeate or indulge in rich foods when stressed, some lose their appetite during moments of high anxiety.

“There are people who respond to any stress with ‘the tiger’s on my tail’ [perspective]: ‘I cannot do anything but run,’” says, Zhaoping Li, MD, director at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition.“Then there are other people who try to make themselves more relaxed or more in a pleasurable state — that’s actually the majority of people. Those people eat more food,” according to Li.

To point out, people who lose their appetite are so consumed by the source of their stress or anxiety that they can’t do anything else, including necessary tasks like eating.

Brain Fog and Confusion

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. The surge of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, during a panic attack can affect cognitive function and lead to a sense of mental fogginess or confusion.

Additionally, the intense physical and emotional symptoms experienced during a panic attack can be overwhelming, leaving a person feeling mentally drained and disoriented afterward.

The hyperventilation that often occurs during a panic attack can also lead to changes in oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which can affect brain function and contribute to feelings of confusion.

Furthermore, the psychological impact of a panic attack, such as the fear and distress experienced during the attack, can also lead to cognitive difficulties and a sense of mental fog.

Derealization After Panic Attack

How long does depersonalization/derealization last after a panic attack?

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. Feelings of depersonalization and derealization are common from significant stress or panic attacks.

Individuals may remain in a depersonalized state for the duration of a typical panic attack.

However, in some cases, the dissociated state may last for hours, days, weeks, or even months at a time.

What to do if You Feel a Panic Attack Coming

Alright, so here’s five things you can do if you feel a panic attack coming, in order of importance (though all these steps are key, and I encourage you to read them carefully).

1. Use this key affirmation

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. There are many affirmations you can use during a panic attack, however there is one that is particularly useful. You can think of it as a reminder that you can repeat to yourself until your mind is calmer. It is: this may be uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous.

As we’ve seen, you may not be able to control what triggers the attacks, such as your environment, but you will always be able to control your own reaction to the thoughts/symptoms.

If you think the attacks are dangerous (most people do, including myself years ago) then your anxiety will get ten times worse, and that’s when the attack becomes overwhelming.

Conversely, if you remind yourself that this may be uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous, there’s nothing to be afraid of anymore.

2. Realize you are in control

The second thing you need to realize whenever you feel a panic attack coming, is that you are in control.

Seriously. It may seem like panic attacks just happen to you randomly, and that you are powerless, but the truth is that you do have control over your thoughts and feelings.

Remember: panic is essentially a vicious cycle. If you don’t overreact to your own symptoms, you have the power to break the vicious cycle.

You will still experience the trigger and the first symptoms (for instance, an anxious thought), but you won’t experience the actual attack.

3. Focus on something else

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. I get it: right before an attack, or during an attack, it’s difficult to focus on anything else. But it’s definitely not impossible.

And sometimes all it takes to stop the attack is to concentrate on something you can see or hear in your environment.

For example, you can use the 3 3 3 rule, where you name three things you can see, then name three things you can hear, and then move three different parts of your body (such as your back, the palm of your hands, and your neck).

This shifts your focus from your own anxious thoughts to the external world, thus calming your mind instantly.

4. Don’t fight your symptoms

The worst thing you can do when you notice the first symptoms of an attack is to create further stress and anxiety.

So if you fight your symptoms, or if you try to suppress them completely, it actually works against you because it creates tension.

Instead, you want to embrace your symptoms, whether it’s a rapid heartbeat or cold hands, and let them wash over you, like waves, or the wind.

When you don’t fight the symptoms, you don’t create unnecessary anxiety, and that helps you break free from the vicious cycle of panic.

5. If possible, don’t hide

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. When you experience panic, your natural reaction may be to go and hide somewhere, because you think it would be too embarrassing to have an attack in a public place.

Or, you may go back to your house, or your room, because you would feel safer there.

Again, this is a natural reaction. However, it’s crucial that you learn not to do this.

You want to reinforce the thought that panic is not dangerous, and you also want to gradually expose yourself to the environment or situation in which you are more likely to experience panic.

For instance, if you are far away from home, and that causes you anxiety, and you know the anxiety may trigger panic — resist the temptation to go back home, and use the affirmation mentioned in the first paragraph (this may be uncomfortable, but it’s not dangerous).

You can have a look at a list of thirty common panic triggers so you can identify them and learn not to overreact.

Sum It All Up

I had a panic attack and now I don’t feel the same. I know it’s very hard to focus on anything but the panic attack when you start to have one. But if you do, the symptoms will not last as long and it will be over before you know it.

I go through derealization when I have really bad panic attacks. You feel like you’re outside of body experience which is caused by intense stress.

Also, I hate the brain fog that I get. I feel like I can’t focus on any one thing. I don’t understand what’s going on until the attack lifts.

Of course, simultaneously, sometimes I experience some of the other symptoms, but the ones I just mentioned above really stand out.

I hope that if you ever have a panic attack, that you come out of it sound and safe. They’re nothing to be messed with. Until next time…