A realistic depiction of a panic attack is like hell. Never been there, but heard stories. Subsequently, I used to go there every frickin’ day before I was diagnosed with anxiety.
I just wanted to die. Therefore, I thought death would be better than this. I did try to die many times, but God told me no everytime I showed up at the gates.
I didn’t understand what was happening to me. Altogether, why did I feel like ripping my skin off or have tunnel vision among other sensations. And why couldn’t I stop it?
Consequently, the definiton of a panic attack is (in case you wanted to know), a sudden, intense episode of fear that can cause severe physical reactions, even when there is no apparent danger.
Above all, panic attacks can feel like an exaggerated version of the body’s normal response to stress, excitement, or danger.
Accordingly, they can be very frightening and can make someone feel like they are losing control, having a heart attack, or dying.
In other words…HELL!! Here are some examples of what ‘hell’ feels like.
Feel Like the World Isn’t Real
Disillusion
A realistic depiction of a panic attack is like getting washed through a ringer.
During a panic attack, you may feel like the world isn’t real. As a result, you just kind of disconnect with reality. You’re unsure of why everything is going to another level.
Basically, a level that you’ve never been to before. What do I mean by level? Your conscientious state is somewhere else. Don’t know where, but you lost it.
Paranoia
Also paranoia sets in. You don’t trust anyone or anything for that matter. Someone might be trying to help you, but you perceive them as someone trying to hurt you.
They may mean you no harm, but you feel like they’re trying to harm you physically. You just want everybody to go away and leave you alone .
Feeling of Being Fidgety
Loss of Movement
Also, you feel like you have the loss of movement. What do I mean by this? Either you can’t control your movements or you have none at all.
You desperately want to move, but something is preventing it. Either that, or your all over the place and can’t stop even though you want to.
Self Soothing
Sometimes, you rock back and forth for a while to ease the uneasiness inside of you. Or equally, you may pace the floor back and forth, wearing out a hole in the floor.
Undoubtedly, you think all this activity is somehow going to stop the anxiety or wear yourself and the panic attack out of steam.
But the panic attack seems like it is never going to end.
Sensitivity To Touch From Panic Attack
Hurts to be Touched
A realistic depiction of a panic attack is also feel sensitivity to touch. Somebody touches you, it hurts. You touch something, it hurts. Pain, pain, pain!
Certainly, the severity of the pain is very real, there’s no question about that. See, nobody knows about this unless they’ve been through it.
Feeling Hot and Cold
The feeling of hot and feeling cold at same time is awkward. You’re sweating, but you have the chills. Contradiction to physics.
Although, some illnesses have you sweating and have the chills at the same time.
Severe Pain From Panic Attack
Severe Pain
Then, severe pain may set in as I explained above. It’s so excruciating, you pray to the Lord to stop it or let you die. Nobody knows some of this stuff.
Emphatically, sometimes the pain is so intense, it feels like someone has shot or stabbed you. Either the pain focuses in one spot or all over the body.
Numbness
Concurrently, numbness may set in. You can’t feel your hands and feet or even arms and legs. Therefore, you think you’re going to lose control of other pertinent body parts.
You feel it hard to stand anymore, maybe because of the numbness. You want to sit down, but you can’t because you feel like you’re paralyzed. All you want to do is sit down if you’re not already.
Body Tremors
A realistic depiction of a panic attack is body tremors might set in. At length, you start to shake uncontrollably. What the hell is happening? Why amI shaking like a leaf?
This is nothing new to me because of tremors from Parkinson’s. But they do get worse when I have an attack.
Memory Loss Due To Panic Attack
This one gets me everytime, you’re mind goes blank. Whatever you were doing before, you don’t remember now (or as soon as the panic attack is over).
Furthermore, sometimes it comes back, most times it doesn’t (at least for me). You try to regroup and figure out what you were doing, but that in itself is difficult.
However, you might not even know where you’re at or how you got there. This is very similar to amnesia. It’s all just a fog until it clears.
Although, sometimes it never comes back. I’ve had that happen to me a few times. No matter how hard I tried to remember things, it was just gone.
Tunnel Vision From Attack
Blurriness
Indeed, it’s like watching a blurry TV screen as someone once put it. The picture is very fuzzy. You try to tune it in but to no avail.
Coupled with, you can’t make out people’s faces. Do they know what’s happening to you? You don’t hear anything. Are they talking to you?
Focusing
Also, a realistic depiction of a panic attack is you just can’t seem to focus on anything. You’re trying to make sense of what’s happening to you, but your brain doesn’t understand.
However, everything is happening so fast, you can’t keep up. You try to grasp at anything in your mind, but everything is so far out of reach.
World Spinning
The world may be spinning. Even more, objects and the walls are just going round and round and you’re trying to focus, but not happening.
Consequently, if your standing and the world is spinning, you just want to sit or at most lean against a wall. Meanwhile, every object is so blurry, you can’t judge where exactly everything is at.
Feel Like Ripping Skin Off During Panic Attack
A realistic depiction of a panic attack is it sounds disgusting, but you might really feel like ripping your skin off because you are so uncomfortable in it.
You have the perception that if you have no skin, the energy from the panic attack will escape (at least that’s how I feel).
Moreover, you think you’ll feel better if you get rid of your skin. I don’t really understand why this happens. Or better put, ‘why we think like that.’ Some of us never have this feeling. Therefore, you don’t feel comfortable in your own skin.
You know the saying “too big for your skin” apply’s here. Overall, maybe if the skin wasn’t there, you wouldn’t feel so trapped.
Paranoia From Attack
Moreover, paranoia may set in and you may feel like ‘everyone’s out to get you.’ That, in a way, goes along with wanting nobody to touch you.
Regardless, you’re afraid they might hurt you even though their intention is for the best. You’re just plainly afraid of eveything and everyone.
Also, you’re overly suspicious of how your feeling. Why is everything so scary? You can’t seem to stop what is happening to you.
Why can’t you breath? Why is the world getting smaller? In essence, at the time , you just don’t understand. When it’s over with, some of the symptoms have lifted, but some linger.
Heightened Senses From Attacks
Sight
A realistic depiction of a panic attack is the five senses can become very heightened during an attack. Therefore, the world may be to bright for your eyes, therefore you’re constantly squinting.
Hearing
In like fashion, noises become too loud. Even the faintest sound becomes like a freight train rolling through your head. Let the migraines begin.
Touch
Simultaneously, objects, no matter how soft, suddenly become too rough to touch. Feels like you put your hand on sand paper or even a porcupine (I know, bad analogy).
Smell
In short, you have a heightened sense of smell. Things that smelled bad before, you want to puke now. Sometimes, even a sweet smell will make you want to throw up.
Taste
Lastly, the sense of taste. I don’t know about other’s, but I get a metallic taste in my mouth. Tastes like I’ve been sucking on a nail (I know, another bad analogy).
Sum It All Up
A realistic depiction of a panic attack is like hell. Now, of course not everyone who experiences panic attacks will have all or any of these symptoms. We each to his own.
Obviously, I just wanted other’s who don’t experience attacks to know some of the more serious symptoms that some of us experience.
Thus, I have yet to see any of these symptoms described when I went searching on Google. I found these (and have experienced many) on Pinterest.
In fact, I haven’t for a long time (knock on wood). And, I don’t plan on going through that ever again. So, I’m being proactive in my care (that’s another post).
In reality, I’ve learned (and experienced ) a lot over the years, but I am still continuing to learn new ideas everyday of how to deal with the attacks when I do get them.
So, I hope those that get attacks can relate to this post and those that don’t, I hope you know the ‘Hell’ we go through each time. Peace be with you (literally). Until next time…
Articles About Symptoms of Panic Attacks
-Panic Attacks & Panic Disorder
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4451-panic-attack-panic-disorder
-Anxiety and panic attacks
-What is a panic attack?
https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/what-is-a-panic-attack
Have a Good One,
Cindee Murphy, One Voice In The Vastness Of Emotions
“I struggle with nocturnal panic disorder, so about 30 to 40 minutes after I fall asleep my panic attacks awaken me with the sensation that I’m suffocating. I wake up hyperventilating and pounding on my chest to breathe. In the seconds before I wake up I am utterly convinced I am dying. This has happened hundreds of times.” — Diane C.
“Panic attacks make me feel trapped, like I’m suffocating or claustrophobic, which makes me panic even more. I feel like I need to escape wherever I am and just run away or rip my own skin off. It’s a horrible feeling.” — Amy W.
“Paranoia. It feels like not only is the world collapsing around me, but also that it’s personal, like everyone’s out to get me.” — Jake A.
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