Panic Attack

I get them once in a blue moon, but I had a whopper today.

I've had an upper respiratory infection/problem going on about 2 months now. A lot of congestion, stuffy nose, wheezing and shortness of breath. So I've become very sensitive to my breathing. Anyway, I'm in the shower this morning washing my hair, and I dip my head under the shower head to rinse. Suddenly, this momentary inability to breathe freely induces full-on PANIC. Hair still shampooy, I rear my head back, gasp for air, shut off the water and step out of the shower. My bathroom suddenly feels like a shoebox and I must escape to maintain my sanity. And yet I know that even if I bolt out of the bathroom down the hall, it's not gonna help, because I'm stuck inside myself and my own raging anxiety... and all I can do is talk myself down. My heart is racing. Quickly, though, I begin to gain perspective, realize there is nothing threatening my life, and I return to normal. I get back in the shower but rinse my hair with my back to the shower head this time.

It SUCKED. And I hope this isn't the beginning of a new series.

Oh I had this GREAT panic attack a few days ago when I realized I posted my question to the wrong board. AAAH!

READY SET GO!!!

Gosh darnit.

Okay, copied to ILE. FINIS.

FINIS yourself, I don't even like ILE. Let's keep it going.

My last one was when I was late for my friend's birthday party @ Urban Well last friday and I was driving, hair still kinda wet, and my hands started feeling all pins and needly, then numb and plasticky on the steering wheel. I was driving perfectly but felt as if any second my muscles would lock up and I'd crash. I pulled over, curled my fingers open and closed, banged and clapped them together till they felt normal, and tried driving again. It happened AGAIN, this time followed by intense full-body trembling. Pulled over, called friend to pick me up. Once I started drinking, I was fine. Still have no idea why that happened.

Just so it won't be deleted, here's the musical element: Panic Attack is the only good song on the new Turin Brakes.

It's a street fight, it's a Friday night alone
It's a bottle that's warming on the shelf
It's feeling just inches away from death
It's a street, it's an icicle
It's a panic attack, it's only an act, yeah.

..Trail of Dead, "Totally Natural"

Last panic attack I had was about a week and a half ago. I was in a reasonably unfamiliar city and went out walking by myself. I felt kind of strange and isolated despite the fact I was surrounded by people. It's happened a few times before. I find calling someone I know usually helps but it's always very difficult to explain why i've done so. They're like, "So what did you call for?" and I just make up some bullshit lie about how i 'just felt like it', while i'm standing there in a cold sweat looking like a scared animal.

Yeah, something similar with me: I was shopping in Manhatten, round lots of people, no-one paying me any attention as usual, and I started to feel all floaty and out of it. I stratched my head or neck or something, and it felt like it really hurt, and that the scratch remained there for minutes. I started getting sweaty, looking round me lots, but it passed after maybe 5 minutes. What triggers them? Hangovers, used to be doing E (don't no more), thinking too hard about my life...not doing much to counter em except trying to live better, talk to my girlfriend more when I'm feeling anxious. I hope it will pass though.

I wouldn't say they happened super regularly for me. Maybe once a year. Hardly worth medicating.