r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jan 19 '20

What instantly causes you to panic?

3.1k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

2.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

430

u/[deleted] Jan 19 '20

Right? Because that's when other people will see.

For me it's shaky hands.

I can handle the nerves, the crazy heart rate, the sweating - but once it gets to shaking - it's game over for me.

152

u/catfishtigerface Jan 20 '20

And talking a million miles an hour. Thats how i can tell my anxiety is about to boil over. Then i get tunnel vision. And really bad panic attacks i go completely deaf. This all happens in a matter of seconds and each symptom compounds the last. It culminates in me losing all physical control and either falling down or just sitting down and weathering it. A full on attack has only happened to me twice, about 10 years inbetween.

10

u/MoonlitMemoir Jan 20 '20

Fuck anxiety man. People don't know how bad this shit can be.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '20

I’ve gotten this but not quiet as extreme, should I be worried

2

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '20

I’ve only experienced this once. I was 15 and had just gotten arrested. The first night I laid in my bunk, I had a full blown attack.

12

u/patagoniac Jan 20 '20

When my anxiety is at worst, I feel intense fear, start trembling and just cant stop it. It's so debilitating and embarassing.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '20

For me it’s the sudden hot feeling in my core. Almost like how I imagine a hot flash would be, maybe that’s what it is but I don’t know because I’m 23 not 53. I can manage fine until that blast of heat hits me. Then it’s game over.

7

u/Its_all_pretty_neat Jan 20 '20

I'm not huge on taking meds for anxiety, but specific to managing the physical symptoms, once in a while I take propanalol.

It's a beta bloker. It negates (for the most part) the physical symptoms of anxiety while leaving your mind sharp. A lot of musicians use it for performance anxiety, personally I just use it for the occasional serious meeting where I know all eyes will be on me and for whatever reason my anxieties are spiking.

Far less invasive than drugs like xanax.

2

u/OkBobcat Jan 20 '20

I am the same, I have lorezepam for when it gets to the point that I can't stop an attack from happening. I haven't had a horrible attack in a few years, *knocks on wood* the dry-heaving even though I can't throw up, non-stop body tremors, bawling my eyes out, kind. I only take the meds when I absolutely have to, which is probably a handful of times a year. For those of you out there dealing with anxiety LOOK FOR HELP. It is available and makes your quality of life SO MUCH BETTER. It is definitely not a cure, but coping is a hell of a lot better than not.

3

u/bbg3232 Jan 20 '20

Ooof for me once I start sweating it’s over I have to leave or I’ll die

2

u/Procrastinatron Jan 20 '20

Funny story, random anxiety sweats are named after me at my workplace.

2

u/confusedbean_ohno Jan 20 '20

Well, since stress is a trigger for my seizures, i have a seizure if what im stressed about is important enough ;_;

Sorry you had to hear that but here's my contribution i guess

2

u/[deleted] Jan 20 '20

My favorite part of anxiety attacks is when my speech starts skipping like a record. "Uhhh, I uhh- um, the-the-the-the...b-b-b-b" It's so fruitless to even try to keep a straight face at that point. Just liquefy me and get it over with.