David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
What a Panic Attack Feels and Looks Like
by Sonja Dupor, Panicked Chick Blog
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Early this morning, around 3am, we received a call from a tenant. He was worried about his wife and so my mom went over to their apartment. She was gone a half an hour when I decided to go over there myself. The ambulance was already there and a paramedic was working on the woman. Mom told me that she had woken up and thought she was going to die. Her blood pressure was high. She had a hard time describing what she was feeling but I gathered the symptoms were depersonalization and derealization.
Looking at her, I was convinced it was a panic attack. She had a hard time explaining to the paramedic how she was feeling. She kept saying, 'I don't know' when he asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital. She couldn't concentrate on the questions he was asking. When he made her get up to walk a little, she nearly fell over. She felt weak and dizzy. She kept saying, before I got there, that she felt like she wasn't in her body; like she couldn't feel anything.
This was the first time I'd witnessed a panic attack. I've had so many of my own and I knew how she felt but I'd never actually seen one by someone else. It was horrible. The paramedics took her to the hospital and I haven't heard anything yet. I hope she's okay.
For those who are wondering what a panic attack feels like, the following list of common symptoms should help shed some light on it.
Common Symptoms of a Panic/Anxiety Attack
1 or just "not yourself" ~ added by David Baxter
by Sonja Dupor, Panicked Chick Blog
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Early this morning, around 3am, we received a call from a tenant. He was worried about his wife and so my mom went over to their apartment. She was gone a half an hour when I decided to go over there myself. The ambulance was already there and a paramedic was working on the woman. Mom told me that she had woken up and thought she was going to die. Her blood pressure was high. She had a hard time describing what she was feeling but I gathered the symptoms were depersonalization and derealization.
Looking at her, I was convinced it was a panic attack. She had a hard time explaining to the paramedic how she was feeling. She kept saying, 'I don't know' when he asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital. She couldn't concentrate on the questions he was asking. When he made her get up to walk a little, she nearly fell over. She felt weak and dizzy. She kept saying, before I got there, that she felt like she wasn't in her body; like she couldn't feel anything.
This was the first time I'd witnessed a panic attack. I've had so many of my own and I knew how she felt but I'd never actually seen one by someone else. It was horrible. The paramedics took her to the hospital and I haven't heard anything yet. I hope she's okay.
For those who are wondering what a panic attack feels like, the following list of common symptoms should help shed some light on it.
Common Symptoms of a Panic/Anxiety Attack
- hyperventilation
- a choking feeling in the throat
- depersonalization (like you're outside of your body)1
- derealization (unreality)
- nausea
- dizziness, lightheadedness
- chest pain
- abdominal pain
- fear of losing control
- rapid heart beat
- numbing sensations
- muscle tension
- sweating
- hot flashes or chills
- frightening thoughts
1 or just "not yourself" ~ added by David Baxter
