RachelBigby
Confident
People think panic attacks escalate because the sufferer gets emotional. They think it's a state of emotional terror that manifests an ever-growing fight or flight response. Panic disorder doesn't work that way. During all of my attacks, I'm completely lucid, not scared, knowing full well it's irrational. The outbursts are purely biological with no reference to your state of mind. You can't stop them by distracting yourself or thinking positive thoughts. They don't go away when you "calm down". I often lay in bed during attacks, completely at peace, ready to die if it comes to that.
Also, they're not driven by adrenaline. They may look like adrenaline on the outside, but they're very different. You don't have a surge of energy. You don't want to let anything out. Your senses are not sharpened. You're not trying to survive; you're trying to die. You just want to lay down and die. When it's over, there's no release. You don't feel depleted. Things just return to how they were as if it never happened.
My nerves operate daily cranked up to 10. If the slightest thing bumps it to 11, my nerves have a breakdown. Anything can trigger it. If I get up too early in the morning, I'll get sick. If I stay up too late at night, I'll get sick. If I eat the wrong food or watch the wrong video or have too many tasks that day, I'll get sick. I can feel one coming an hour in advance. This has been the hardest thing to get doctors to understand. I don't cause my attacks. If you know someone suffering panic disorder, please understand, it isn't supportive to tell them to calm down. Just quietly sit with them and let them know you're there.
Also, they're not driven by adrenaline. They may look like adrenaline on the outside, but they're very different. You don't have a surge of energy. You don't want to let anything out. Your senses are not sharpened. You're not trying to survive; you're trying to die. You just want to lay down and die. When it's over, there's no release. You don't feel depleted. Things just return to how they were as if it never happened.
My nerves operate daily cranked up to 10. If the slightest thing bumps it to 11, my nerves have a breakdown. Anything can trigger it. If I get up too early in the morning, I'll get sick. If I stay up too late at night, I'll get sick. If I eat the wrong food or watch the wrong video or have too many tasks that day, I'll get sick. I can feel one coming an hour in advance. This has been the hardest thing to get doctors to understand. I don't cause my attacks. If you know someone suffering panic disorder, please understand, it isn't supportive to tell them to calm down. Just quietly sit with them and let them know you're there.