General Anxiety Attacks Out Of Nowhere For No Reason??

[nahla1204]

Is it common for someone with PTSD to have an anxiety attack come out of nowhere for no apparent reason? It just seems fishy to me but I don't have PTSD or anxiety. Thank you!

 

[Justmehere]

It happens a lot for me.

 

[desiderata310]

It's not 'no apparent reason'. It's a trigger. Not necessarily one that we KNOW to be a trigger but a trigger none-the-less. We aren't talking about people who are attention seeking, malingering, or crazy. We're talking about someone who has been through something you probably can't imagine and it's changed them.

If you don't have PTSD are you here as a supporter? If so, please don't say that to the person you know who has PTSD.

Before I had PTSD I had never had a panic attack. When I did, it was full out, felt like a heart attack, scared out of my wits, panic attack. I had gotten an email from the person who had hurt me. I was surprised and embarrassed it happened.

I go out of my way to make sure people don't know I have this diagnosis but it's with me all the time.

 

[nahla1204]

Thank you @Justmehere.

@desiderata310 I don't mean to sound insensitive by saying 'no apparent reason'. Yes I'm a supporter and my bf has told me at times he has attacks for no reason. I should have worded it differently. Like I said I don't understand at all but I'm trying to. I guess I may ask stupid questions at times but I really don't know. Anyway, thank you.

 

[seedling]

I just spent the last two days dealing with the aftermath of being triggered at work by a person I trust and like. It happened so fast, I still can't say what was going through my head or remember what the person said or what I said after that. Followed by massive anxiety and held back tears for later.

My head is finally above water again today after a lot of emotion, tears, writing, therapy session and an apology to the other person that they didn't seem to think was necessary.

Still not sure where I "went." Another layer of this uncovered and coming up.

It's possible I could think it was "fishy" too, except it happens to me and I have to accept and deal with it.

 

[seedling]

@nahla1204 anytime I tell my therapist anything along the lines of "for no reason" like your bf does he always reminds me that there is a trigger there, I just don't know what it is yet. It takes time and work to figure it out; bewildering.

 

[Justmehere]

@nahla1204 - you are not asking stupid questions. You are asking great questions. PTSD becomes like a new normal for those who suffer and it can be hard to understand from the outside.

 

[NovemberStar]

@nahla1204 anytime I tell my therapist anything along the lines of "for no reason" like your bf does he always reminds me that there is a trigger there, I just don't know what it is yet. It takes time and work to figure it out; bewildering.

That is exactly it - a lot of our therapy is working out what the triggers are, why, and learning how to manage them.

Personally, I find it much more terrifying when I can't easily identify WHAT triggered the intense panic / few / dissociation.

 

[joshua_]

I used to get them, but it wasn't for no reason. It would be a dreadful fear of the future feeling. That went away with time though and I now only get panic attacks if I have a really bad trigger, which has only happened once.

 

[nahla1204]

@seedling he is in therapy so hopefully he will figure these things out though I know you can't escape all triggers. Thanks for your input.

@Justmehere thank you. It is difficult for sure. I guess I can equate it to when people don't understand my depression because they've never lived it.

@NovemberStar thank you for your input. It makes much more sense now. Its hard to ask him outright because he's already insecure about it

@Joshua thank you for your input also. I understand much better now.

 

[NovemberStar]

And I think its important to remember - it is very normal if he seems very vague about what is going on and what happened or is happening - being triggered, having flashbacks or intrusive memories, and / or panic attacks and / or dissociation - all of which can happen all at once or one after each other, in a matter of minutes (!!!) - is VERY confusing, bewildering and terrifying.

If he is being vague or unable to tell you what is happening it is not because he is deliberately trying to be so; its' because he won't know what the hell is going on. Took me 20 years to work out what it is I felt / experienced, and I still have a long way to go in working it all out.

 

[ellienad]

It may seem like they come out of nowhere, but something triggers a panic attack. I have had panic attacks for most of my life that seemed to come out of the blue. It wasn't until I begun therapy, and begun putting connections together, that I realized why and how certain things will trigger a panic attack.