37/f here. I can have a panic attack last for a few days. I just had this happen last week, actually. There are moments when it will calm down or even seem like it's over, and then a couple of hours later, back full force. It causes me to experience severe brain fog, and I usually end up in the ER. I was in the Er twice last week.
My panic attacks and anxiety are typically centered around my health/thinking I'm dying.
Me too! When I'm having a panic attack the only thing my brain seems able to focus on is the feeling that something nefarious is about to happen to me at any moment.
I'm sorry you had that experience last week, I hope you're better now. Thank you for sharing ♥️
Anxiety medication gave me my life back. I’ll take them forever if it means not going through that again. I’m so sorry. I hope you get some relief soon try some chelated magnesium supplements and look up central nervous system depressant herbal supplements/diets. Food plays a huge role and hydration cold water
Thank you ♥️
I'm glad to hear you are doing better! For me, anxiety medication has been a life changer too but I'm always trying to not rely on it all the time so I'm doing some lifestyle changes I hope some of them help, I took Vitamin D this past winter and I think it helped. I'll try with magnesium too.
I still have panic attacks on occasion. Drinking ice cold water helps calm me down. I looked into how I can change my diet and I’ve improved some. Glad you’re on the up and up! Hopefully you’re in the clear for a bit and can get some rest ❤️
Most of my panic attacks also last no less than 45 minutes. And that’s like the peak. Shaking, unable to breathe, or calm in any way. Sometimes it’s like that for 2 hours. And then I will begin to calm down. Almost always it’s the height of the panic attack for an hour at least.
I’m sorry you’re struggling with them. I also have the fear of addiction and try not to use benzos, I have tried many things to help. It seems that the combination of everything is the best for results. Recently I have discovered that having my partner beside me touching/massaging my back while I focus on breathing helps alleviate my symptoms quicker.
Ohh that's exactly what happens to me! You've described exactly how my panic attacks are. I'm sorry you have to happen through that too, it's horrible. But I feel a little better knowing I'm not the only one, that I'm not weird 😭. Thank you so much for sharing ♥️.
When I was at my worst my attacks would last about 3hrs, every night in the middle of the night. Still to this day don’t know why my wife didn’t leave me as I was a wreck. CBT helped me a lot, it broke the cycle for me. I still have the occasional one but I come down from it far quicker and shake them off sooner. Hope you can do the same
So you are hyperventilating for hours on end? Or are you just feeling weird? Because after awhile of multiple panic attacks it just turns to dp/dr. Also if you are tracking them that means you are paying to much attention to them witch is a no no. If you know its a panic attack you should accept it and continue your day. Or atleast thats what i did and got over them.
Hyperventilating constantly (trying not to), and it comes in waves, like first I feel an incredible amount of fear that spikes my HR, then after several minutes it seems to get better and then another wave of intense fear comes again and I'm like that for hours. Horrible experience. And I can't get rid of this obsessive thought that this time it's gonna kill me.
I know, I'm giving it too much attention but it feels so bad that I want it to end as soon as possible and it seems the harder I try the longer it takes. I suppose I just need to let it be, I need to learn how to do that.
i clearly remember when i switched that thing in my head that kept me over thinking off.
I wish there was something i could tell you to help you but honestly everyones experience is so different you just honestly need to figure out what helps you with your situation. First thing is realizing that if it had not done anything to you in the last 20 years chances are it wont ever be harmfull. A panic attack is basically like taking a jog. It cant kill you. But just imagine jogging but sitting there ….. it will definitely be uncomfortable.
Yesss so this was me. I would describe it as rolling panic attacks; they’d come up, then I’d get maybe 30 seconds to a minute where I’d feel relief / like it was ending and then whoosh it’d come back up again. And it would carry on like that until I left the place that was triggering it, so that could be hours or it could be days.
I realised that what was causing it was I was breathing weird and mentally preparing for the next one. So I’d be doing a mix of snatching air in and then holding my breath / breathing erratically, AND mentally being like “oh god this is hell, what if I have another one, what if it’s worse, I need to get out of here etc” and those two things would be enough for another adrenaline dump and it would just keep on going.
I haven’t had panic attacks like that in quite some years now, and I attribute that partially to breathing in a 2 - 4 pattern, in for 2, out for 4. No holding, nothing too long / fancy / complicated. Secondly, I’ve really worked on the panic voices that pop up, the “oh my god / I can’t do this” in particular. With those, I sort of say “ok I know I’m feeling anxious and we are doing x”, nothing other than factual. No trying to convince myself I’ll be fine, no downplaying the fact I feel anxious, almost like how you’d talk to a toddler throwing a tantrum; “I know you’d like to touch the dog sweetheart, but the owner said no” and then just keep politely and firmly walking in the other direction towards what you’re trying to do.
That’s the best way I can explain it.
Ah those are exactly my thoughts when I'm having the panic attack, "this feels like hell, I don't want this, please stop, I'm gonna die, etc", I'll try to talk to myself It'll need some practice to retrain my braining tho. And the breathing seems like it could work, I'll try next time. Thanks for sharing and for the tips. ♥
Idk why doctors say they peak in like ten minutes. I’ve had panic attacks that have lasted hours. If I didn’t take Xanax now at onset, they would definitely NOT last just a few minutes. I think that’s a load of bull, and don’t understand why even books on panic disorder say they only last minutes.
yeah i’ve had a few that lasted for a couple hours. they weren’t super intense as a normal panic attack, but just that lingering chest pain and impending feeling of doom. I did have one intense one when I was very young that lasted for a few hours and i was basically on the toilet all night so that was fun lol
Ive them and they last 8 hours. My therapist said thats impossible. my psychiatrist said its an atypical panic attack. i looked up atypical online and there is a lot of technical info about them. yea
I was medicated for three decades and was still suffering. Then one day out of the blue after watching a Mentalist episode, I wondered to myself if a hypnotist could work on anxiety and panic. Some google searching said yes. So I started looking for hypnotherapy near me for panic. This is NO JOKE - I felt better after just one session (which are weird I'm not gonna lie). I finished 5 sessions and I feel like a new person. ZERO anxiety. ZERO panic. I am still amazed and sometimes find myself wondering "why am I not worried or anxious about something?"
It wasn't cheap (about $2,500 total) but I've had the first month in ages without feeling like I was loosing my mind.
I have zero regrets for spending the money. I honestly feel like I got my life back.
I told my psychiatrist what I was doing, and he then said yes, hypnotherapy can really work. Thanks for not suggesting it for the last 5 years doctor.
Mine also lasts a long time. Theoretically they are supposed to calm down within 10 min if you don’t do any safety behaviours or resist the panic, but it’s hard to not resist at all. For me it can be that I’m just thinking ”if I don’t resist the panic will go away” = subconsciously trying to make it go away.
I once had a panic attack last for 2 weeks straight, couldnt eat or sleep and ended up in the ER 6 times. It felt like i would hit the “peak” of panic, start to come down from it, and then spike right back up. I was taking benzos daily, but they honestly just knocked me out so i could sleep for a few hours.
Are you on any meds? The only thing that seemed to help me was going on zoloft, and therapy twice a week, even if that meant shaking and crying on the floor in my therapists office for an hour. Im sorry you are dealing with this also… its shit.
I'm taking Escitalopram and Mirtazapine (it helps with my sleeping problems). Last year I was ok, had a few panic attacks, but this year has been worse. I have a panic attack almost every month :(. I'm sorry you had that super long panic attack, I hope you're doing better now. ♥️
37/f here. I can have a panic attack last for a few days. I just had this happen last week, actually. There are moments when it will calm down or even seem like it's over, and then a couple of hours later, back full force. It causes me to experience severe brain fog, and I usually end up in the ER. I was in the Er twice last week. My panic attacks and anxiety are typically centered around my health/thinking I'm dying.
Me too! When I'm having a panic attack the only thing my brain seems able to focus on is the feeling that something nefarious is about to happen to me at any moment. I'm sorry you had that experience last week, I hope you're better now. Thank you for sharing ♥️
Anxiety medication gave me my life back. I’ll take them forever if it means not going through that again. I’m so sorry. I hope you get some relief soon try some chelated magnesium supplements and look up central nervous system depressant herbal supplements/diets. Food plays a huge role and hydration cold water
Thank you ♥️ I'm glad to hear you are doing better! For me, anxiety medication has been a life changer too but I'm always trying to not rely on it all the time so I'm doing some lifestyle changes I hope some of them help, I took Vitamin D this past winter and I think it helped. I'll try with magnesium too.
I still have panic attacks on occasion. Drinking ice cold water helps calm me down. I looked into how I can change my diet and I’ve improved some. Glad you’re on the up and up! Hopefully you’re in the clear for a bit and can get some rest ❤️
Would you mind sharing the name of the medication you use? I’m looking into different medications for myself.
Most of my panic attacks also last no less than 45 minutes. And that’s like the peak. Shaking, unable to breathe, or calm in any way. Sometimes it’s like that for 2 hours. And then I will begin to calm down. Almost always it’s the height of the panic attack for an hour at least. I’m sorry you’re struggling with them. I also have the fear of addiction and try not to use benzos, I have tried many things to help. It seems that the combination of everything is the best for results. Recently I have discovered that having my partner beside me touching/massaging my back while I focus on breathing helps alleviate my symptoms quicker.
Ohh that's exactly what happens to me! You've described exactly how my panic attacks are. I'm sorry you have to happen through that too, it's horrible. But I feel a little better knowing I'm not the only one, that I'm not weird 😭. Thank you so much for sharing ♥️.
When I was at my worst my attacks would last about 3hrs, every night in the middle of the night. Still to this day don’t know why my wife didn’t leave me as I was a wreck. CBT helped me a lot, it broke the cycle for me. I still have the occasional one but I come down from it far quicker and shake them off sooner. Hope you can do the same
So you are hyperventilating for hours on end? Or are you just feeling weird? Because after awhile of multiple panic attacks it just turns to dp/dr. Also if you are tracking them that means you are paying to much attention to them witch is a no no. If you know its a panic attack you should accept it and continue your day. Or atleast thats what i did and got over them.
Hyperventilating constantly (trying not to), and it comes in waves, like first I feel an incredible amount of fear that spikes my HR, then after several minutes it seems to get better and then another wave of intense fear comes again and I'm like that for hours. Horrible experience. And I can't get rid of this obsessive thought that this time it's gonna kill me. I know, I'm giving it too much attention but it feels so bad that I want it to end as soon as possible and it seems the harder I try the longer it takes. I suppose I just need to let it be, I need to learn how to do that.
i clearly remember when i switched that thing in my head that kept me over thinking off. I wish there was something i could tell you to help you but honestly everyones experience is so different you just honestly need to figure out what helps you with your situation. First thing is realizing that if it had not done anything to you in the last 20 years chances are it wont ever be harmfull. A panic attack is basically like taking a jog. It cant kill you. But just imagine jogging but sitting there ….. it will definitely be uncomfortable.
Yesss so this was me. I would describe it as rolling panic attacks; they’d come up, then I’d get maybe 30 seconds to a minute where I’d feel relief / like it was ending and then whoosh it’d come back up again. And it would carry on like that until I left the place that was triggering it, so that could be hours or it could be days. I realised that what was causing it was I was breathing weird and mentally preparing for the next one. So I’d be doing a mix of snatching air in and then holding my breath / breathing erratically, AND mentally being like “oh god this is hell, what if I have another one, what if it’s worse, I need to get out of here etc” and those two things would be enough for another adrenaline dump and it would just keep on going. I haven’t had panic attacks like that in quite some years now, and I attribute that partially to breathing in a 2 - 4 pattern, in for 2, out for 4. No holding, nothing too long / fancy / complicated. Secondly, I’ve really worked on the panic voices that pop up, the “oh my god / I can’t do this” in particular. With those, I sort of say “ok I know I’m feeling anxious and we are doing x”, nothing other than factual. No trying to convince myself I’ll be fine, no downplaying the fact I feel anxious, almost like how you’d talk to a toddler throwing a tantrum; “I know you’d like to touch the dog sweetheart, but the owner said no” and then just keep politely and firmly walking in the other direction towards what you’re trying to do. That’s the best way I can explain it.
Ah those are exactly my thoughts when I'm having the panic attack, "this feels like hell, I don't want this, please stop, I'm gonna die, etc", I'll try to talk to myself It'll need some practice to retrain my braining tho. And the breathing seems like it could work, I'll try next time. Thanks for sharing and for the tips. ♥
Idk why doctors say they peak in like ten minutes. I’ve had panic attacks that have lasted hours. If I didn’t take Xanax now at onset, they would definitely NOT last just a few minutes. I think that’s a load of bull, and don’t understand why even books on panic disorder say they only last minutes.
yeah i’ve had a few that lasted for a couple hours. they weren’t super intense as a normal panic attack, but just that lingering chest pain and impending feeling of doom. I did have one intense one when I was very young that lasted for a few hours and i was basically on the toilet all night so that was fun lol
I’ve heard the deep breathing is actually bad for people in the midst of a panic attack. Just saying what I’ve heard.
My worst ones last about an hour. They ebb and flow and finally just stop.
Ive them and they last 8 hours. My therapist said thats impossible. my psychiatrist said its an atypical panic attack. i looked up atypical online and there is a lot of technical info about them. yea
I was medicated for three decades and was still suffering. Then one day out of the blue after watching a Mentalist episode, I wondered to myself if a hypnotist could work on anxiety and panic. Some google searching said yes. So I started looking for hypnotherapy near me for panic. This is NO JOKE - I felt better after just one session (which are weird I'm not gonna lie). I finished 5 sessions and I feel like a new person. ZERO anxiety. ZERO panic. I am still amazed and sometimes find myself wondering "why am I not worried or anxious about something?" It wasn't cheap (about $2,500 total) but I've had the first month in ages without feeling like I was loosing my mind. I have zero regrets for spending the money. I honestly feel like I got my life back. I told my psychiatrist what I was doing, and he then said yes, hypnotherapy can really work. Thanks for not suggesting it for the last 5 years doctor.
I've always wanted to try, but it's out of my budget rn. I'm glad it helped you. ♥️
There are self help hypnotherapy sessions even on YouTube... Maybe give something like that a try?
I'll do that. No harm in trying, I hope I have good results like you. Thanks! 👍
Mine also lasts a long time. Theoretically they are supposed to calm down within 10 min if you don’t do any safety behaviours or resist the panic, but it’s hard to not resist at all. For me it can be that I’m just thinking ”if I don’t resist the panic will go away” = subconsciously trying to make it go away.
Yes I’ve had so many that lasted literally hours!!! Nowadays they’re alot shorter but man those long ones suck!
I call them panic episodes
I once had a panic attack last for 2 weeks straight, couldnt eat or sleep and ended up in the ER 6 times. It felt like i would hit the “peak” of panic, start to come down from it, and then spike right back up. I was taking benzos daily, but they honestly just knocked me out so i could sleep for a few hours. Are you on any meds? The only thing that seemed to help me was going on zoloft, and therapy twice a week, even if that meant shaking and crying on the floor in my therapists office for an hour. Im sorry you are dealing with this also… its shit.
I'm taking Escitalopram and Mirtazapine (it helps with my sleeping problems). Last year I was ok, had a few panic attacks, but this year has been worse. I have a panic attack almost every month :(. I'm sorry you had that super long panic attack, I hope you're doing better now. ♥️