Thanks for visiting the forum. Why not become a member? You are a perfect fit with this community. If you use the search box, you can find other citations from folks who suffer as you, and if anyone in particular has something useful to offer, put that user's name in the seacrh box to see everything they've contributed.
What you describe is consistent with panic and anxiety, but, was this your FIRST episode? And you will find a pervasive "strangeness" to everything after it occurs -sort of like crossing an invisible boundary. Indeed, the world has become, suddenly, very different. Everyone finds it difficult to put into words.
Highly unlikely this will kill you, and let me give you the "drill" as most of us know it:
1. Go to your doc, get tests to rule out some organic, physical source such as heart, lung problems, brain malfunction, etc. Vitrually everyone comes back with a clean bill of health in this regard. Panic attacks probably are more responsible for very thorough work-ups than anything else -that's one good thing, you'll learn there's "nothing wrong with you."
2. Once there is a solid medical indication of panic/anxiety as such, a drug may be prescribed to help you handle the feelings, so you can function. Too many people stop at this stage, thinking (or hoping) that the medication will somehow magically make the cause of the panic disappear. That CAN happen in cases of short-term panic which may be easily related to some external cause (a plane flight, speaking publically, death of a loved one, etc.) but what's really going on is that the cause itself "goes away." Otherwise, if the prime mover is more deeply rooted, you'll benefit from
3. Therapy. Talking it out and such mental gymnastics as a qualified provider may offer, in combination with appropriate medication- is the best way to not only deal with symptoms, but also causes.
The work, the, job, the task is done solely by YOU. Everything else, from friends to forum members to doctors to medications are in helper roles. That why it works and that why you KNOW it works -you actually did it.
And, you've made a good start. You're here. Now -please consider the 3 steps I have given above -and stay in touch.
Hi,
I have OCD, Depression, and panic/anxiety attacks.
Is this the first one you have had? If so the thats probably why you feel so weird. When I first started hvaving them I was driving with my newborn, at the time, in the car and I almost crashed into a building. Let me tell you it was very scary feeling sick, felt like your heart was going to come out of your chest, and that's just a few symptoms. You also feel like things are like a movie or not real and your watching and not really sure what's going on. I felt weird for days later and I started having then several times a week and some were several times a day. Now you do need to go talk to a Dr. and get meds. I promise when the right med is found then you will feel better and they will lessen and you will start feeling normal again. I sympathize with you and you are in my thoughts. If you have any questions or would like to know more about my symptoms and such just let me know.