I am in my late 40s.  I consider myself to be a very strong person emotionally and am very level headed.  I am always there for my friends who seem to turn to me in times of stress and need and I'm always happy to help anyone I can, I have always thought of myself as being strong for other people that I care about and I always want to be there for them.
Over the last few days I have felt great stress.  Feeling stressed for me is no different to many other times in my life where I have suffered stress, bereavement etc, and a range of other horrible things that can happen to all of us in life.  I've just carried on and dealt with what life throws at you.  Yet tonight I felt so frightenend I had to phone my friend to tell her I felt unwell, she came straight over.  She suggested I may be having a panic attack and to be quite honest after looking at symptoms I think she may be right.  I am totally shocked that this could happen to me, she said that I never show signs of stress where other people would in similar situations, she has known me for 25 years, she said that stress has to go somewhere.  I do tend to keep my own problems to myself, i have always felt that I can deal with my own problems and dont like to share them unless absolutely necessary.  I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I always thought people who had panic attacks were unable to cope with stress in their lives but I dont feel like that at all, I feel I can cope as I always do and cant understand why this has happened to me.  I am hoping this wont happen again, but if it does next time I will be prepared and not so alarmed, has this happened to anyone else that feels they've coped with all lifes thrown at them and then all of a sudden this happens?  The stress I have been going through at the moment is not in my control and unavoidable for the time being, I'm just stunned that this has happened to me.

has this happened to anyone else that feels they've coped with all lifes thrown at them and then all of a sudden this happens?  The stress I have been going through at the moment is not in my control and unavoidable for the time being, I'm just stunned that this has happened to me.

You will be suprised to know that it is often those who feel they are the strongest emotionally that seem to be hit with it the worst.   Being honest I think it is not likely to be a one off.   If it happens frequently you can take a variety of drugs TILL you have the ability to learn how to calm it when it starts with relaxation and breathing exercises. Best to see your doctor though as there is many good consultants in this area now.

Believe me I know how bad they are, almost indescibable and the panick you feel when they happen is freightening beyond belief. Since my dad was very very ill a few years ago I have had them on and off, of late, only very occasionally. I do fear them though.  When I have them they seem to start in the middle of the night. 

I have only ever had one panic attack, and I was under great stress at the time. TBH I thought I was having a heart attack The stress was caused by a neighbour, and once I moved the stress was gone and I haven't suffered another panic attck. Go and see your doctor. You will need help at this time to get through the stress. It's more common than people think.

I TOTALLY understand where you are coming from, Im a very similar person to you normally, and being a single parent I have to be a strong person and organised etc.  Im right in the middle of having treatment for panic attacks :(.  In the last 7 years Ive had a stroke, pulmonary embolism, blood clots in my legs, Ive left a violent relationship, been taken to court for residency (I spent three days in a high court and was granted permission to move and residency without question), Ive moved 200 miles from all my family and friends, and have started a brand new job as well.  I also have had to deal with the loss of my beloved Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Rosie in June - and I think thats just compounded everything as she was my rock. During all the time I dealt with absolutely everything in my stride - "I can cope, Im fine, just add another straw to the camels back etc" At easter I was driving down the motor way to take my children half way to see their dad and felt like I was going to pass out, I pulled over on to the hard shoulder and then managed to get to the next exit - it turned out I had a burst ovarian cyst that I didnt know I had and spent three days in hospital.  Now whenever I get in the car I feel like Im dying, cant breath and get all sweaty and shaky and start crying- totally unlike me.  It started as not being able to drive on motorways, now Im having the odd attack as Im going down the bypass, and Ive even had one in sainsburys.  What my GP has said is that Ive coped for so long that just something fairly minor such as feeling faint , was just the final straw and now my brain has somehow connected all my stress with driving - which seems really random. What really helped me was to know what was happening.  When you are under stress the bodies level of adrenaline is on permanent high alert, so your body is ready to fight or flight.  However your body has to do something to get rid of the excess adrenaline as it takes ages to go down naturally.  If you feel stressed while its going down it just goes back up again.  So you are on permanent high alert.  If you are stressed for a long period of time your body becomes used to the adrenaline level - "cope" mode. High adrenaline levels can make you breath faster, get palpitations, not be able to sleep and have anxiety.  I get flashbacks and worry lots about silly things as well.  and if you breath faster then the high levels of carbon dioxide stay in the body causing tingling and all the other horrible symptoms.  look up panic attacks on google as well.  So when Im driving Im worrying about if I have a panic attack, my breathing gets faster, I worry, I breath faster, etc and I bring one on.  I thought I was going completely nuts and that I was finally cracking up.  My GP referred me to a great counsellor and ive been put on VERY mild anti-depressants which have made me sleep better.  Ive also been told by my GP to work through this - www.livinglifetothefull.co.uk  the website name put me off to be honest but you work through it online (its free), its what the Gp's suggest as well so they must think its ok and it helps change your thinking.

If I can be of anyother help Im not sure if there is a PM option but if there is - pm me :D

I had the same sort of experience as you, about 10 years ago - I always thought I coped well with stress, then AFTER there had been a nasty situation which was resolved, albeit not as satisfactorily as I wished, I suddenly found myself becoming physically ill - violently sick, palpitations, a real feeling of fear which I had never ever experienced before.    Absolutely dreadful.

I had a very caring doctor and friends and gradually, very gradually, it went away - it took about six months - and if it weren't for one very good friend, who would come 3 miles out of her way, each day, and sit outside my house in her car, waiting to take me to the station to go to London - and then I HAD to go, otherwise she would be late - I think I would have just curled up inside and givenu up.

You aren't alone - and you can get through it.  Again - PM me if you want.

Margot x

My OH has suffered from panic attacks for almost 12 years, she's been very, very ill with them and takes beta blockers to try and help with them.  She says that they don't cure the panic disorder (nothing can) but they help to curb the production of adrenaline so that she doesn't get the sudden rush which triggers a panic attack.  Unfortunately she still lives in a constant level of panic but without the huge surge of adrenaline it's easier to cope with.

There are many breathing techniques that you can use to try and ward off a minor attack and I'm sure if you approach your GP he/she will be able to help you.

Good luck and well done for calling your friend, I know that my OH hates telling people she's struggling but to go through a panic attack by yourself is very frightening and not something you should have to go through by yourself.

blimey, it all sounds terrible. You wouldnt think so many folk would suffer would you. Good luck everyone.

It's a horrible sensation :( and very frightening but please, go and see your doctor, I had what I thought was panic attacks and my first doctor did too - gave me beta blockers which made me very ill :(   I changed doctors and after my consultation he did a battery of tests over a couple of months and found it was my thyroid going haywire, it stopped working and I've had to take thyroxine ever since, but no more panic attacks.

There can be more than one cause of those feelings, but only a doctor can rule out any physical cause.

Thanks so much everyone, it's reassuring to hear others experiences of this as I dont know anyone personally that's had them.  To be honest I doubt I will go to my GP as I feel it's something I can probably deal with myself as I now know what it is.  I'm going to go to the library tomorrow and see if I can find a book which will give me some self help exercises, I know I will not be as frightened if it should happen again because I know what it is.
If that fails then I will consider seeing GP, thanks so much for your replies and advice.

Good Luck! :)

I to suffered from panic attacks - the first occurred in a cinema and I then started having them fairly regularly. I don't know what triggered them exactly to this day but I was under immense stress at the time. After refusing medication (I don't even like taking headache tablets), I decided to "pull myself together" and can successfully fend off panic attacks ;) It's a case of finding your first symptom of an impending attack (for me it was my shoulders hunching) and learning relaxation techniques. Well, it worked for me but of course not everyone is the same and I'm not saying it was easy by any means!

I wish anyone on here having attacks the best of luck in coming through, it's a horrible thing to suffer!

It may be panic attack, but the only person who can rule out that there is no underlying physical problem is your GP. Why not go for a health check, just to make sure....:) x