Does anyone else feel this way... - Anxiety Message Board

JamieJo18 · 08-07-2006, 01:28 PM

I've been diagnosed with anxiety for about 4 months now it's really weird because it's like it hit me all of a sudden for no reason... one day I was driving home and I all of a sudden felt like I couldn't breathe and thought I was going to pass out I mean it was an awful feeling, I was sooo scared! But I wasn't stressed about anything and I didn't feel antsy. But after I had this spell it was hard for me to smoke like I couldn't take 2 drags off a cigarette...? Now somedays I can smoke a whole cigarette and somedays I can't smoke at all. It's weird..

I also never feel anxious, I just can never breathe, dizzy, etc. I wonder if when I had that spell driving home it scared me so bad that I just can't get it out of my mind and think/worry about it all the time...?

(s)aint · 08-07-2006, 02:31 PM

Haha, well maybe thye cigarette thing is a blessing in disguise! *cue anti-smoking commercial here*

. Its very common for anxiety to just hit out of the blue like that and for the person to become fixated on the symptoms they felt at the time. For you, you think about your breathing etc because that is what stands out most for you. My sudden on-set of bad anxiety happened while I had the stomach flu, so I tend to focus on my stomach and nausea etc.
To help you out, you might want to try some relaxtion techniques, especially some that focus on breathing. Maybe try some yoga or meditation to try and shift your mind away from the worry.

xxzoexx · 08-07-2006, 02:40 PM

you should quit smoking, it will heighten stress. take care.

eelsgirl · 08-07-2006, 09:47 PM

I had my first attack about three months ago. It happened out of the blue.
I was sitting in the car, waiting for the kids to finish school and i had a sudden hot flush, my heart was pounding and i was shaking. I too didn't think i was under any great stress at the time. I have had symptoms and attacks on and off ever since then.

lifesnotchess · 08-08-2006, 07:57 AM

I am actually a nonsmoker and if I feel like I am going to have an anxiety attack I will smoke and it will make it go away. When I used to get them they would usually be set off but something but now I sometimes get them randomly, at random times for no reason at all. Weird.