Is this panic/anxiety?

[2anxious]

Ok, I have had many full blown panic attacks in my day.  But I was wondering if anyone has ever experienced anything like this.....  I woke up this morning and I just felt foggy.  I felt like I was shaking even though I wasn't and it was hard to breathe.  I just feel weird.  I also have a dull headache.  I feel kind of weak and off balance.  Emotionally I feel kind of upset, and I can feel that fear creeping in that something is wrong with me.  Usually with a full blown attack I get rapid heart rate/palps and more pronounced symptoms.  Is this like a mini anxiety attack or should I be concerned?  Any advice would be appreciated!  Thanks!

[ocdengineer]

The less concerned you are the better.  You are just experiencing anxiety symptoms that haven't reached panic.  The more you worry about them the worse they will become and could lead to panic.  I deal with anxiety all the time, however, it is usually very mild and can be managed relatively easy with practice.  I haven't had a real panic attack in nearly 9 months.  There is a gray line between anxiety and panic.  I usually assume that if you end up really flipping out and find yourself in the ER then it was panic, otherwise it is anxiety.

Hope you feel better,
OE

[2anxious]

Thanks A lot, OE!  That made sense and really helped.  I think I am having a tougher time right now because I am not taking any meds.  I have been off of them for about 5 weeks because my husband and I are trying to get pregnant again.  I went off of them in November and had an awful time.  I did get pregnant, but had an early miscarriage.  Then my anxiety went nuts again and I went back on the meds.  It took me a couple of months to get the courage up to try coming off again.  I have been trying to manage my anxiety other ways, relaxation, no more caffeine etc.  It does help a lot.  I finally realized that I was going to have to give up my precious regular coffee, but it has been worth it.  Anyway, thanks again for your words of support.  I feel so overwhelmed right now, especially waiting to see if I am in fact pregnant.  It helps so much to have people to talk to who have gone through the whole anxiety thing.  Thanks Again!
Stacy

[ocdengineer]

No problem.  I am glad you got off the meds succesfully!     Good luck with you future pregnancy.  I am sorry to hear about your miscarriage.  Understand that this is a relatively common occurance.  My wife and I have had two, both early on in the pregnancy, but we now have two beautiful little girls, so keep your chin up and everything will be fine!

Take care,
OE

[2anxious]

Thanks Again!  I know that if it is the right thing for us we will be blessed with another baby.  I have a beautiful 2 and a half year old son, so I already feel so incredibly lucky!  Thanks again for all your support!

[mprinceton]

yeah thats totally just classic "anxiety". I noticed a lot of people just call that generalized anxiety. You're not lossing your mind you're prolly just under a lot of stress. You're also absolutely right that is NOT a panic attack.. Not a full blown one. With panic anxiety disorder you always have pre-panic, anticipiatory anxiety, and a lot of generalized anxiety your entire day really. This atleast has been my experience. You're gonna be just fine.

[itsmeesindee]

You could try some relaxation cds, they have helped me a great deal.  You just need to do them everyday to retrain you body to relax. 

Best of luck,

Cin