Panic attack during sex?!

[lawkcrabb]

Not every time, but sometimes...especially when I am already anxious, I get that panic feeling during sex (heart racing, shortness of breath, light headed, fear...   Also find myself holding my breath and shallow breathing during.  Does this happen to anyone else...and does anyone have any coping techniques?  My poor husband...he has to deal with my anxiety from so many levels!

[marc]

Many years ago it was very hot and stuffy in the bedroom and I felt me heart racing and felt very flushed
during sex and I felt panicky. I walked around afterwards and it went away after a little while.

[savannahgirl]

Yep. usually after everything is over and I get up to go to the bathroom. Thats when the anxiety hits. Dizziness, fast heart rate, etc. I usually have to sit down and concentrate on breathing. Funny, I always thought that is just happened to me during that time.

[lawkcrabb]

Well, I am glad to know we aren't alone 
It is the same with me, it s usually afterward...especially if I am not worried about it the whole time!

[trainwreck]

Not every time, but sometimes...especially when I am already anxious, I get that panic feeling during sex (heart racing, shortness of breath, light headed, fear...   Also find myself holding my breath and shallow breathing during.  Does this happen to anyone else...and does anyone have any coping techniques?  My poor husband...he has to deal with my anxiety from so many levels!

I call that a good night!   
Actually it is not unusual when you consider that it is physical activity that impacts makes you breathe more rapidly.  If you are doing shallow breathing you will quickly feel a little panicy.

[ashcrash85]

Often, people with anxiety become highly sensitized to adrenaline. Sex releases a lot of adrenaline, several other hormones, and causes physical symptoms very similar to panic.

To the anxious mind, this can be recognized as danger or an onset of panic and throw you into a panic.

My best advice is to continue relations. If you begin to feel panicky, slow down (changing things up can't be bad right?), allow yourself to settle then start it again. Over time you'll be come able to realize you're in no danger and there is nothing out of the ordinary. Shortly your mind will no longer recognize the sensations in sex as something to set off an alarm and your relations will be freak out free.

 

[rr2005]

I do the exactly the same thing as Savannahgirl---it hits me afterwards sometimes. That's funny, I thought for sure I was the only person in the world that did that...lol!

[Hayley]

I get it afterwards too and occasionally during. Lol I thought it was just me. 

[lawkcrabb]

I started this post because I too thought I was the only one.  I am glad I am not alone. 
I try really had to concentrate on breathing but sometimes I feel it isn't fair to my husband because I am not giving him 100% of my attention.  I haven't even talked to him about it...he is so sweet that I am sure if I did he would understand and do whatever he could to help.

Thanks for all the input!  I love this forum!! 

[floridaguy65]

Often, people with anxiety become highly sensitized to adrenaline. Sex releases a lot of adrenaline, several other hormones, and causes physical symptoms very similar to panic.

This!:) Do not look for a sinister physical reason behind it:)

Sex is an absolutely wonderful way to get things pumping and flowing and moving and groovin'! It can really help our HA minds in showing us that we can tax out bods and nothing bad is going to happen (and with sex GOOD things happen:) It can be a pretty common occurence for anxiety peeps to avoid sex, at times, as we don't want to over do it as we can fear are bods are fragile, so to speak. This is especially true for Cardiophobes as we can fear getting our heart racing.

Any Cardiologist (or any Doc for that measure) will tell you that sex is wonderful for our bodies (and minds), if we are overall healthy. And, guess what? Almost all of us HA peeps tend to be pretty darn healthy overall, as has been, ultimately, shown time and time again here on The AZ......we just don't really believe it, though (currently, if struggling).

Our bods are meant to live...to be used and taxed and desired and honored and cared for, AND they are meant to be allowed to be left alone, at times. No poking and proding and checking and prying and pressing and pushing and self-testing and vitals checking. Tough, I know, for HA peeps when we are floundering some. We feel our bods are failing us...something is lurking. Be 'aggressive' with our bods...do not let anxiety make us feel we have to be careful about all we do physically. If we are told we are "OK" by our Docs and med testing (and we have to learn that, simply, "OK" is enough), then be bold and challenge how we treat our bods....it can take it - I promise:) Through being bold and challenging our bods, our minds have a wonderful footing in which they can begin to accept some positive affirmations. The main affirmation is, "MY BODY IS OK AND I AM OVERALL HEALTHY!":)

Peace and Feel Well:)

[lawkcrabb]

Well said as always Floridaguy!  You rock!!