Panick attack is not a mental illness

My recent panick attacks have become often. I usually get these attacks suddenly when I wasnt even thinking about anything worrying or stressing. These "attacks" just come suddenly. It happens more often when I take trains, buses or sometimes at work, or in the lifts with strangers. There were occassions when the symptoms come when I am in a crowded train, I suddenly felt that the ppl ard me are all standing too close to me and there will be a sudden desperate need to jump out from the train.



There were a few times when I did that, to alight from the train before continuing my journey after I manage to calm my nerves. Sometimes when the "attack" comes, my head swirls and suddenly my surroundings became blurry, my palms sweat badly, my face turn hot with gushes of blood racing beneath, my body shivers lightly and I just want to get to another place as soon as possible. Sometime my watch felt so heavy on my wrist I need to take it off, sometimes even my necklace on my neck felt like it is strangling me.



I even have these attacks suddenly when I am "relaxing" at home doing nothing. The heart suddenly beat very very fast I could hear the sound thumping hard. I have always try to find ways to manage it by going for a quick shower and inhaling deeply.



Relaxant does not help but probably will have to see a psychologist for them to better advise me how to manage these attacks when they comes. Sometimes when the attack comes, I feel discomfort in a crowd, sometimes when the attack is not presence, I am able to mingle in a crowd happily.





Below is a write up I extracted from the Wikipedia:



Sufferers of panic attacks often report a fear or sense of dying, "going crazy", or experiencing a heart attack or "flashing vision", feeling faint or nauseated, heavy breathing, or losing control of themselves. These feelings may provoke a strong urge to escape or flee the place where the attack began (a consequence of the sympathetic "fight or flight" response).


A panic attack is a response of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The most common symptoms may include trembling, dyspnea (shortness of breath), heart palpitations, chest pain (or chest tightness), hot flashes, cold flashes, burning sensations (particularly in the facial or neck area), sweating, nausea, dizziness (or slight vertigo), light-headedness, hyperventilation, paresthesias (tingling sensations), sensations of choking or smothering, and derealization. These physical symptoms are interpreted with alarm in people prone to panic attacks. This results in increased anxiety, and forms a positive feedback loop.


Often the onset of shortness of breath and chest pain are the predominant symptoms, the sufferer incorrectly appraises this as a sign or symptom of a heart attack. This can result in the person experiencing a panic attack seeking treatment in an emergency room.


Panic attacks are distinguished from other forms of anxiety by their intensity and their sudden, episodic nature.They are often experienced in conjunction with anxiety disorders and other psychological conditions, although panic attacks are not always indicative of a mental disorder.