Panic Attack Stories – I’ve Lived in Anxiety All My Life (and then found myself in the hospital twice)

It was my first time at the ER and I was petrified. They were monitoring my heartbeat and I knew my blood pressure was over the top – not just from the earlier panic attack, but also from the anxiety of being in this very room with the very people who were trying to help me. I was just a student who worked part-time at a large retail store. I was still young and I considered myself healthy. So what was I doing here?

I Never Got An Explanation

After one hour of so, the eczema that had swollen my entire body had started to disappear completely. I began to relax a bit more. The doctor told me I was all right and that I had probably suffered from a panic attack and eczema attack at the same time. I didn’t know what both of these things were and he had more serious cases to treat so I never got a full explanation as to what had happened that night.

So I Called in Sick …

I went home and called in sick the following morning. I needed some time to recover and to think about what had happened the night before. I had failed to manage a single client who had yelled at me and I was beginning to feel very anxious about going back to my workplace. I didn’t want this to happen ever again. So I made a big decision.

… And It Was a Mistake

I had enough money saved up to finish college. If I could find a paid internship within 3 months, I would do fine financially. So I gave my two weeks notice and left a job I liked because of my problems managing anxiety. Today, as I look back, I think it was the wrong move. I chose to run away from my anxiety problem instead of facing it and finding solutions. My anxiety issues followed me into internship.

I Hated It

I got into a great internship program that was very well paid. But the job was boring. I started to doubt my ability to do good work there because it was so uninteresting that I had to force myself to accomplish anything throughout the day. I didn’t feel very appreciated either. And I was driving 1h30 every morning through traffic to get there. Hello anxiety.

Struck Once More

Three weeks into my internship, I had my second panic attack. It was on a Friday night and I had just gotten home from work. I stopped at a pharmacy and decided to have my blood pressure taken just to see how I was doing. The numbers I saw left me panicked. I mean it literally. I had my second panic attack in my car in the parking lot of the pharmacy. My chest felt so tight I was sure I was dying. But of course I wasn’t. When I felt a bit better, I managed to drive to the ER. Again. Where they told me the same thing they had told me the first time. That I had a panic attack and there was nothing they could do.

It’s Time for Real Change

That’s when I decided to start working on my anxiety issues actively. I found a lot of great tips to help me relax and I haven’t experienced another panic attack in about 6 years. But as of today, I am still learning a lot about anxiety and how not to worry so much about everything.

The Reason Why You’re Here

I had a total of two eczema attacks and two panic attacks in my life. They forced me to take some decisions I wouldn’t have made otherwise. I created this website to tell you about the tips I’ve found that have helped me the most.

You Can Do It Too

Today, I’m a team manager in a large software company. I bought a house two years ago and I got myself a sportsbike last year. I want to start my own company in the near future. While I still experience anxiety occasionally, I feel that it doesn’t control my life anymore.

Don’t let anxiety take control of your life. Thank you for reading my panic attack stories.

Photo © Laura Mary

If you want to learn more about this, I heartily invite you to read my free guide, Leave Panic Behind. It will tell you everything you need to know to get rid of panic attacks.

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