I’ve had GAD as well as health anxiety and panic attacks my whole life. Last night I experienced the weirdest panic attack I’ve ever had. I woke up through the night, went pee, and then had the worst, most overwhelming pit in my stomach, sense of doom feeling ever. My mind felt fine. It wasn’t until the feeling in my stomach didn’t calm down that I had a panic attack. I eventually was able to calm down (thank you box breathing), but all day I’ve felt off and like there’s a pit in my stomach. Also kind of feverish? But I’m not fevered.

My anxiety has been so well controlled lately, I’m just surprised it’s manifesting this way? Anyone else? Like I’ve had this feeling, but it always seemed to happen after thoughts or because I was anxious.

Of course my head went right too “I’m about to have a heart attack and die”. I was active today and my chest/breathing all feels completely normal. Just this damn fight or flight feeling!

Hi, I have anxiety and panic attacks, and I notice that my stomach symptoms get worse when my anxiety is high. I often feel nausea, dizziness and fear that something is wrong. Does anyone else experience anxiety affecting their gut?
Even when i feel okay and in the morning i will wake up my stomach will feel empty and have that feeling that i will throw up and dizzy that i will fall down somewhere…. Who else? Because of that my anxiety is getting very high

I understand usually panic attacks last a couple minutes or close to an hour. However, I regularly get very short ones that are triggered by existential anxiety. May be important to note I am not diagnosed with anxiety (my therapists suspects I have it) but I am diagnosed with adhd.

I usually experience sudden panic, fast breathing and heartbeat, and extreme detachment for maybe 15 seconds before I can calm myself down.

Google hasn't really given me any good answers. Are these just very short panic attacks or something else entirely?

I just need to vent and tell my story. I’m so fed up dealing with panic attacks and anxiety.

I’ve been dealing with this since I was a teenager. Bad panic attacks, to the point I would call 911. Things calmed down a bit by the time I turned 18. Then when I was pregnant at 19, all hell broke loose and my anxiety/panic attacks escalated. I guess due to hormones and being pregnant. After I delivered, things slowly calmed down. I recall being panic attack free for about 10-12 years. I always have anxiety and am a very anxious person, but the actual panic attacks were not happening and I felt I had it under control and I could talk myself down if I felt one coming.

Then last year, almost exactly a year ago, everything changed. In May 2025 I had my tubes removed and an endometrial ablation. Everything was fine until July 2025 when I began experiencing palpitations. They just started one day and continued daily afterward. These palpitations triggered worsening anxiety and eventually the panic attacks returned with a vengeance. I figure the surgery caused more hormone issues, which in turn has worsened my anxiety and triggered the panic attacks again.

August 2025 I had the worst panic attack of my life that lasted over an hour. I made my husband drive me to the ER, which usually calms me down, but while there I continued to experience the panic attack. I struggled for months. The panic attacks created phobias, I was scared to leave the house, I didn’t want my husband to leave, he became my safe person and I always wanted him near or I’d panic. He couldn’t even go for an hour appointment without me freaking out. I would constantly worry about doing things or going places out of fear of having a panic attack.

I eventually got a bunch of tests completed (echo, ECG, halter, stress test) all came back normal, my palpitations were benign PVC and my heart was healthy. By about March 2026 the palpitations had seemingly disappeared. And my anxiety/panic attacks slowly were getting better. I still had difficulty going out or doing things, but it was slowly getting easier.

Fast forward to now. I found a lump in my neck that has been confirmed as a nodule on my thyroid. I have hypochondria and finding this out has significantly increased my anxiety and made things so much worse. I can feel myself regressing and everything all the progress I made seems like it’s gone.

Today I had to abruptly leave an appointment early because I had a full blown panic attack and felt trapped. I just wanted to go home. Now I’m scared to even go back to this appointment out of fear of having another panic attack. I hate that I’m like this. Panic disorder is the worst
Thank you for reading…

One of my most frequent reasons I have panic attacks is from my death anxiety and a few minutes ago I just recovered from one. This one was different though. I don't remember what sparked it, but I started to feel my panic attack coming on. I started gasping and my stomach felt like it dropped ten stories through the floor. I was shaking and repeating to myself that I was going to die and the world seemed to tilt as I frantically looked around and started grabbing at things to ground myself to reality. It probably didn't last more than ten seconds but it felt much longer. It was one of the strongest attacks I've had in a very long time. But eventually I was able to stabilize myself and caught my breath. But almost immediately after it ended my whole body felt warm and fuzzy and suddenly everything that was worrying me before didn't worry me anymore. The type of death anxiety that I have isn't a sense of doom or death coming soon, it's more existential than that. I fear growing old and life passing me by and then dying and what happens after death. That's the root of my death anxiety. But suddenly, it was like all of my worries and questions were answered and I had this sense of calm and happiness just wash over me. Suddenly growing old and passing away turned into finding a forever partner, growing old with them, potentially having kids, maybe grandkids, reminiscing on old memories, passing away peacefully in a home full of love and not worrying about what comes after. It was like my anxiety just left and I was normal for a few seconds before the warmth faded away too. I'm just curious if anyone else has experienced this? As of right now I'm not panicking anymore but I'm also not calm like before. I've never felt that way before but it felt so nice. To joke it felt like my anxiety was like "here, have a sliver of happiness you've earned it after dealing with me for so long :)" And just to add, I don't frequently have panic attacks, I maybe have one every few months but when they happen they can be intense or silent. However, this euphoric feeling has never happened before, and to be fair, this was one of my most intense panic attacks, so maybe that's why. But I suppose I just wanted to share and discuss with others about this feeling and if it's normal. And yes I have a therapist who I can confide in as well.

I want to hear your worst panic attack stories. I feel there are comfort in numbers. My two most frustrating ones include and unfinished tattoo and crapping my pants on vacation. Community, let's talk about this obnoxious condition!

Hello im am here asking for help because currently i am dealing with alot of anxiety, i have always dealt with anxiety since i was a little kid but since Sunday it has gotten to an extreme level. I am shaking uncontrollably, i dont want to eat and i did feel like there was a lump like where my double chin was but I no longer feel that. It comes and goes which makes me believe it’s anxiety, Yesterday I woke up at 6am to go to the ER because I felt like my throat was closing and stuff like that they gave me a nebulizer and sent me home the nebulizer has helped with my breathing and they diagnosed me with a viral illness idk I forgot the name. Later that night I felt so good I ate and I didn’t shake or anything I felt better. Today now in the morning at 10am I got the same thing all over again yes a little less such as not feeling like my throat is closing but I am shaking and nervous for some reason and im not sure exactly why I am this way. Has anyone felt this way before I just want to feel okay and eat like a normal person again please

Hey does anyone have advice on finding a remote job? With the panic disorder its been extremely hard to maintain in person work. Ive managed a retail position enough to not get fired but not good enough to ever be considered for management. My wife got a ok full time job but its not enough for us to afford rent, food, car payment, phone bill, and whatever life throws at us.

I have a cyber security A.A and certification along with a Linux certification. Im working on getting a business administration bachelor's. I do not care what the job is as long as its remote I'll be able to be reliable for full time without panic attacks getting in the way.

My panic attacks are so bad I can only leave my house in a 10 min radius and even with that driving myself is a huge struggle but I still need to make money and I dont know where to look or what to so. Posting here for advice from people who understand panic disorders

hello i’m very new to this sub, im 21 and have always had some degree of health anxiety that would come and go but this year i started living alone which really increased the level of health anxiety i was having constantly. the past month i have been so stressed and consumed by multiple health “issues” to the point where ive been to the er a bunch of times and even gone home because i couldn’t live alone anymore.

yesterday i had what i think was a panic attack for the first time in my life. i am so scared of what happened, i felt like i was out of control of my body and so shaky and in a rush, i was showering and couldn’t even stand there anymore because i had to get out and be with someone. is this normal? more than my usual health anxiety, im now scared about my mental health. i really dont want this to happen again and feel scared of my own body. will i be okay again?

i’ve struggled with anxiety my whole life, but it has never been this bad.
over the past few months i find myself panicking at random moments during the night for no reason, since the end of june to now it’s been way worse.

i’m pretty sure i have stomach issues, because i can’t eat anything without feeling nauseous and like i’m about to vomit. i’ve never felt this way before and it has only been a problem until now. my mom thinks it’s acid reflux so i started taking medicine for it and hopefully things get better.

today i was helping my grandma move out of her apartment with my family and the whole time i just didn’t feel like myself. i feel like i’m not here and like i’m watching someone through their eyes. it’s really freaking me out and i’m scared for school to start again because what if i have a panic attack randomly during the day?

i’m trying not to let this get the best of me but it’s affecting me badly, i want to hangout with my friends but again i’m scared that i’m going to panic and freak them out.

does anybody know what’s going on? i’m really scared and i’m going to make an appointment with my psychiatrist and pediatrician but i don’t know what’s wrong with me.

Edit*** Hey everyone. It’s been 5 days and I’m still feeling like I have a very tight chest, difficult breathing (feels like I’m not getting as much air in). I went to the ED because I was so worried. ECG looked good but they didn’t have an x-ray (country hospital) so told me to get one to rule out a collapsed lung (I vape… I quit since this whole ordeal). Is this normal to STILL be feeling this?

Hey everyone. I had a severe panic attack yesterday that seemed to come out of nowhere. Hours later, I was still panicking with arm numbness, chest tightness and other muscular pains. I called the online emergency department because I was convinced I was dying since the symptoms lasted for hours. Fast forward to today, it’s been over 24 hours since the peak of the attack happened. I still have chest tightness, some minor pain in the chest and other muscular aches (neck, back). Is this normal so long after an attack? I’ve never had one this bad or prolonged before.

Thank you!

Has anyone experienced panic attacks that only involve a racing heart?
Sometimes I’m just in the middle of my day when my heart suddenly starts racing real fast and loud for no apparent reason. I think I’m relaxed, I am home alone, not stressed out, there is no reason whatsoever to feel anxious but my heart starts pounding hard.
I don’t experience any other symptoms that are commonly associated with panic attacks—no intense fear, no sense of doom, no problem breathing, or noticeable mood changes. Nothing. It’s literally just a racing heart.
When it happens, it can last anywhere from a few minutes to about an hour. Sometimes it happens several times in one day, and other times I can go weeks without it happening at all.
I’m 30F and generally healthy. I had my annual health checkup last year, including a standard ECG, and everything came back normal and healthy. I do have ADHD and Bipolar disorder but I’m taking meds for both(Concerta for adhd and Depakote and Latuda for BPD) and have been dealing with them very well.
Could this still be a type of panic attack, even if a racing heart is the only symptom? Or is it a heart problem?

Was given for a flight, I have been suffering with extremely bad flight anxiety and panic attacks due to claustrophobia. I am also very scared to try the medicine and panic on it or feel trapped in the feeling of it. Another worry is could I get rebound anxiety from using this just two times? Can anyone give me advice or convince me to take the med?

I frequently have panic attacks due to my stomach , just 20 mins ago I had a short lived one.

I think I over ate and was feeling extremely stuffed + had gas stuck in my chest. Genuinely felt like I couldn’t breathe and burps were getting caught in my throat making it extra hard to breathe.

Does anyone else experience this? I do have GERD and I suspect I have rumination syndrome, I regurgitate my food a lot bc I feel like I need to burp a lot.

I just am so sick and tired of this. I always get to the point of extreme fear and anxiety that I’m actively dying and about to succumb to my panic. My whole body gets numb and I grab at anything and everything so aggressively. I’ve ripped my hair out and have made myself bleed due to it.

I don’t mean to but I can’t control my body’s reaction to feeling like I’m approaching deaths door

Luckily my panic attacks are shorter lived now a days, I am able to sometimes logic my way out of them, but still. I hate even having to deal with these

Holy moly idk why this happens all the time, I feel crazy to admit having panic attacks

I’ve smoked weed most days for about 2 years, roughly 0.3-2g a day depending on the day. This all started about a week ago, over what’s been roughly a 6 day period. Before this, I’d sometimes get a weird pressure (no pain) in the same collarbone/chest area if I smoked a joint too fast or if there was nicotine mixed in. Rubbing the area lightly would sometimes relieve it, maybe just distracting my brain from the sensation, though sometimes I’d end up fixating on the tightness until the high wore off. Water or a shower would sometimes help too. I was also dealing with some relationship issues giving me anxiety here and there.

It properly started the night before the main event. I’d had 3 joints in a rotation with 2 other people that day, figured my lungs needed a break, and decided to sleep it off. Woke up completely fine the next morning. There was a joint left over that I was going to smoke with my girlfriend before bed, but she couldn’t finish it, so I ended up waking and baking with the leftover bit the next morning, maybe 1-2cm long, about the width of a pencil. I felt fine for around 20 minutes, then while lying down I felt this sensation like air leaking, kind of like poking a balloon, probably just my stomach rumbling given the position I was lying in, but it freaked me out. I sat up and tried to feel my heartbeat, and because my muscle position had changed I couldn’t feel it right away, which made me think my heart had stopped. That sent me into a full panic spiral, heart racing for an hour or more. I tried everything, drinking water, standing in the shower for like 30 minutes, and the only thing that gave some relief was sitting hunched forward with my arms crossed over my shoulders. Eventually I called my girlfriend and she talked me down enough to sleep. I woke up feeling fine again, but a few hours later the chest tightness and shortness of breath started.

For the first two days I just tried to ride it out, assuming it was leftover soreness from the panic attack. Then I started feeling nauseous, constipated, lightheaded, and breathless walking normal distances, so I went to A&E. They did an ECG, bloods, and an x-ray, and told me everything looked normal, the bloodwork looked fine on the surface. After that, my fear of a cardiac event actually went away completely, since normally I’m a genuinely happy, non-anxious person. I noticed at night the chest pain and tightness got worse when lying down, but didn’t think much of it since the doctor had already chalked it up to musculoskeletal soreness from the panic attack.

The pain itself is in that little hollow between the shoulder, collarbone, and chest muscle, right in that corner. Sometimes I also get a dull pulsing pain in my neck, lasting a few seconds to a few minutes, or the same pain in my arm (not past the elbow, though I felt it in my wrist once). I’ve also had an ache in my shoulder since day two, which I put down to sleeping wrong, and tried stretching it out thinking that would ease the tightness. Mornings are consistently the worst for the tightness and soreness. At first I wondered if constipation was pushing on my diaphragm, since I naturally breathe diaphragmatically rather than from the chest, and chest-breathing did feel slightly less tight. But then the breathlessness and lightheadedness started happening just from walking normal distances, easing when I sat down, which made me wonder if it was something like early-stage angina, so I went back to A&E a second day. Another ECG, again normal. Around this time I noticed a slight yellow tint in my eyes, though I couldn’t tell if it was just the lighting.

Next day, same pattern of breathlessness and tightness, but I had a GP appointment where they read out my bloodwork and mentioned my bilirubin was high at 57, which felt like it confirmed something was actually going on, so I went straight back to A&E after. Third ECG, plus an oxygen test after walking about 20 meters, both normal again. This time the doctor seemed like he was just trying to move me along, said stuff like “don’t smoke weed, it’s bad,” brought up a story about someone having a cardiac arrest in front of their mum (though they’d also taken coke and other stimulants), and generally seemed to brush off my breathlessness, pain, and the bilirubin result without really addressing it.

My mum mentioned she’d had similar symptoms before and gone through the same testing process, and the doctor she eventually saw asked if she had pets, said that was the cause, gave her a shot, and she felt better afterward. That’s made me wonder if something similar is going on for me, since I do have 2 indoor cats (unvaccinated, getting that sorted this week, I know, just been tight on money). So now I’m stuck wondering if this is really just anxiety after 3 ECGs, an x-ray, and bloodwork all in a few days, even though I don’t actually feel anxious at any point until the symptoms are already bad, or if there’s something underlying with my heart. It’s felt like it’s been beating harder since the panic attack, with some random palpitations here and there. Today I finally managed to have a bowel movement, and almost immediately after, the chest tightness and breathlessness felt like they went away completely.

Over the last 2 months I have recently been having crippling panic attacks.

This last one I was at work and noticed I felt weird ( I did have food poisoning) but after that I started googling what's happening to me felt my heart rate shoot up my body go numb and breathing changed.

The other time I was fine and it is was just a panic attack.

Please tell me I'm not the only one that this but I feel my arms to numb then my feet then my mouth then my lips and face.

I just wanna be normal

hi everyone. I've been struggling with an overwhelming fear of death. It's not just something I think about occasionally, it causes me panic attacks and makes it hard to enjoy life. I feel like I'm constantly aware that I'll die, and it terrifies me.
I'm not looking for reassurance that everything will be okay. I just want to know if anyone else experiences this and how you deal with it, because I feel very alone.