Did I just have a panic attack?

[SoreWristed]

To make this clear, I am not seeking medical advice, i just want to know if what just happened to me was serious and if I need to seek help.

I just came from the local hospital for a consultation for an unrelated issue. The waiting room was so crowded that I was only allowed a seat after half an hour. So I spent half an hour standing with too many people nearby. This gave me a headache and made me irritable. My mom, who was with me, kept leaning in very close to talk to me and spoke in a very low voice, which aggravated me to no end. When I was finally allowed in, the doctor's assistant spent ten minutes touching me to examine me and I had no choice but to undergo this. The doctor came in after that and did the same examinations his assistent just did. I was already at the verge of screaming, but now I must have been visibly shaken. Afterwards I spent upwards of ten minutes standing in line at the reception desk trying to make clear I had already seen the doctor and just needed a next appointment for a treatment. On the car ride home, my mother asked if I wanted to stop somewhere for a drink. I told her I was extremely tired, despite it being 9 in the morning. When we came home I ran for the door and started crying when I used the wrong key at first. I was having trouble breathing and it was very hard to focus on pressing the right elevator button. I was only able to relax a bit after I locked the door behind me. The headache and iritableness is slowly going away now.

I believe I just had a panic attack, but I am not sure. It's never happened to me before. I used to have a job where I would meet new people everyday and often had to work in crowds. I've been at home for medical reasons since august.

Can you just get these kinds of things despite not having had them before?
Do I need professional help?

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Sometimes things in life get overwhelming and it happens. It's happened to me a few times in very stressful situations (work related in my case). Considering you just came from the hospital and seem like you have a lot on your plate, I would say that's normal. If it keeps happening, or starts happening often for apparently no reason, or happens so badly that it keeps you from carrying on with your day, then seek therapy. If you have somebody to vent to, try to do that as well rather than internalizing (you can PM me if you feel more comfortable talking to a stranger, rather than somebody you know personally).

Try some abdominal breathing, that's taking a deep breath through your nose, puff out your gut when you inhale and exhale slowly through your mouth.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

That has happened many times to me, probably mostly because of caffeine abuse

 

[Batou667]

Doesn't sound like a true panic attack, or at least not a full-blown one, to me. Could be you were just stressed, tired, and developed a headache?

 

[Terminal Blue]

The shortness of breath as you tried to get into the house could indicate a panic attack, yes, although if that's the only physical symptom you experienced it doesn't sound too severe. It's important to remembe that there's a difference between having a panic attack and having a panic disorder. Overthinking of over-analysing the experience of panicking could lead to you becoming anxious about panicking next time you're in a similar situation, which actually increases the chance that you will. For now, I would put it down to stress and tiredness and just try to get on with things. If it happens again, it may be worth seeing a doctor but ultimately panic attacks aren't dangerous at all.

Another possibility to consider is epilepsy. People tend to assume that epilepsy simply means having fully unconscious convulsing fits, but actually it can cause a huge range of symptoms including those which are very similar to a panic attack. Again, just keep an eye out for any unusual symptoms or the same thing happening again, and if it does then consider seeing a doctor. Diagnosing epilepsy can be very difficult and usually takes a while, so it's not something to worry about until you get to that point.

 

[Wasted]

As a therapist, unless you already know that you are prone to panic/anxiety attacks, I would recommend that you get a check up to rule out any biological issue. Panic/anxiety attacks are terrible and can be debilitating if not treated.

 

[Beautiful End]

It sounds like anxiety, if you ask me in my non-expert opinion. Panic attacks are a bit more severe and in your case, it sounds like you were just overwhelmed and needed some time to gather yourself. I fee overwhelmed too sometimes when I'm surrounded by people and being forced to do things that I don't want to do and make me uncomfortable. I'm an introvert and I need a lot of time by myself to recharge my batteries, so to speak. I can handle myself in a crow but I would muuuuuuuch rather be by myself at home. Being around people for too long makes me tired, annoyed and irritable. In your case, it sounds like you were dealing with a lot at the same time and it all bottled up until it exploded while you were in your house. In a way, I'm glad it happened there because of it would have happened in public, that would have attracted more attention and would have made things worse.

At the same time, if this ever happens again in public, don't expect people to understand what's going on. Someone's first reaction would be to try and conform someone who is crying. Just try and keep calm and if it's too much, just excuse yourself as politely as possible and leave. If you feel like you're reaching that point, remind yourself that everything will be ok and it will be over soon, whatever it is that is stressing you out. Take deep breaths and look forward to that time you'll be alone relaxed and safe (sounds like you got better after you were by yourself away from all that exposure to people (nothing wrong with that).

If it happens more than often or if it gets too bad to the point where you can't control it, I'd look for help. It could even be talking to your mom about how you feel. Right now, it sounds like she's not aware how that affected you but if she knows, she won't force you to go through that again and will be more supportive of it happens again in a public space (assuming she's a cool mom; no offense, I just don't know you personally). Best of wishes.

 

[Wasted]

It sounds like anxiety, if you ask me in my non-expert opinion. Panic attacks are a bit more severe and in your case

To clarify:

Anxiety Attack: Comes from a specific stressor, usually a phobia. For example, you are terrified of speaking to large groups. You have an assignment that requires you to speak to a large group. As you prepare and think about the situation you experience anxiety attacks.

Panic Attack: Are more serious only because they happen randomly. There is no obvious stressor that causes the attack. This means they can happen any time of the day regardless of your mood beforehand.