when i have a panic attack this is what happens, always in this specific order:
well first, it always seems to happen when i am driving, i guess i feel like i have the least amount of control due to the people around me, especially when there is a lot of traffic i guess…
1. i get this throbbing, tight feeling above my knees
2. my legs will get a pins and needles sensation, plus foot cramps
3. after that, my hands tingle, then kind of go numb and lock into a fist, and this is all very difficult to deal with be cause i have a stick-shift car and it’s a scary sensation
4. the derealization sets in. (basically when you are detached from your own mind and it feels like you are watching a movie of what is going on around you). it is a very odd feeling, hard to explain… kind of feels like you are going nuts
5. i will feel like i am not getting enough air. i can breathe but i need to keep taking deep full inhales and exhales
6. i can’t tell if my heart is beating fast but it feels like someone is pressing on my chest and throat
7. my facial muscles seem to quiver or twich slightly, which is really freaky
8. the worst part is the slurred speech, the first time i ever experienced this i thought i was having a stroke
the best thing i can do is pull over and chug water until i calm down, which sometimes takes a while
note: i am only 22 years old, i take 10mgs of adderall twice a day for my adhd, this panic attack all seems to happen after a night of hardly any sleep, it’s really only when i’m alone, and it always is when i’m driving my car. i think it is brought about by feeling like i am losing control of the situation and feeling uncomfortable with my surroundings, but i couldn’t pin-point it exactly
does anyone ever have things like this happen? what should i do?? it’s been so intense a few times i almost drove to the ER

Tags: 22 years, adderall, adhd, derealization, facial muscles, fist, foot cramps, having a stroke, knees, legs, losing control, nuts, panic attack, pin point, pins and needles, pins and needles sensation, sleep, slurred speech, stick shift, surroundings