I had anxiety attacks since I was 14. When it started, I didn't know what was going on with me and I was really scared. I was young and I thought that something was wrong with me. I've seen many doctors with my mom to be diagnosed but none of them helped me figure out that it was anxiety attacks. Because of my blurred vision, I thought I was going blind and I've seen an eyes specialist. I soon became hypochondriac. I have symptoms like shaking, dizziness, pressure in my chest, heart pounding, sensation of unreal, crying, huge fear of dying or passing out. I thought that each of my symptoms were because of a health problem and that no doctors could diagnose it because it was a rare illness. I realized all by myself what my problem when I knew that those symptoms wouldn't make me die. I'm now 19 and it started again lately because of stress. I feel like my physical symptoms of my anxiety are always growing and that I have new ones every time a I do an attack. My fear those days is having a stroke. I always check if my face is alright and if I'm not paralyzed. It annoys me so much but the idea of having a health problem just won't go out of my head. I know it's irrational, but I'm too scared to let it go. I know that I'm not the only one, and I have to get myself together.

I am 43 and have had panic attacks since I was 18. I have the stomach ache attacks, feelings of weakness, heart palpitations, and twinges of pain in my chest, feelings of a load of bricks on my chest, the feelings of not being able to swallow and fear of dying. Sometimes I even fear living like this the rest of my life. This all leads to depression.

Starting at age 15, my panic attacks would include nausea, severe shivering, an intense unexplained need to "escape" and a feeling that my throat was closing shut. I have had to leave restaurants, church services, movie theaters, and theme parks. I am now age 45 and have not had a really bad p.a. in 13 years. My dr. put me on the lowest dose of clonazapem available and I can sense an attack building. I find if I fight it or try to suppress panic, the attack only builds and lasts longer. I do not mind taking medication. It took a couple tries to find one that worked well and didn't leave me groggy. A person would certainly treat diabetes by taking a daily med. I have a panic disorder but I no longer feel debilitated by it.

I just turned 39 years old, and I had never had any health scares until last year. I woke up one night with my heart racing and called 911. The doctor hooked me up to a heart monitor and said everything looked fine. Turns out it was an episode of heart palpitations. So I cut out all of the caffeine I was drinking and now I try to eat better. The thing is, now I'm getting panic attacks because I'm afraid of dying!! My heart starts to race, I feel lightheaded and like I'm going to pass out. I'm not on meds - the attacks last a few minutes - I have to open my front door to get some fresh air and walk around in my apartment taking deep breaths to calm myself down. At night, when I'm home alone, I'm constantly afraid of having a heart attack or just suffocating, without anyone knowing. And I know I'm supposed to be trying to de-stress, but it's a vicious cycle - I get the attacks because I'm stressed/afraid of what's going to happen, and the attacks then stress me out all over again!

With panic attacks. I experience head tensions, my whole body starts to shake like I'm having the chills, it gets tense to where it gets harder for me to breathe, like a feeling of being squeezed. I get teary, and my hands start to form a fist like it's locked up. I get a bit dizzy but am aware of what's happening to me. That's why I always store some meds in my car and at home. Because I experienced it while I was driving and I didn't have my pills on me which was scary.

I'm 36 and just started to have anxiety attacks. I've learned to control the really bad symptoms like racing heart and hyperventilating but I can't stop the fear that I'm going to die. I'm always checking my pulse to see if it's racing or checking the arteries in my neck to see if they are bulging. I've stopped watching any medical shows on t.v. I always give myself whatever disease they talk about. I tell myself it's in my head but I can't stop the fear of dyeing. My sister died of a sudden heart attack last year and that set the attacks into overdrive. I'm now taking zyprexa after trying all the usual meds and it seems to help. One of my major fears is taking a med that will kill me so it was very hard to get help. I hope someone can get relief where I couldn't.