r/Anxiety • u/TheWonderingRaccoon • 2d ago
The 5 minutes that caused me years of suffering Venting
Disclaimer: I (30 M) have not been clinically/professionally diagnosed.
It all started around 5-6 years ago, everything was normal I was hanging out with friends, having coffee (I had a lot of it that day), smoking cigarettes and having fun. Everyone left except me and a friend of mine, we decided to stay up a little longer. We were standing and chatting with each other outside the car, suddenly, I felt a little dizzy, so I told my friend how I felt and suggested sitting in the car and continue the conversation. While walking to the car the dizziness got worse, I sit in the car and my heart was beating so fast and I was sweating a lot, sounds around felt so far like I was inside a cave, my vision was turning black and after few seconds I was seeing nothing, I honestly was sure that I am dying. My friend gave me some water to drink then he drove me to the ER. ER checked my vitals and everything seemed normal, the doctor didn't care much which was really upsetting. Eventually he asked for a head scan, I did it and everything was normal. I went from the ER undiagnosed, although I collapsed out of the blue. Since that day my life changed a lot, I still have the fear of this happening again, I started to fear standing for a long time, waiting in queues, and what I fear the most and cause me to really freak out is when I feel the slightest dizziness, even sometimes I think I am dizzy where in reality the floor is just not totally straight. I feel like I don't trust myself (my body?) anymore, I feel like it can fail me like before and cause me embarrassment or injuries. I am still struggling since that day, I started to avoid SO many things because of this. I am not sure if that event triggered anxiety or something else, not sure what I should do and how I can be normal again.
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u/Smykster 2d ago
This is pretty much exactly how it happened to me. Just talking with some people, then tinnitus followed by dizziness and the feeling that something was wrong. This was almost 8years ago.
Hospital… nothing wrong, scans… nothing. Cardiologist… nothing.
8 years of my life have been altered immeasurably by that one instance. It set a fire that I cannot put out.
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u/TheWonderingRaccoon 2d ago
Sorry that happened to you too. I know how it feels. I hope things get better for us. If you don't mind me asking, did you try CBT or meds? Did you figure out things that make you feel better and less anxious? Any tips that might help?
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u/Atoadaso69 2d ago
Panic attack, plain and simple
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u/TheWonderingRaccoon 1d ago
I never heard about panic attacks before that day, and it seems I got introduced to it in a very bad way lol
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u/AgilePlayer 2d ago
Vasovagal syncope. Happened to me before and also left me with lingering anxiety.
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u/TheWonderingRaccoon 1d ago
Sad to hear that, did you find out about this yourself or were you diagnosed?
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u/AgilePlayer 1d ago
Nah, just happened. My doctor diagnosed general anxiety, which I guess is true. But he underlying cause was the syncope which gave me health anxiety. When I fainted it didn't feel like falling asleep, it felt like dying/having a heart attack or something so it scared the shit out of me. I was convinced I was gonna die soon but the EKG said my heart was normal. It took me like 2 weeks to get my head straight. To be fair, when it happened we were drinking, smoking weed and chilling. I don't really have to worry about it as long as I don't live like that.
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u/Secure-Bag4625 1d ago
Same thing happened to me 18 months ago while getting a haircut about 2 months after my son was born. I was blacking out in the chair and once I could communicate I got them to ring an ambulance. Over the next two weeks the attacks got worse and worse. Sleepless nights and hospital visits and impending doom where I thought suicide was the only option. Every day is different now and my nervous system feels like it has permanently changed. Have tried about 10 different medications (only one SNRI). Currently on Effexor , Drexidine as needed , Benzo’s as needed , Quitipiene for sleep. This all felt like it came from nothing but was probably years of untreated stress and becoming a father.
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u/TheWonderingRaccoon 1d ago
That sucks dude, it really be happening at random times without any warning, which makes things worse. I hope things get better for you.
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u/Wax_Wings 2d ago
I’m sorry you went through this, and sorry that the Dr wasn’t that concerned/compassionate.
From what you said, you had smoked a lot and had a lot of coffee that day/night. Depending what that period of your life was like, at a bare minimum that kind of caffeine + nicotine combo can wreak havoc on your nervous system. Add being dehydrated, overtired, if you had been over-extending yourself or working a lot leading up to that, it really sounds like a physiological response to exhaustion and overstimulation (as in the stimulant properties of caffeine and nicotine, almost like an overdose of it).
If you consider it like that as a possible explanation, you can take it as a lesson learned (much like we learn “the hard way” what happens after a night of too much tequila!). Take care of yourself, prioritize staying hydrated and be conscious of how much caffeine and nicotine you are consuming, and that might help you feel some more control of your body and increase your confidence/lessen your anxiety. The fact that even a brain scan showed nothing is a very a reassuring fact, indicating a physiological response to that day’s coffee & cigarettes.
I really hope that helps you, and again so sorry for the very terrifying experience you had that has so affected you. Best!