I started to have a panic attack

[INTJMom]

I started to have a panic attack while I was doing the dishes. Thankfully, I was able to interrupt my thoughts before they started to overwhelm me. The drudgery of my life started to close in on me. It feels like it's never going to stop, just one perpetual drudge. If my thoughts take hold and I let them run rampant, before too long I feel hopeless and helpless.

Enough of that for now, or they might start back up again.

We had good success playing my song at church today. The drummer and I finally came to a compromise on the tempo. We tried a different intro and I thought it went well. We'll probably do it that way all the time. I looked out into the congregation while we were singing and it seemed like everyone was singing along, so that was cool.

 

[Falcarius]

about the panic attack. Somewhat surprisingly I have never had one.

I am glad the song is going well.

 

[Xander]

You are starting to worry me m'ducks. Are you sure you can't sneak out and learn salsa or something whilst everyone is distracted?

Either that or drop the needlepoint and take up clay pidgeon shooting or something. You need to exercise that adrenalin or it will sneak up and whack you good.

 

[INTJMom]

I have adrenaline?!

 

[heart]

Sorry to hear you get panic attacks, but glad to hear you can stop them.

I get panic attacks if I get sudden vertigo, neurologist says it is autonomic nervous system responding to vertigo. I can never stop the panic attack if it comes on, I can only modulate my own emotional response to it. I still will shake all over, feel faint, etc.

 

[timo]

INTJs can have panic attacks?

 

[heart]

^ Yes, my INTJ Dad had to be sedated to get an MRI.

 

[INTJMom]

I hear that, Heart.

Well, it started this time with a familiar thought, and I've already been down that road a couple of times, so I know where it goes, and it ain't pretty. I could feel my chest start to get into it, so I just refused to entertain those those anymore. (Though I really wanted to!) I think it's the first time I have successfully staved one off, actually. The only thing that has helped me before is getting on the phone with another Christian and asking them to pray with me.

I'm not sure but I think as an INTJ I am always thinking and worrying about things without even realizing it, and before I know it all my worries start to close in on me and I feel like I'm going to be suffocated by them. Or they start racing out of control and don't let me process them, and I feel overwhelmed.

Whenever somebody describes their panic attacks, they always seem worse than mine, though.