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Panic attacks and blackouts

Robert124

Any practical advice on how to overcome them?

I was recently describing some of my problems with a mental health team and they diagnosed it as a panic attack.

Many years ago, when I was 12, I think, I was out buying shoes and I walked into one of these small independent shoe shops where there is a narrow stair case to get to the men's shoes floor.  And I lost consciousness. I remembered the distinctive smell of shoes and then my legs to weaker and head started feeling as if my brain was collapsing and I lost consciousness.

A few days later I had a similar problem walking into other shoe stores. It was always the same, smell of shoes in a confined space, legs weakening and head spinning and a blackness overcoming my mind.  Stopping and retreating reversed the effects.

Once I collapsed in a city centre boots store with no warning.  I just came to, sitting in a chair being asked if I was ok and did I want a drink of water.  I don't even remember losing consciousness.

In One place I was working at, I couldn't walk into the main canteen, I could hear everyone talking and having a good time, but I couldn't walk through the door.  The closer I got the weaker my legs and a black cloud enveloping my mind.  It took me repeated attempts over a month before i could walk through the door.  People thought I was aloof and antisocial.

Walking alone into pubs caused me similar effects.  It's only in the last five years that I can walk through a pub door and order a drink and a meal.

I live in constant fear that I will have a blackout in public.

  • My problem with panic attacks / losing consciousness is that it restricts my already limited social life.

    The best I can describe it,  is as three simultaneous symptoms.

    My feet freeze with knees going weak so I almost fall over.

    I have difficulty breathing in my chest.

    My sight gets a black cloud around my brain and everything dims.

    When I retreat the symptoms ease.

    It usually happens when I'm alone.

    Once happened in the dark when I was going to a Christmas do organised by people at work in a club/pub.

    Every day when I tried to walk into a canteen in one job.

    Several times when trying to visit certain pubs for the first time.

    At school in the sixth form.  I only managed to visit the Common room twice in two years.

    I'm afraid of physical injury when I fall.  And the embarrassment of people finding out that I have these problems.

  • Former Member
    Former Member

    Here is a thought for you. If you did collapse, what's the worst thing that could happen - then problem solve it.

    I have a colleague with a condition called orthostatic hypotension. She's a fainter on a weekly basis. Her worst fears were people calling the ambulance or the police assuming she was drunk. 

    So people she trusts know about her condition (I treated a faint without stressing out in the lunch room one day and she was so relieved she told me), and if she's out and about she has a bracelet like a medical notice bracelet that says "I don't have epilepsy, don't call an ambulance unless I've got obvious physical injuries or I don't regain consciousness in 5 minutes"

    Police and first aid trained people look for medical notice bracelets. She said a police officer who dealt with a faint gave her a ride home because he was so impressed by her forward thinking.

    Our SD16 will be getting a card explaining she has autism for use if she's ever dealing with police and her medical record is coded so an emergency hospital admission will allow them to see on her record.

    NT people have short memories and only worry if they think you are dangerous. If you did faint you'd find they were so worried for you, that you'd be embarrassed at how kind they were being.

  • NAS18639 said:

    Firstly get your GP to screen for postural hypotension because you can sometimes get fainting fits with this due to heat or stress.

    Secondly, think if you know your symptoms 5-10 minutes out from a panic attack, because the end event (walking into a pub) is probably the last point in a chain of stressors. For example the pub stress chain would include for me; getting there on time, finding the place, wondering if the person I'm meeting will be there, wondering how I will find them, worrying about dealing with noise issues.

    Then after this the trick is learning effective ways to reduce the likelihood of panic...so my favourite tools include diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness using a walking awareness script I've memorised and problem solving. If I'm meeting someone in a pub I always ask them to text me their number and ask them to sit as near the door as they can while waiting. Good friends now "check out" the best place for noise in a pub if they get there first. If I'm alone for work and eating in a pub, I ask for a wall seat (say I don't mind waiting) and ALWAYS bring a book

    It sounds a lot of work, but it's  worth it. 

    The shoe shop blackouts I eventually solved by buying shoes in open plan stores.  Such a large department stores, m&s, BHS etc.

    The boots blackout without warning, I was around 20.  No idea what caused it.

    The problem with going into social places such as pubs.  It varies.  Sometimes I'm due to meet people there at other times I have no fixed meeting.  And problems start early such as 30 minutes.  At other times I feel ok and my mind & legs only start to melt down as I approach the door and I cannot walk through it.

    But once I make it on my own, once.  Then I'm ok with that place.

    My big worry is the uncertainty.  Will I collapse in the street.

  • Former Member
    Former Member

    Firstly get your GP to screen for postural hypotension because you can sometimes get fainting fits with this due to heat or stress.

    Secondly, think if you know your symptoms 5-10 minutes out from a panic attack, because the end event (walking into a pub) is probably the last point in a chain of stressors. For example the pub stress chain would include for me; getting there on time, finding the place, wondering if the person I'm meeting will be there, wondering how I will find them, worrying about dealing with noise issues.

    Then after this the trick is learning effective ways to reduce the likelihood of panic...so my favourite tools include diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness using a walking awareness script I've memorised and problem solving. If I'm meeting someone in a pub I always ask them to text me their number and ask them to sit as near the door as they can while waiting. Good friends now "check out" the best place for noise in a pub if they get there first. If I'm alone for work and eating in a pub, I ask for a wall seat (say I don't mind waiting) and ALWAYS bring a book :-)

    It sounds a lot of work, but it's  worth it.