fear of fainting

The thing which always reassured me about my fear of fainting/collapsing when I'm feeling especially dizzy and weak, (usually in supermarket queues or in any stressful public place) was that I thought it was pretty much impossible to actually faint, because your blood pressure/heart rate actually goes up when you're feeling panicky.

However, I've read many posts on boards like this and spoken to a friend who said they have passed out when in the throes of an especially bad panic attack, and this knowledge has made my supermarket shopping considerably more scary as I feel I actually could completely lose it - it feels like I've come very close on numerous occasions.

What do we all have to say about that?!

Caleb, well I can assure you that over 7 years and treating tens of thousands of sufferers, I have never known anyone actually pass out. I have known many who thought they passed out because everything went black for a few moments but that isn't passing out, that's a symptom of too much blood going to the vessels in the eyes when blood pressure goes up. That person who said they passed out must have had something else do that to them. Rest assured, this is rare.

Charles

Hi i havent passed out butive came close you would say. i get the felling of pins and needles then my vision blurs and my hearing disapates and then i return back to normal this has happened to me twice now i can some what control it on my own . i dont have much money to buy prescrip drugs or anything else so im opting for st johns wort and hopefully counsling. I wish you the best. :D