too much visual stimual causes panic, anyone else?

Hi, Im just guest, not sure how to join the group. Anyway, I have panic disorder for about 13 years. Something I have noticed and the reason why I dont like to drive much, especially in certain area's or heavy traffic, is that it seems the more visual stimuli I have to deal with, it brings on a panic attack, such as too many cars swishing past me, too many business signs, congested areas, etc. I have also noticed at night that if there is a lot of traffic headlights also seems to make my brain go haywire. During these times my brain seems to go haywire, my eyes feel really weird, and I feel overwhelmed with the visuals and the pain in my eyes, then will end up having a panic attack. Im not sure if I explained this well. I just wonder if anyone else has noticed this happening to them? I have wondered if it were part of the disorder or if possibly it is something else with me and it just happens to trigger an attack. Thanks for your help.

Jen

I realized you wrote your own post so I figured i'd be the first to reply. My problem is not panic attacks, but I know I'm hypersensitive to any type of stimulation, visual, auditory, any type of rushed and suffocating situation really gets me going. Although I suffer from social anxiety it can reach such a point where I affects the way I'm walking, I will actually begin to lose coordination and I walk like I'm drunk. All it takes is for one person to be walking behind me and I lose control. (Also I'm a psych major so I do try my best be as accurate as possible) Here's what I think, you wrote cars swishing past you, and congested areas which i understand. 90% of your brain is active on an unconscious level, aka 90% of the activity in your brain you are completely unaware of. I think subconciously you deeply fear people witnessing you having a panic attack. How embarassing it would be it you stopped at a traffic light, someone pulled up to you and saw you crying and hyperventilating, just loosing control, in a black fit of panic. The thing with a panic attack is once you have one, the seed is planted. You stretch so far out of your reach to avoid another panic attack that you blindly provoke another. So the cycle progresses and perpetuates. For some people the disorder subsides naturally, but for many it becomes a chronic illness that remains for their adult years. 13 years is more than enough time to loose hope, loosing this hope will only add strength to your disorder. "F" your disorder, "F" your brain, you are in control of your brain, it is not in control of you. You have become tolerant to a pain you must not tolerate any longer, I want more info. about the actual thoughts that go through your head when you have a PA. Get specific, I will be back soon to read, and I will do my best to help you. This is only a forum, but there is no restraints in getting completley personal with complete strangers, and with that there is lots of benefits, lots of advice, and lots of perspectives. Thats all I can do for you, but I will try. :wink:

Rob, thank you, I appreciate your input. I also lose coordination at times as you have described in public situations, like a crowded line (something about tile floors, guess Im afraid if I faint I will hit my head, dumb.) And I have wondered if people think Im wigging out with my "drunk" sort of movement. I also sometimes have this weird thing happen occasionally when people make eye contact with me, kinda like a jerking thing, a two second black out, I feel overwhelmed, and suspect that I also have some social anxiety as well. With the driving thing, one thing that goes through my head is that because the visuals seem to be consuming me and making my eyes wig and I get dizzy that I will get into an accident because I cant think straight, see straight, and feel like Im not breathing well, I also think I might pass out, I almost have before and had to pull of the road because of that and/or from severe shaking. When I have panic attacks I feel my muscles are tense, I get very dizzy, blurry vision (even when Im not panicked I have bouts of blurry vision), shaking, sometimes Im not even sure where I am, I mean I know where but it doesnt make sense to be there, I feel like I cant get enough air to breath, I get hot, very hot, shakey, and it seems everything is exagerated, sounds seem to scream in my head, lights bother me very badly, my body feels heavy and tired, I just want everything to stop, literally stop. Ah..... what else, well I have some health issues that were brought on years ago I believe by stress, degenerative disc desease, fibromyalgia, and colitis. I manage with these things without medication, but for some reason it seems very obvious to me these flar up, or lack of enough sleep that my body feels worse and my mind, and when that happens I feel that panic attack waiting to happen, even though I feel exhausted at the same time I feel very tense, and I will try to avoid things during those times. Also, pms time is the very Worst for my panic, makes it ten fold. One other thing that might sound very weird that will trigger me to have a panic attack is when my neck is flarring up with worse pain and stiffness. I seem to be hypersensitive to many things. Whew.......... sorry so long, sometimes these things are difficult to describe well. I look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks again.

Jen

ps, I realized that I didnt really answer completely what I am thinking while Im having a panic attack. Well usually Im thinking that I dont like the way Im feeling, and a constant one is "why am I so dizzy, I feel like there is a blood flow blockage to my brain, what is causing this, why cant I control it." I also just wish everything would slow down, people would slow down, and I just want away from where ever I am, I need to slow things down, get the visuals, the lights, the sounds, the heat, people away from me, so I can think clearly at all. I hope that makes sence. LOL

ty, Jen

Rob, still waiting to hear back from you with your opinions and/or advice.\

I am very sorry Jen, but I am overworked and overstressed and I will get back to you when things slow down a lil and I actually have some time to give you some decent advice. Its 9:30 Saturday and I'm going to bed. Exhaustion is my only alleviation. Bear wit me a few more days. Thanx sweety zzzzzzzzzzzzz

my problem is kinda the same. I find that when i'm overlstimulated visually or if my eyes move too fast or if the sun is too bright it causes dizziness, which in turn throws me right into an anxiety attack because I associate the dizziness with having a stroke. It all ends up the same result. Dizziness=stroke Shortness of breath and racing heart=heart attack stomachache=cancer or kidney failure...I guess maybe I shoulda posted this one in the hypochondria category :)

First and foremost let it be noted that hypochondria can be a result of some true underlying irrational thoughts, however it sounds as if yours is in response to your agitated state of anxiety. U need to ask yourself "which causes which?" do your hypochondriatic thoughts cause anxiety or vice versa. They can both be products of each other but one will exist as a majority and that is what u need to address.
But mainly I'm replying to Jen. I will do lots of speculating mainly because we neglected an important area. The question I asked you was what thoughts are present during your panic attack and that is what you answered. However due to my lack of expertise I failed to ask you the more important question "what thoughts go through your head BEFORE your panic attack?" Its reasonable to say that your thoughts during the experience will be scrambled, excited, and anxiety driven. However are you aware of whats going through your head prior to the panic attack? Can you connect your thoughts to your behavior? Do you think that you have an uncontrollable obsession with worrying and forecasting that leads to this grand finalle of neuerotransmitters raging like firecrackers or do you believe that you may in fact have a chemical imbalance that is pushed over the brink in response to overstimulating circumstances. Simply put, do you think its psychological or physiological? Than you know which direction to come from concerning treatment. If you think you suffer from any type of mental illness u must seek therapy, preferably a specialist, not just a general clinical psychologist. Read books, gain knowledge about the origins of your ailment, never ignore or avoid the fact that you have a problem and the possible reprecussions of leaving it untreated. Your fait ultimately lies in your hands, and although I wish I had the power to help you more thoroughly fact is I am no professional, if this is something you truley wish to eliminate from your life I'm sure you have a good idea of where to begin. And more than anything anyone says or does, if deep down in your subconscious you possess the toxic thought of "I can't overcome this problem" chances are you won't. Believe in change, welcome it like its the key to the chains that keep you imprisoned to this mental prison of panic and anxiety. You owe it to yourself, afterall you only live once. Feel free to repsond or ask any questions you may have and I will do my best to get back to you. I wish you the best of luck Jen, and also never pay too much attention to statistics or you will become one. They say the majority of people with panic attacks never fully recover. I say bullshit, nothing dictates you but you, not any doctor, any research or report or experiment. Good luck, :wink: Rob.

I have been treated for panic disorder for several years now, but have only had one full blown attack. Thats what started this long road of constant low-level feelings of anxiousness. Notice I didn't call it anxiety, because I have never felt worried or apprehensive about much of anything, I just always feel a bit "wired".
When driving, though, its a different story. I'm fine until I get up to freeway speed, and then its almost like I get tunnel vision or something. I find that I really have to concentrate extremely hard on just whats in front of me and that I get confused and/or dizzy feeling. My eyes ache and burn and feel like they do when I get a new glasses prescription, only worse. Everything is clear, but its not. I can see everything but my perception of it's distance and motion is all screwy. It makes me think of the feelings described by the folks using LSD back in the 60's. When I slow down, it clears up, for the most part. Sometimes, though, it doesnt happen at all and I can enjoy driving like I used to.
I'm not at all scared of driving, even while this is happening. It just makes it really hard to drive for any long distance because it flat wears me out.

Any of this sound familliar?

I think it's hypersensivity, I have it too. For me it doesn't really have anything to do with anxiety. Too much light or flashing images or noise makes me a bit dizzy and disoriented, and sometimes my eyes burn when there's too much light.

Monique