Have you ever panicked?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Have you ever panicked? I mean really shifted into panic mode, where your body is doing things that make zero sense, due to actual imminent danger. Share your stories!

I have panicked and survived, three times. The first, my father rescued me. The other two were momentary; I managed to recognize, reflect for a moment, and correct the situation. All involved water, which I’m very comfortable in, having misspent the summers of my youth on Lake Huron.

When I was about 12, back in 1970, my father helped me try out his scuba gear (classic double-hose regulator). He’d never had instruction (didn’t “need” that in the 60s!) and so didn’t know how to prepare me. I got started fine in shallow water, swam out deeper, but my mask began to fill up and I was sucking in water. Without thinking, I pulled it off and began to tread water – default reaction to any issue in the water.

Only, I couldn’t tread water. The tank was too heavy. Oops! Though it was over his head too, my father swooped in and pulled me up and was able to keep us both safe and to shallow water. Lost his glasses; we found them a year later. I still remember the relief of his strong arms supporting me, saving my life for sure.

The next time was again, scuba diving without proper instruction, maybe 10 years later. This time my brother, a certified diver with modern gear, walked me through the details. I was properly suited up with BC, snorkel, etc. But silly me, I was again in over my head, literally and figuratively. (There’s an 1880 wreck just off shore, which was where I wanted to dive.) I was in the water, floating on the surface just fine snorkeling, and felt it was time to switch to the air tank. Silly me, I spit out the snorkel before having the mouthpiece in hand. As soon as that realization hit me, I freaked. One side of my body tried to tread water (still a strong instinct!) while my right arm flailed wildly to catch the regulator. After probably just a few seconds of this it was clear that it wasn’t working, and I did have a full breath, so I calmed down, put my right hand on my shoulder where the air hose was fastened (and as my brother HAD showed me) and followed the tube to the mouthpiece. Problem solved!

The last time was windsurfing. When you get past beginner mode, you wear a hook on chest or waist so you can hook into harness lines on the booms, so you can use your leg muscles to handle the force of the sail, using your arms only for control. When you’re going really fast and overpowered, you’re leaning way back, with the sail at a small angle to the water; it’s more like a wing that you’re hanging from. And of course, it’s easy to let a bit too much sail face the wind, which causes a “catapult fall”. The catapult happens in the blink of an eye, when you’re in 30 knot winds. If you’re lucky, you “hook out” at the apex and take a short flight. If you’re less lucky, you stay hooked in and slam into the sail on the other side. If you’re really unlucky and it’s particularly windy, the sail can flip again, leaving you below it. (Or, you can fall “pile driver” style, where the wing basically dives into the water, and you’re under it.) One of the latter happened, which is no big deal. As usual, I pushed against the booms to get out from under the sail. Unfortunately, I’d been caught at exhale, so had little air in my lungs. More unfortunately, i was still hooked in. Thanks to no air, I just kept pushing (and getting nowhere). Fortunately, I came to my senses, relaxed, grabbed the harness line and unhooked, and swam up to a nice lungful of air.

The fourth time I panicked, it didn’t go well, and I died. Oh well.

What’s your story?

2

Nothing really life threatening but as a mechanic I would often worm my way into tight places on the diesel truch and sometimes find myself trapped or maybe just my arm trapped. My body would instantly start wanting to rip itself out of the situation. Came very close tobreaking an arm one time and have gotten some nasty cuts.

I used to body surf a place called the wedge in Balboa, sometimes the waves would pile drive your body into the sand and violently flip you around where you could momentarily loose your sense of direction. One time I found myself repeatedly trying to swim downward into the sand thinking it was toward the surface. Maybe only 3 or 4 seconds but seemed like a lifetime.
3

The actual danger was pretty low… One night in my early teens, I woke up because a spider was crawling across my cheek. I just freaked out, thrashing around in my bed like I was trying to fight off a whole pack of wolves. It’s hard to judge time like that, but it was probably thirty seconds before I calmed down/woke up enough to stop. I’m not even all that afraid of spiders, really.

I haven’t ever been in any truly life-threatening situations, but the ones that were most threatening, I was pretty calm about it. I recently cut my leg very badly and I was quite rational as I thought “Spurting blood! That’s bad. OK, let’s put pressure on the wound. Now, let’s stay in the garage while I yell for my wife so that I don’t mess up the carpet (or, given the amount of spurting, the walls too). Let’s find something to wrap around it tighter than I can hold it with my hand. The emergency room is 10 minutes away, but there’s a fire station with an EMT 1 minute away, let’s stop there first and make sure I’ll live.”

4

Funny how easy it is to panic while in water.

Nearly ten years ago, I was chaperoning a group of eighth graders on a week long field trip to Santa Catalina island. One evening, we pulled on wet suits, grabbed flippers and snorkels, and went for a swim. My kids were all from the desert, and only a couple of them had ever seen the ocean before. Thankfully, they all knew how to swim. To be on the safe side, though, I positioned myself on the outside of the group, so I could make sure none of them tried to make it to open water (they were 13, illogical stunts were a specialty). When I realized the lifeguards had everything well in hand, I flipped onto my back to float and look at the sky.

I forgot one thing: I still had my snorkel in my mouth. I exhaled and then inhaled two full lungs of ocean water and jack-knifed in surprise. I made it back to the surface in full freak out mode. Only two things saved me: I knew that I literally could not drown as my body fat is high enough that I barely have to tread water, and there was no way on earth I was going to lose it in front of my students and have the whole drama of rescue by the lifeguards, being dragged to the beach, et cetera. Mostly, I didn’t want to scare them. Partly, I knew I would never, ever live it down.

I managed to clear my lungs and head back in, but my reptile brain was very, very close to taking over a couple of times. It was nearly an hour before I felt like a rational human being again. And the sucky thing about inhaling seawater? It’s saltier than blood, so even the little bit left in my lungs kept pulling plasma out of my bloodstream into my lungs through osmosis. I was coughing up clear fluid all night long.

5

Held under water by an uncle who thought I had got a breath, I had not gotten it. Probably close to a full panic because I got real violent to get away.

One landing with my Mother made me yell for her to flair for the landing.

Sudden fright with a violent reaction, many, being a parent does that to you.

How long do you have to be out of control for it to be a panic attack vs a reaction?

6

I was once on the island of Guadeloupe, to watch a solar eclipse. After the eclipse I decided to explore the western part of the island, the “wild” side, with active volcanoes, waterfalls and other natural wonders to explore. At one point I needed to pee, and there was a tourist office close by. There was only one lane connecting the road with the building, and it was blocked by two buses. So I decided to drive over onto the shoulder and relieve myself there.

What I had thought was a flat shoulder, was actually a slope, gradually going over a cliff. Shrubs and small trees hid the drop from the road. So my car started to lean, and the more I moved, the more the car leaned. Finally, the car was literally teetering on the edge, and I realized that no matter what I did, it would go over the edge. I imagined myself lying on the bottom, with nobody missing me (I was traveling alone), trapped in the car . . . either dead or at least unable to get out. My only hope was to grab people’s attention, so at least they’d witness my plunge over the edge.

So I started honking my horn. Within seconds the two buses emptied, and the men were running to my rescue, while the women and kids took pictures. They were all French tourists. The men stabilized the car and helped me get out. They also found a truck with heavy rope in the back, which they tied onto my bumper, and towed the car onto the highway.

I wanted to thank them so much, but they were already running back to the two buses, which immediately took off.

I no longer needed to pee.

7

Driving through the mountains of West Virginia when the rain turned into ice. I was heading downhill on a steep two lane road which ended with a sharp turn at the bottom, going straight meant going over a cliff. Half way down I realized the entire road was a sheet of ice and I had no control. So I slid at about 25-30 mph for a good half mile freaking out the whole time at my lack of options.

Boring end of the story - there was enough of a dirt lip on the side of the road to stop the car. I didn’t plunge to my death that night. Took me hours to calm back down and my arms and shoulders were sore for a day or two from being clenched up.

8

I have heights-vertigo that can sometimes get serious, but I usually know the triggers and can adapt (“No, I am not looking over the railing with you, I don’t care how ‘grand’ the canyon is”).

I was hiking in Ireland and was way up on a bluff on the coast admiring the view, not near any dropoffs, just a nice hill with great panoramic view all around. I brought my camera up to my face to take some pictures when, wham, the combination of looking through my lens with one eye, and the unbroken horizon with the other, turned the world black and I collapsed in panic crawling at the ground, trying to physically merge with the grass. Everything in the world, the clouds, the far-off boats, the breeze, my own body, felt like they were actively attacking me ganging up to pitch me off the hill and into the ocean. The only safety was to physically merge with the grass and sod.

It lasted for about a half-hour where I was completely incapacitated, clawing at the ground to get away from the universe. Not fun.

9

Every time I try to swim.
Annoying as Hell.

I did try a snorkel once, and it seemed to lessen the phobia/panic.

I now have 15,000 gallons of instant phobia just outside my bedroom door.

10

In January, I was hospitalized for a stroke. They gave me an MRI. They locked this clamp thing down on my head and then shoved me into a machine that was a tighter fit than a coffin.My shoulders were tight against the sides and the “roof” was just above my face. Although I was not claustrophobic previously, I flipped the fuck out. Screaming, thrashing, all that good shit. I was terrified. Later MRIs involved sedatives. I still have so much lingering fear that I wear an open face motorcycle helmet now. A full-face helmet is too much like being back in that machine.

11

Its not related to duration. A panic attack has no obvious cause, or if there is a cause, the cause is innocuous/not dangerous.

12

I woke up choking. I had apparently swallowed some saliva down the wrong pipe as I slept and my throat closed up. Once I was awake, I was desperately trying to get a breath and all I could get was a small trickle of air through my almost completely closed up throat. I had to talk myself out of the panic. (Panic is the mind killer… ) :slight_smile:

I told myself “don’t panic! You’re going to get out of this. You are able to get a little bit of air in. That’s enough not to suffocate. If you panic, you may die… Be calm and you’ll be ok.” As I got that little amount of air in, I was able to cough and clear my throat a little bit more each time.

Obviously, I was fine, but this experience also taught me that I can talk myself out of panicking.

J.

13

on a red eye flight a few weeks ago I started to feel very faint and was struggling to keep conscious–it certainly felt panicky–like I was stuck in loop.

fortunately the woman next to me snapped me out of it by asking if I was “okay.” I got up and walked around and got a juice from an attendant

14

Even facing down a gun, some level of control or preparation always kicked in. Escept for one time.

I was riding passenger in a side-car, carrying a birthday cake, when the driver (an older friend) accidentally let the wheel off the road and into the gravel. He couldn’t quite pop it back on and all I saw was the beginning of a guardrail coming at me at about 60mph. The last second he did get me back on the highway but the cake, my underwear, and dignity did not survive. Only time in my life my bowels moved without me being aware of it until afterwards. At least since age 2 or so.

15

Thanks, that helps me. :slight_smile:

16

Outright panic? Hmmm…

There was one time I went swimming in March during spring break, in Arkansas. Nice sunny warm day in the upper 70s, cool mountain stream. I was wearing a life jacket and my shoes with my suit, swung off a rope swing about 10 feet from shore. Hit the water, it was so cold I think I levitated back to shore.

There was one time I was driving on a highway at 65 mph, behind another couple cars. Two cars pulled over onto the shoulder for some reason, and gravel was spitting out, so I turned to watch them, then looked up to see taillights headed toward me. I knew I didn’t have room to stop, but was aware my traffic around me was light, no one beside me or close behind. I did a quick brake check, then a swerve left lane change while glancing in my mirror. All that went well, it was the recovery from the lane change where I think I simultaneously braked that sent my car into a spin. And suddenly my front driver’s side clipped the tail of the truck in front of me on his driver’s side, I continued my spin past 90 degrees to find myself looking about 40 degrees right through my front windshield at a semi coming at me. If you ever find yourself driving on the interstate and looking at the front of a semi, something is WRONG!

I actually did not panic, but had instant time shift awareness and an instant plan. I knew I needed to get out of the way of the truck. I threw a hard left turn and my tires grabbed so my car was pointed off the road. I slammed the accelerator to depart the roadway as quickly as possible. Except the next complication is the slope of the roadway just off the shoulder. So I just as quickly had to slam the brakes to keep from jetting downhill into trees. I came to a stop just off the shoulder with my tail in the air. Breathe. Breathe. Look in mirror.

Other guy’s truck got flipped and smashed the cab flat. I saw gasoline pouring out of his tank. That was an instant run that direction and get everyone out moment for me. The guy was already out his window before I reached him, and turns out the fright was unjustified. Cars to instantly explode like in the movies. But that left me rattled a bit.

Maybe the most panic was when I was maybe 5 years old, we went over to a neighbor’s house with a pool. I had not actually learned to swim, but got so excited when we walked through the gate I didn’t bother taking off my shoes and shirt or anything, just ran and jumped straight into the deep end of the pool, and then realized I had no clue what to do. Fortunately my dad was right behind me and fished me out. :smack:

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more and more affected by heights, to the point I get vertigo. I was on a trip to Atlanta and staying in one of the tower hotels. As my buddy was walking around, looking over the railing at the drop to the atrium floor, etc, my balance was reeling and I was clinging to the wall. Not quite panic, but not fun.

17

Great stories, and a lot of “Holy ****!” reactions on my part!

Been there done that (in FL) … it’s quite something to be in 6’ waves where the water is less than a foot deep between them! But I’ve never gotten quite that mixed up. We’d return from a body surfing session with our whole bodies red, covered with small cuts and scrapes from being ground by the waves into the shelly sand.

LOL, yeah. I remember one time sleeping in a dormer window bump-out with the window open, full moon outside. A closet to my left, the outer room to my right with doorway partly open but (silly me) light on in that room. A bat kept flying in a triangle, heading for the open window but retreating on being hit in the face with the moonlight, then swooping to the closet (only to find a dead end) and then going for the door but again retreating in the face of the bright light outside the door. It kept doing that, just a foot above my body, so I slithered down the bed to turn the light on in the room so it’d leave. I did, and the light burst and went out – amazing timing for a light to burn out! But that must have scared the bat more than me because I never found it. No panic, but definitely a sense of dread!

Good for you! I’ve never hurt myself that bad, but I have split a finger in two and a few other fun things, and had the same kind of reaction. I’ve been accused of being in shock, because being too calm. Perhaps, but if so, it’s a very sensible body reaction to the situation.

No kidding, even for a water baby. Great story! and DUH, remember the snorkel doesn’t work upside down! I’ve done a similar thing myself, but never pulled in a lot of water thank goodness.

Good question! One I think that’s better to ponder than answer. But I’m talking about actual panic, not “panic attacks”. My unscientific distinction is that the former are in response to actual danger (or perceived danger) whereas the latter are not.

Yow. I’ve felt the sense of helplessness coasting down a slick ice road, but in my case the worst danger was another vehicle. Happily I always lucked out, so my worst result was sliding into snowbanks.

Bingo! I’m thankful that I’ve felt it and overcome it. I think it gets easier each time, but it’s been a while and I’m probably out of practice. Hopefully, I’ll stay out of practice!

Interesting to hear that this isn’t just a trope. I’ve never had that bad a scare, thank goodness!

18

Not really spectacular but I woke up about three weeks ago from a bad attack of acid reflux. It was my first attack of acid reflux ever and I didn’t know what it was. Hell, I didn’t know you could have acid reflux in your sleep. It.s a common stress symptom, I know now.

Having just woken I wasn’t thinking very clearly any way. The burning sensation in my throat had me panicked. I could hardly talk but managed to ask my husband to call the hospital to see if we should come in. I managed not to get in full panic mode because our young son would have woken up and things would have gotten worse. In the end I took a taxi to taxi to the ER. They gave me some milk of magnesium and a Valium and sent me home again.

19

Too many examples to list. I can get very panicky at times. Like during severe airplane turbulence - that was a memorable occasion on an orchestra trip, where the entire airplane full of my friends got to witness one of my panic attacks.

20

Once when I was riding in a car pool with 4 other people.

I was in the middle of the back seat of a two door car - none of us had cars big enough for 5 people.

The driver pulled over because the car was making funny noises and when he popped the hood lots of smoke came out. I thought it was only that the engine had overheated,
until I saw the flames shooting out from under the hood.

The guy next to me who was blocking me in the car thought it was hysterical that I got scared and wanted to get out. He took his damn good time doing it laughing at me the whole time. He thought it was no big deal, I wanted out of the car NOW!
Two other times just little mini panics.
Twice when I was pet sitting I had dogs run ahead of me into the house, then turn and not let me in. One was a German Shepherd, the other was a Belgian Malinois, both were nervous, unsocialized, unpredictable and could be aggressive.
The shepherd was still on her leash so I closed the door most of the way while holding onto her leash until I calmed down. I had to get the leash off of her as well as get my keys and things out of the apartment.
Doggy psychology, I pulled her back out of the apartment and I walked in first. Once I was in it was okay for me to be there. I managed to get the leash off her and got my things and left.

The Belgian was obedience trained and when he lunged for me I yelled SIT and he sat. I held the door mostly closed (if I closed it all the way I would have been locked out) until I stopped shaking. I knew what had worked with the shepherd but he wasn’t on a leash. Then I saw some tennis balls, opened the door so he could see them, threw then into the yard. When he chased them I went in the house. Once again, since I was already inside it was okay for me to be there. I got him crated and left.