# I think I just had my first panic attack. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-had-my-first-panic-attack/658545 "2013-05-16T19:38:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-had-my-first-panic-attack/658545/21 "2013-05-19T23:57:08Z")
had one about 2 months after my twins were born. I literally felt like the room was spinning, the walls were closing in on me and my chest was shrinking and I couldn’t breathe. I hide under a blanket on the couch and told my husband I thought I was dying. Freaked my husband out. We ended up calling my OB and they sent me to the local looney bin where I was placed as an inpatient for 5 days. Worst experience of my life. Get professional help ASAP. You will feel so much better after starting treatment. ---
**Author:** ![Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obnoxious_Hood_Ornament)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-had-my-first-panic-attack/658545/22 "2013-05-20T13:26:32Z")
I started having them infrequently about a year after my wife passed away. The cumulative stress of… well, _everything_… finally broke my brain, and it raised a little white flag and curled into the fetal position. I made a list of everything that was bothering me, no matter how small or banal it seemed on paper. I then eliminated as many things on the list as I could. So long as I keep my worries to a minimum, I don’t panic. I should’ve just listened to Douglas Adams 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-had-my-first-panic-attack/658545.md?page=1)