Panic attacks without anxiety or panic o_O

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I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder around 21, when I had my first panic attack.

The first one was definitely a real panic attack. I am also a worrier, and always have been, but for the most part I don't feel actual anxiety everyday. It's not paralyzing, when I was diagnosed with the anxiety disorder I was having anxiety everyday for about a year or so.

Now, I still get panic attacks, but I don't feel the anxiety. I only call them panic attacks because I went to the ER once while having because I was *sure* that I was dying (lol) and they told me it was anxiety.I can't feel them coming on at all, I have no idea what triggers them. I feel totally calm when they happen, and usually just go on with what I'm doing until they pass. I can even carry on a conversation with someone or go out in public without feeling stress. They only thing that stresses me out about them is the physical symptoms.

Only physical symptoms, racing heart, shortness of breath, nausea, dizzyness, even some numbness in body. Sometimes they last for 20 mins, other times, they could last for hours. I was tested for all sorts of underlying cardiac issues, there is nothing.

Anyone else have *calm* panic attacks?

I have had panic attacks in the past and now I have what you describe perhaps. I learned that a lot of people hyperventilate without knowing it and this is the cause of panic and anxiety. Now I find that if I am feeling uncomfortable as you describe, and I stare at a fixed point for a few seconds, my body will automatically adjust my breathing for itself, by stopping breathing. Then after a few seconds, it will take a short breath and stop again. It does this for about 2 minutes until breathing is normalised. It's uncomfortable and odd, but then I feel good again. I notice it the most when I am watching tv, because when I am moving about it's easier for my body to balance the CO2 and Oxygen.

You can find an explanation at www.normalbreathing.com, apart from the "fixed point" bit which is all my own.

I have panic attacks as well. It's a really weird feeling, partly because I don't always feel anxious while I'm having them, and partly because they can begin for any reason or no reason at all.

One time I had a really bad panic attack (trouble breathing, stomach pain, dizziness, the whole nine yards). I was starting to get scared, because it felt like I was suffocating. Then the room sort of spun, and everything felt eerily calm. It was a bit like the feeling of watching yourself from outside your body. Then I realizes, "hey, if I'm going to experience this just as a set of physical symptoms, then I can just ignore them without even being afraid." It doesn't always work, but it's been a useful tool during an attack.

I've also been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and although I do feel a great deal of anxiety at times, I can't say that I ever really get panic attacks. A few days ago, I was working on a project at the library, and because the computer wasn't printing out information I needed, I felt really anxious and had to retreat to the restroom to cry. I wouldn't consider that to be a panic attack, though.