Physical and Emotional Symptoms
- Panic attacks once or twice weekly over four months, described by Sarah as really scary experiences, feeling like she was dying or losing control.
- Dislike of feeling out of control, including worry that she might faint or in some other way lose consciousness.
- Shortness of breath, with breathing difficulties described as feeling almost like there’s an egg in her throat.
- Increased feelings of heatedness in the body, lightheadness, and a racing heart.
- Feeling like she’s going crazy, lacking control and out of touch with her surroundings, similar to the initial experience of being drunk and disoriented in that Las Vegas club.
These are classic experiences and symptoms of panic attacks. Other symptoms which fall under that rubric but which Sarah has not been experiencing include numbness, tingling, shakiness, depersonalization (a feeling like an out-of-body experience), and stomach pain. Sarah meets the criteria for a diagnosis of panic attacks even without those other symptoms.