Waking up with a bad Panic attack

by Angela G.
(Virginia)

I was very angry and annoyed yesterday. I was upset with my kids and my husband. My house is a wreck. I have mommy and wife burn out. I am so ready for school to end too. I have been through so much emotionally this year as well. I have been suffering from generalized anxiety lately and agoraphobia issues but no Panic attacks until this morning.

Well last night I went to bed angry. I woke up at 3 am and felt fine. I even did a load of laundry. Then I turned on a pleasant movie and then fell back to sleep. THEN out of no where I woke up at 5 am with a racing heart and dizziness. I laid there and calmed myself down with self talk. Then I sat up and I was so dizzy. I PANICKED. My heart was pounding hard. I hate being dizzy. I walked to the bathroom hanging onto the walls. I felt like I couldn't hardly get one foot in front of the other. I felt confused mentally and my vision was different. I went into the bathroom and my pupils were dilated. I knew this was an adrenal rush--- A PANIC ATTACK at its finest. I splashed cold water on my face and neck and started breathing deeply and slowly. My heart calmed down almost immediately and the dizziness calmed down. My eyes were still a little dilated but not as bad. I knew I was calming down off of this Panic high. I started to think more clearly again. I then started to shake like I was freezing and my teeth were chattering so bad. Then after several minutes of that I stopped shaking and my teeth stopped chattering.
So now here I am typing on this computer almost 3 hours post PANIC ATTACK. I am now left feeling teary eyed, jelly legged, light headed, off balanced, and sick in my stomach. I am so scared of what happened this morning and how I am left here feeling now. I am worried about going to bed tonight. I am worried about falling asleep now. I also have a hard time setting or laying down when I have dizzy feelings. Its so uncomfortable. I couldn't handle normal routine things this morning like brushing my daughters hair and taking her to school. My husband had to do it. He never does it. I just want to see this for what it is a Panic Attack, stress, and anger.
Why are Panic attacks so horrible and why are they so hard to shake even after they are technically over. I actually feel like it wouldn't take much for me to Panic again. I feel on the edge now. Does the body have to recover from a Panic attack? Does that take a while? Hours? Days? Weeks?