Would these be considered panic attacks?

[Raid]

I know panic attacks don't have to be full on, hyperventilating, passing out, freak outs, but I feel like I may be having multiple, minor panic attacks a day.

When I'm at school, if someone says "My stomach hurts" or something along the line of that, I immediately think "They're sick and I'm going to get it". And at a high school, I hear that a LOT. Whenever someone says something like that though, the thought of me getting whatever they probably don't have makes me dizzy, I lose focus on anything (usually a class) and I start to think about how horrible it would be if I got the stomach flu. Sometimes I start to shake and I get nauseous, but I don't really show it and after 15-30 seconds I get over it and talk myself out of it. I tell myself they probably aren't sick (unless they keep complaining or really look like they're going to be sick).

Again, I do that like 2-4 times a day usually... are those panic attacks?

[stephenie]

Yeah it would, I mean what you're. Expieriencing is way normal with being an emetophobe.

You're soo not alone


Hugs.

[drizzle418]

Raid, I am in school too and I do the exact same thing. If someone mentions a stomach ache I immediatly get shaky and tense up. I get so stiff, it's like I'm afraid to move. I also take very shallow breaths in and exhale very hard in order to keep from inhaling germs. Then, all my focus goes into how to get out of the room and as far away from that person as possible. I do this fairly frequently because my school is infested with germs.

Just wondering, because you're in high school you have to deal with lunch time and the cafeteria. Do you go to lunch or do you find ways to escape. I tend to roam empty hallways during lunch but the guidance counselor noticed me the other day and, knowing me, she knew my absence from the lunchroom was more than just a simple, one time escape. She wants me to tell her the reason I don't go to lunch. How do you deal with that time of day?

[Raid]

Sounds like me xD

Actually, I do go to lunch. I just try not to think about it. I buy the cafeteria food (however if I get it an its cold which happens more than it should I'll immediately throw it out). I guess I'm normal at lunch. I go, I eat, talk to friends, and leave. We do sit at a table that is close to the door though. That keeps us away from the other 300 people in the room xD And it provides and easy exit.

[drizzle418]

Ya, when I go to luch my table is right by the door but it also happens to have a direct view of the trash cans and the bathrooms. The boys at my school have this game where they mix up a bunch of weird foods and dare people to eat them. The actual object of the game is to get people to v*. Usually they only wretch but there have been many times where the boys go running into the bathroom, hand over their mouth and also a few times where they didn't make it to the bathroom and resorted to the trash cans. Plus I sit next to a table with a poor boy who has a severe anxiety problem that often leads to him v* and lunch time is one of his triggers. I feel terrible for him but I can't handle sitting in there when he is gaging. I used to go to the caf. eat and leave but recently I found it easier to just skip all together...less people notice you that way.