is there the potential that it is also psychological? Like for instance, you are confusing the feelings of a panic attack with those of a hard effort and its triggering you to become anxious?

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Discussing this through text with a friend that saw this thread.
Basically I’m a mess mentally. Don’t really want to get into it on a public forum but cycling is my escape.

This is hard to understand for people who have never had it. My brother used to have a panic attack, so I know how it's like. I think you need to see a doctor and get a prescription if needed. Therapy sessions might help as well.

It really is, the feeling of dread is hard to describe.
And having people say I’m an idiot etc, when I bring it up doesn’t help

Seeing a therapist would be good idea

My perspective: we are all going to die. If I die from a max effort on the bike, that's a pretty epic way to go out and I would have died doing what I love. I just hope someone uploads my garmin file to strava so people can see how many watts I was throwing down before I keeled over. Sure as hell beats dying a slow death eating cheetos and watching tv on the couch

FWIW: you are as you are. If pushing super hard causes this, just don't push that hard. Use power and heart rate to control your training and avoid those Z5 efforts. You can still train and do well. Don't over-react to your initial reaction, as that makes it worse. You control your exercise not the other way around. Sport is your retreat, your safe spot in a crazy world. Do it in a way you enjoy.

The weird thing is I don’t get these panic attacks on Zwift when I’m doing the races. And I watch my heart rate like a hawk. I have no idea why.

This is the way I should think. But man, that feeling of dread/anxiety etc is insane. Your whole world closes in on you.

I have no expertise, knowledge or advice......but to wish you well and good luck with that.

Panic attacks can be debilitating. I hope you seek out professional help. They are very treatable.

Ok first off you are NOT an idiot. Least wise for your thoughts and feelings posted here

If they are not trying to help and even going so far as to say you’re an idiot. Those are friends who are not friends. Friends care, nurture and support. Not tear down, ridicule and hurt

Panic attacks are very common. Not fun and can feel crushing. You are not alone. Please seek medical help/advice

I ask you to please Hit me up via DM I’m happy to do whatever I can. If your are in central FL I’d be happy to meet for coffee or anything else

Hope to hear from you soon. In the mean time I offer a prayer for you

definitely seek some professional help. panic attacks can happen at any age. take a break from cycling if you want or maybe just do what you're currently doing and avoid max efforts until you can sort this out.

My daughter suffers from anxiety and depression, and has periodic panic attack so I really empathize with what you're going through. As others have said, please seek out some help. There's definitely help available for this. Don't let you're friends' comments make you believe that you're dumb for feeling what you're feeling.

I don't suffer from panic attacks but I do think that as we all get older we worry about stuff that we didn't used to worry about. Sometimes when I'm on the treadmill in the pain cave and doing a hard z5 interval I have a momentary vision of tripping, smashing my face on the console and injuring myself badly (and then laying there for hours until someone comes home). I never used to have these sorts of thoughts when I was in my 20's or 30's. Luckily I'm able to push those thoughts out and replace them with positive thoughts but they definitely pop up from time to time.

Thanks all for the advice. I'm definitely calling my doctor.

Fwiw, about 10-12 years ago I had about 7 - 8 panic attacks over about 3 months.

After the first one, I would just ride the adrenaline rush knowing (hoping) it would pass -- had to really detach my mind from my body to remain calm -- I would tell myself and others, as my body shook, that I was having a panic attack without the panic.

I don't know why they started, or why they stopped -- nothing really changed in my life -- doctors suspected pheochromocytoma for a while.

In retrospect, a few years later I got very chronically sick including some hormone dysfunction. They also found a flattened pituitary, made so by cerebral spinal fluid pushing into the space.

I hope you find something that helps -- panic attacks suck.

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Advocating for research & treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
http://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/

"Suck it up, Buttercup"
(me, to myself, every day)

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https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney

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https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney

....never had a real panic attack, but sometimes have mixed feelings about max efforts sometimes as well. Not sure how rational you are in real life but dying during max efforts is rare, so you should not be worried too much based on the pure likelihood. If you really would like to do high intensity stuff maybe work you way up and do progressive intervals, or HIIT type 30 sec bursts. But if there is a real underlying mental issue, then treating that will be more important than sports.

In any case, I wish you good luck.
Uli

I started getting panic attacks 5 years ago at around age 40 (after 15 years racing), to the point that I wasn't enjoying the first part of swim races when my effort was highest.

It took me a lot of research but I found one of the causes can be increased carbon dioxide which apparently triggers a panic attack in the amygdala (brain) for small percentage of people.

I realised I was breathing very shallow and fast when pushing hard and by ensuring that my breathing was deep enough to expel carbon dioxide effectively I seem to have fixed the problem. I still feel the panic approaching occasionally, but I now have the tools to proactively and reactively manage it.

An example article that describes the issue and the evolutionary reason for it https://www.sciencedaily.com/.../11/091125134651.htm

Interesting. Thank you for sharing this.

So sorry you deal with this. Be strong :) be positive. And be well

Carbon dioxide build up explains why the old method of breathing into paper bag was devised for panic attacks. I overheard a doctor on a plane one day describe it to a panicked child's parent that the purpose was to increase the depth of breathing.

https://moodgym.com.au/

Check out mood gym. For a small fee less than 50 bucks a year it provides cognitive behavioral therapy which can be very helpful

You said you are a mess emotionally counselling and medication can help. Unfortunately counselling can be expensive and people often don't have coverage for it.

I had a period of depression and anxiety about a year ago that revolved around being and empty nester and what I would call a spiritual crisis.

Invest time in friends and let other people heal you. You need community. Also when you help other people with their stuff you have less time to worry about your stuff. One of my solutions was my wife and I invited two more international students into our house. We had done that for several years before the empty nest year when my daughter left. I took girl Belgium to airport today and girl Chile goes tomorrow. I'll see if I do better with the empty nest thing this time.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Same. It got to where I'd tell my wife exactly where I'd be when doing a very hard workout... makes you question what's the actual point.