I’ve had more “traditional” anxiety/panic attacks in the past (happened more-so when I was a young teen), and what I have been experiencing recently is similar, but missing some of those bigger tells that make it easier to define. It might just be more intense anxiety than I normally experience.

For context, this has happened recently at the mention of things that trigger bad memories/traumas, but also at really small things too (as an example it happened today when I was 15 minutes late to my class after my meeting ran later than expected [I absolutely abhor being late, but usually it wouldn’t bother me to this point]). 

Here are my symptoms/some basic info:

- “episodes” will last anywhere between a few minutes to closer to 15… but I’ll usually feel really really anxious for at least a few more hours after it’s over
- my heart feels like it’s racing and/or pounding really really hard (always the latter, occasionally the first with it) so I will often check my heart rate (absolutely paranoid about people seeing me do this), but it will almost always be normal.
- I will either hold my breath (I feel like I have to) or become hyperaware of it, thinking it’s spinning out of control when it likely sounds normal to others around me
- my lungs will feel as though they have limited capacity, which causes discomfort in my chest. I will feel like I can’t breathe very deeply, and especially if I hold my breath repeatedly, I will feel like I’m not getting enough oxygen. I can sometimes get a relatively deep breath in there, but I have to focus so hard in order to do so. 
- I will either become especially jittery (leg bouncing twice as fast as it normally does) or I will go completely still and kind of freeze up (I am otherwise never completely still). When I freeze up, I become too scared to move, feeling kind of trapped in my body and also fearful of other people noticing me.
- it will become extremely difficult (or impossible) to focus on anything else until it’s over 

If anyone one saw me having an “episode”, I’m sure they would think I was completely fine.

Symptoms I DON’T have:
- feelings of dread, like I am going to die
- hyperventilation
- bodily numbness/tingling
- constant fear/paranoia of when the next one will come

I understand none of you are likely “qualified” to answer, and I’m not looking for a diagnosis either. Just looking for opinions so I don’t feel like I’m going crazy here :) And if anyone has an advice on what to do when this happens, I would also greatly appreciate it.