Panic!

I had a panic attack in the middle of the night a few days ago. I really scared my roommate when it happened. Wow, I scared myself too! So I used to have panic attacks in the middle of the night maybe once a year starting with puberty. The last time it had happened though was while in college, maybe six years ago. I really had thought I was done with them. At least that was my hope. I really do not know what to think of this latest occurrence though. The following night I was afraid to fall asleep fearing it could happen again. I tried to explain what was going on to my roommate and later to my girlfriend but it seemed impossible to accurately describe. I was thinking it must be something of how it feels to lose ones mind. I woke up with a start. Although I was aware of who I was and where I was, I also felt detached from myself. I felt out of control even though I had control. My thoughts were incredibly irrational, like I was pretty sure I was going to die momentarily. I had jumped out of bed, had trouble breathing, heart was pounding, woke my roommate up and told him to just talk to me, and was pacing throughout the room. All of this probably went on for fifteen to twenty minutes. Most of this finally, slowly lifted as a fog gradually burns off with the sun. But I had a continued sense of dread and panic at the back of my mind and the bottom of my stomach. I slept past noon, not having done that since college, with aches and pains all over my body. I have no idea what caused this and I hope I never experience it again.