Is this a flashback or panic attack or something else?

Last night I became hyper-vigilant, aroused, terrified, thinking he was angry at me and coming for me. I told myself I was being irrational, that nothing is going to happen, but I could feel my eyes were wide open as my eyes continued to check every window, every door. I locked the doors and closed the curtains but I was still aroused. I sat in a corner away from all the windows until I felt safe and calmed down enough to try to sleep.

When I went into my bedroom a light shined through my window (probably a car) and I dropped to the floor and hyperventilated so quickly my cheeks and fingers immediately felt tingly and I felt light headed in only a matter of seconds. Maybe 3 or 4 seconds.

My boyfriend woke up, I was trying so hard not to wake him up over this. He asked if I was okay, what happened, but I was shaking, hyperventilating, and staring at the window. I couldn't reply. He stayed up with me for an hour or two, I'm not sure. It was hard for me to think and form a coherent sentence. I told him I know I'm being irrational, that it's stupid, but I couldn't stop it. I ducked down to the floor a few more times, it was embarrassing.

But I was aware of where I was. I didn't hallucinate him or feel like I was being attacked or hurt. Just afraid that I would be. I was aware of the color of the walls, the objects around me, where I was, who my boyfriend was...

What was this episode?

If it is, and it very well maybe, there had to have been a trigger. Sometimes they can be very hard to find. Your mind may sometimes while sorting out its files, open the wrong one.

How long since the incident ??

Sounds very rough, hope you are okay.

A friend had told me that my ex fiance tried to contact him. We've been broken up for five years but apparently he tried to contact my friend about a year ago, asking if he wanted a touch up on his tattoo. There was no reason for this, they live states apart. There's no reason for that much traveling for a $50 touch up. My friend blocked him after he said a few curse words as a reply to him. But I just found out about this a couple of days ago.

It made me wonder, worry, why did he try and contact my friend? I'm not okay with that. Has he tried to contact any of my other friends? Why? The tattoo touch up doesn't make sense. I started to worry he's trying to get back into contact with me, maybe find out where I live. I made a Facebook post asking my friends not to tell him anything about me including where I live and what I'm doing. I wanted to prevent an issue from springing up this way. But I thought, what if he found out about my post. Some of his friends are still my friends. Would he be mad? I tried to keep the post vague, not mentioning why but just asking that they please not talk about me to him.

That night was the night I had this episode.

Yep, from that I guess it was panic/hyper vigilance.(no professional just educated guess)

Just real glad your boyfriend was there to help.

Take care