Washington, February 25 : An anxiety-stricken Kate Winslet had a panic attack a month before the Academy Awards.

The 33-year-old finally won the gong, after five previous nominations, for her portrayal of a German woman with a secret Nazi past in the romantic drama "The Reader" this year.

The actress confessed making a desperate call to her sister after suffering the jitters.

"I didn''t know what it was. It was a little like when your water (breaks), and you think, ''Did I just pee a bit, or is this it?''" Contactmusic quoted her as telling Time magazine.

"I called my sister and said, ''I can''t breathe, and I feel like I''ve got a brick on my chest and I''m seeing funny, and it sounds like everyone''s talking to me in Hebrew.''

"She said, ''Yeah, that''s a panic attack,''" she added. (ANI)