When an anxiety attack occurs, you might not know at first if it’s something serious or not. That is why it is imperative that you understand and are able to identify panic attack symptoms to avoid amping up anxiety levels at that point in time.
Typically, panic attacks will last for ten minutes (a bit longer at times), but it may feel like forever. At the start, you may recognize that you have difficulty in breathing. You may start taking short, quick breaths or feel like you can’t catch your breath.
Your heart will race in many instances. This pounding could be a scary experience, and there are some who believe that pounding paired with chest pain is an indication of a heart attack; however, this is just the onset of anxiety.
Other typical symptoms of a panic attack are shaking and trembling. When you’re suffering from anxiety you can feel fearful – and feelings of terror paired with intense sweating are more symptoms for panic attacks. In these instances, your body may seem to shudder involuntarily. And this shaking is one of the reasons people who have panic attacks fear being embarrassed by their condition when they’re in public.
While there are some who experience chills during their panic attacks, others go through intense sweating and hot flashes. And it’s not a guarantee that you will have any of these symptoms, since everybody has a different physical manifestation of anxiety.
These physical panic attack indicators endure through the episode where you might feel dizzy and like you will pass out. When an attack is imminent you must sit down and calm down, making sure you take deep breaths which will help keep you from becoming faint – a condition that could lead to injury.
An anxiety attack is frequently paired with nausea. You may have intense stomach cramps or get the sense that you’re going to vomit. As soon as the attack ends, these feelings and other physical symptoms will also fade.
The feeling like you’re going to choke is another symptom of a panic attack and one that can be especially frightening. Some people describe it as not being able to swallow or breathe. Some people describe it as someone placing a pillow on top of their face to suffocate them.
This is something that could result in an even greater affirmation that you will die, which is usually the direct result that people endure in the middle of a panic attack while they wait for it to go away. Some people know they won’t die, but just panic more because they feel like they’re out of control.
The final indicator of a panic attack is tingling toes and fingers. This sort of tingling or numbing sensation can mistakenly lead some people to believe that a heart attack is imminent. If you’re having a panic attack and your fingers and toes begin to go numb, just wait until the episode subsides.
Self help for panic attacks is an increasingly popular option for managing panic and anxiety disorders, and can also be highly effective. Learn more about it at Get Help for Panic Attacks.
