How Does A Panic Attack Feel?

Question

What can cause this ?
What does these attacks feel like?
How do you deal with this?

Answer 1

THEY COME ON QUICK YOU FEEL TINGLING ALL OVER, FLUSHED FACE,SHAKES, LIKE YOU CANT BREATH, YOUR BIGGEST FEAR IS YOUR DYING, NUMBING ALL OVER YOUR BODY,DIZZINESS, RACING PULSE, LIGHT HEADED AND FEAR.

Answer 2

They were horrible. My first happened just before christmas after a long period of health worries, I'm not sure if this was the trigger its best not to think too much about such things.

I would feel dizzy and lightheaded. would feel a sensation of needing to escape - its hard to describe. Its like your afraid but you dont know what of. My anxiety lasted for about 2 - 3 months, it was a time of fear of another attack coming on and if i'd be able to handle it.

The important thing is to understand that the attacks will not hurt you and its best to ride out the symptoms and not run away. Running away just increases your fear. I was prescribed a low dosage of Fluoxetine to deal with my anxiety and depression which they thought I had. Also did Yoga, read self help books on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and generally tried to improve my health / diet.

Importantly you need to know that YOU create the attacks and as such you can stop them. I've got to the point where I can mentally talk myself out of them. Once your not affraid anymore you will find they stop.

Wishing you well.

Answer 3

Everyone may have differant feelings they get with an anxiety attack (panic attack) I will tell you how my attacks feel, what triggers them and how I deal with them. But remember everyone deal's with their attacks in their own way, and their attacks may differ from everyone elses and the triggers may be differant.

At the end of a long day when I am feeling overly tired and sleepy, yet awake too and stressed. That is a trigger for me.

Being some place other then my "safe" places. I have agorphobia too. Which means I panic when I go to unfamilar places. etc.

And also when I have been under alot of stress and depression will also bring on attacks.

And sometimes they just come on out of the blue.

First my entire face/head gets numb. I feel like I can't breath. I gasp for air. My throat feel's like it is closing and swelling together, my heart rate goes up past 140 beats per minute, I gag untill I almost throw up, I get a nervous dry hacking cough, my arm's and hands tremble, chills/trembles run down the backs of my leg's, i get heart palpatations, I get very dizzy from hyperventilating, black out sometimes, my leg's also get weak as if I can't walk.

I usually get all of these physical symptoms. With these comes the mental symptoms which are thoughs of....

Am I going to die?

Will I stop breathing and have to be put on a respirator? Will I stop breathing and die? Could this be a bad asthma attack?

I think I'm having a heart attack! What if I pass out! I think I need to go to the emergency room, Whats wrong with me!

This is what I do to deal with these terrible attacks.

I get a pen and paper and an ice pack and fan. I sit or lay infront of the fan blowing cool air on my face, I hold an ice pack to my throat, chest and head. I then write a letter to myself. It will say something like this..

you are 100% okay. This is just a panic attack. You have been thru them 100 times. It will pass. take some deep breaths. You will be fine. Just relax. yadda yadda

This help's me to get back to my normal self since a panic attack can sometimes make you not think the way you normally would. And using the pen/pencil help's my mind to focus on writting which helps also. The fan helps me to get air and slow my breathing and the ice just helps me relax.

I hope any of this help's. Panic Disorder is a very, very hard disorder to have to live with. For me it is a weekly, sometimes daily struggle, even being on 2 medications for it and in therepy. I just have to cope and work on it as they come.

I wish you the very best.

Answer 4

A feeling that something dreadful is about to happen to you.
You feel a tightness in ur chest and a sensation that ur not able to take in enough oxygen. You want to run, but u don`t quite know where to run to. It`s a feeling of being very frightened, but not quite knowing what u r frightened of. A state of anxious uneasiness. Can be brought on by some physical symptom, a post traumatic event or by no reason one knows of. There r medications that can help keep these attacks under control or after an attack they subside without further intervention. If u would like more info go to this site: MedicineNet.com

Answer 5

A panic attack is caused by anxiety disorder, usually paralleled with depression.

Your heart races, you become sweaty, hyperventilate, become dizzy, nauseous, and shaky.

I deal with anxiety with prescription Zoloft. But before my diagnosis, my parents would have to calm me down and give me a brown bag to breathe into to ease the hyperventilating. I was also given relaxation stretches to keep my mind off of the attack while it was happening.

Panic attacks are scary and exhausting.

Answer 6

I have had anxiety disorder and, as a result, ungodly panic attacks, which include but are not limited to, heart palpitations, cold sweats, inability to sleep and uncontrollable shaking, since I was fourteen years old.

Answer 7

Just be happy you dont know!