what are anxiety attacks?

Question

why do people have them?
does everyone get them sooner or later?
what do they feel like?
what are you thinking while youre having one?
what happends when you do have one?

ive seen this one girl have one one time.
but she's just like, weird.
i think it mightve been for attention..
do you think theyre made up in your mind?

Answer 1

They ARE NOT FOR ATTENTION. They are caused by overwhelming stress or a chemical imbalance. Not everybody has them, but there are many people in this world who do. You feel as though you are going to die (extreme cases) and very tense. You can't focus on anything else and you're really freaked out.

Answer 2

Anxiety attacks also known as panic attacks happen when surges of overwhelming fear come without warning and without any obvious reason. One out of every 75 people worldwide will experience a panic attack at one time in their lives.

Not everyone gets panic attacks. The first one can seem very frightening.

Many people feel like they're dying. I feel like I'm trapped and I need to escape. I am very upset and cry uncontrollably. When I am having an attack I am not thinking. Processing is very difficult and I find it overwhelming when people ask me questions. I feel like my body is doing everything it can to just do normal things like breathe.

Some people hyperventilate when they're panicking because they feel they can't breathe and start breathing rapidly taking in more oxygen than the blood can handle. That is why people are seen holding paper bags to their mouths. To intake carbon dioxide.

Panic attacks are not made up in the mind. They are very real and can be very alarming.

If you see someone having a panic attack, don't call 911. People don't die of panic attacks and they usually pass within 15-30 minutes. I don't like to be touched and I have to have my attack in private. Don't yell at the person or make them feel awkward. Be sympathetic, remind the person to breathe slowly, keep them in the present, help them not let their mind wander. Laughter helps me. I learned that recently. A coworker told me a joke. I laughed, hiccuped, and choked while inhaling.

But they're different for everybody.

Answer 3

Anxiety attacks are quite real. Most are brought on by stress, life worries, financial worries, etc. Others can be severe enough to just come on. Some people when one comes on get real jittery, unable to stay still. Very nervous, they may cry suddenly and other things. Depends on the person. I'm not sure what people think. When I have one, I'm usually thinking of too many horrible things at once which make the attack worse.

Answer 4

Anxiety attacks are definitely real - we have a high stress society, and finding relief from stress can be difficult. People who have a lot of stress and anxiety in their lives can develop panic disorders, and have panic attacks as part of that. Young women are most likely to suffer from panic disorders. For more information, and some great links to other resources on the subject, check out this article from medline:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/panicdisorder.html

Hope this helps,
Your friendly neighborhood librarian

Answer 5

Anxiety attacks are situations where you have extreme anxiety, heart palpitations, and strong bodily reactions such that you almost feel like you are going to die. Many situations may cause them over time and they all may have some quality that brings another anxiety provoking situation to mind.
Those who have them testify to their reality and these people may have constitutions that are predisposed to this condition. You can go to www.anxietycoach.com for more information. Some therapists believe that anxiety attacks occur because people have emotional dysregulation and overreact to various situations; they may be predisposed to this problem for a variety of reasons. Many people have suffered some trauma earlier in their life.

Answer 6

They are where people get stressed out and have weird Panic attacks. Not always everyday you would have it.