Anxiety Attack Symptoms
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders.
That is a huge percentage (18%) of the whole population of the US.
Knowing that you are not alone, that anxiety is a real disease, may help you cope a little bit better if you suffer from anxiety.
There are actually 5 types of anxiety disorders, and they all involve being acutely afraid when there is actually nothing to be afraid of.
* panic disorder,
* obsessive-compulsive disorder-OCD,
* post-traumatic stress disorder – PTSD,
* social phobia,
* specific phobias, and
* generalized anxiety disorder
We will focus on what the doctors call panic disorder, which the rest of us call anxiety or panic attacks.
Over 6 million Americans suffer from panic disorder, and the highest risk is for women who are between childhood and middle age. While some people experience a single panic attack and never see another one, for most people the problem lasts 6 months to several years.
Anxiety attacks are sudden attacks of terror, where you lose touch with reality, and feel an impending sense of doom. Panic attacks can occur when you are sleeping or awake. While some symptoms can last several hours, the intense feelings usually peak in about 10 minutes.
Physical symptoms can include the following:
* a pounding heart
* sweatiness
* feeling weakness
* feeling faint
* feeling dizzy
* feeling flush or chilled
* tingling or numbing feelings in the hands
* upset stomach
* chest pain
* smothering sensations.
Being scared of ones own physical symptoms is very common with anxiety attacks. People having panic attacks sometimes believe they are losing their minds, having heart attacks, minds, or on the verge of death. They can worry intensely about when the next attack will come.
Panic attacks often are accompanied by other problems, such as depression. Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or hopelessness, alcoholism and drug abuse, changes in appetite or sleep patterns, low energy, and difficulty concentrating.
People who have several repeated anxiety attacks often avoid situations or places where such attacks have occurred.
For example, if a panic attack happened in an airplane, someone with panic disorder can develop a strong fear of flying.
Some peoples lives become so restricted that they avoid normal activities, like driving or grocery shopping. About 33% become housebound, only venturing out when with someone else. When the condition progresses this far, it is called agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces.
Early treatment can prevent agoraphobia, but people with panic disorder may sometimes go from doctor to doctor for years before someone correctly diagnoses their condition.
I had a similar experience with panic attacks:
My first anxiety attack was at age 21 and continued for several years. I felt this impending disaster coming but did not know what. My physical symptoms included feeling dizzy and smothering sensations.
My doctor started me on beta blockers and then other tranquilizers, but I found these didn’t really stop the attacks, they only made me feel better temporarily. Because they were expensive, and had nasty side effects, I eventually stopped them.
I then tried deep breathing and exercise, neither of which stopped my anxiety attacks.
I completely stopped flying, social encounters, and driving for about 3 years.
I finally found a way to stop these panic attacks. I felt eternally grateful that they had stopped, and I now try to provide support and information to others who suffer from panic attacks.
