I frequently hear from clients that they have anxiety but aren’t sure if they have experienced a panic attack. Panic attacks can look different from person to person and might not be what you expect it to look like. Often people think they are having a heart attack and end up in the ER where the doctor rules out everything medical. Generally speaking, if your anxiety has reached the point that you are physically feeling it and feel out of control— you are probably experiencing a panic attack.
Here are some common symptoms to look for:
increased heart rate/blood pressure
sweating (hot or cold)
trembling, shaking (usually hands but can be other body parts)
difficulty breathing
feeling of choking (might be gasping for air)
nausea or abdominal distress
feeling dizzy, unsteady, or faint
chest pain or discomfort
derealization or depersonalization (feeling that you aren’t real, time might slow down, out of body experience)
irritability and angry outbursts
ringing in your ears
vision changes (tunnel vision, blurry)
numbness or tingling sensations
fear of losing control or going crazy
fear of dying
Anxiety can build to the point of having a panic attack and you might have straw that broke the camel’s back moment where it was something small and seemingly insignificant that set you off. It can sometimes come ‘out of nowhere’. Panic attacks are like trains— once you start on it, it is really hard to get off. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to manage the symptoms until it is over.
There are many ways to help. I have talked before about coping skills including deep breathing and mindfulness. This would be a good time to pull that out of your tool box and try it. Even if it only manages to take you from a 10 to a 9 on the scale, the point is that it has helped reduce your tension and stress levels. If you keep using these tools, it will help you calm down so you might be able to identify the trigger and hopefully we can make a plan for how to deal with it next time.
