What Does A Panic Attack Feel Like?
What does a panic attack feel like? Are you wondering whether or not you exhibit symptoms of an anxiety disorder? Women suffer from anxiety disorders at a rate higher than the general population. Although many situations in life make us nervous, a panic attack is much more severe. A panic attack is a sudden feeling of disabling and acute anxiety. What does a panic attack feel like? To put it simply, it feels like the world is ending, and you can’t stop it.
If you suffer from anxiety, check out Soledad House’s women’s treatment programs.
What Does A Panic Attack Feel Like? What Are The Symptoms?
When asking, “what does a panic attack feel like?”, it helps to know the general symptoms. Symptoms commonly exhibited by people with panic attacks include:
- Trembling
- Pounding heartbeat
- Cold and hot flashes
- Nausea
- Shallow breathing
Panic attacks happen when, in the face of difficult situations, someone feels that they’ve lost control. Losing control triggers your body to respond with the symptoms listed above, reflecting fear openly. The duration of a panic attack depends on how long an individual has had panic attacks. For instance, someone having their first panic attack may suffer symptoms longer. Typically, panic attacks last between 5 and 20 minutes. Unlike other bodily responses to anxiety, we cannot determine the frequency of panic attacks. Panic attack frequency varies from person to person.
What Does A Panic Attack Feel Like vs. Anxiety?
It is important to note that experiencing a panic attack is not the same as experiencing general anxiety. Anxiety is an intense form of worry or stress. While anxiety has triggers, anxiety is a mental condition that can exist outside of its triggers. A panic attack, on the other hand, has immediate, noticeable physical symptoms. Panic attacks can happen without warning and with no apparent reason or trigger. In other words, anxiety is a mental condition that isn’t openly apparent, whereas panic attacks are episodic and physically noticeable.
Symptoms of anxiety include:
- Feeling on edge
- Intense worry and stress
- Feeling agitated or irritable
- Fixating on a single thought, usually negative
- Having difficulty concentrating
- Restless sleep or inability to sleep
Where and When Do Panic Attacks Occur?
The “where” and “when” of panic attacks differ for almost everyone. Some people have panic attacks under pressure, while others have panic attacks without warning and for no apparent reason. Panic attacks can happen at night or in the morning, to adults and children. Finding the root trigger of your panic attack is the first step towards a healthy coping strategy.
How To Treat Panic Attacks
Panic attacks make you live in fear and feel helpless, never knowing when they might reoccur. If you’re ready to seek help at a women’s anxiety treatment program, consider Soledad House. Exclusively for women, Soledad House offers healing to women who struggle with a wide range of concerns. If you’re suffering from panic attacks and anxiety, you can benefit from the following:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Mindfulness meditation therapy
- Exercise therapy
- Recreational therapy
- Dual diagnosis treatment
Don’t panic about panic attacks — Soledad House is here to help you. Contact us online or call 866.314.3222 to start your anxiety treatment today.
