The Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack

Anxiety Attacks are slightly different from Panic Attacks. Panic attacks often occur out of the blue, you aren’t sure what has caused them, and they’re often more severe. Anxiety attacks generally intensify over a period of time and is linked to the anxiety you’ve been feeling. The symptoms can also last days, rather than just whilst panicking. Because of this, it makes them very debilitating.

I’ve been dealing with anxiety attacks alongside panic attacks since I was 13 and often felt at my witsend. But through going to therapy I’ve learnt how to keep the symptoms under control by recognising what they are.

Usually my anxiety will settle a few days before I have to do something that causes me stress. I went through a stage where I felt immense anxiety going to school. Friday night I will feel great, the anxiety I felt would dissipate. However, I’ll wake up Saturday morning with what felt like a stone in my stomach, and my anxiety would wash over me. At this point the symptoms I’ll experience are hand sweating, hot flushes, and nausea. The nausea is the worst, as it’d make it difficult for me to eat, which would only increase the symptoms. It felt like I was in a never ending cycle. From then on I would only get worse.

Sunday morning I’ll wake up sweating, as nightmares became a common thing. Throughout the day I’d experience waves of anxiety. This generally came from anything related to school being mentioned: one of my friends asking about homework, my mum getting my lunch box out, even seeing my uniform in my wardrobe. When I have these waves of anxiety I’ll feel an incredible sense of dread settle in me, I’ll go hot all over and my heartbeat will increase causing me to hear it  and then my pulse points will start pounding. This will happen for around 5 minutes until the subject of school has been forgotten and my anxiety will settle to a smaller level.

Monday morning is where my symptoms would be at their worse. It got to the point where I’ll start putting my uniform on and feel a wave of anxiety course through me, I’ll feel sick, start shaking, and get hot flushes or chills, from there I’ll start to hear my heartbeat and my pulse points will start pounding. Then the palpitations will set in, only with the levels of anxiety I’ll have been feeling over the weekend, it’ll be harder to stop and will generally result in a panic attack.

This is an example of how the symptoms can build over a period of time, anxiety attacks don’t always present themselves like this, and they might not lead into full scale panic. A symptom that I’ll feel on a more daily occurrence is a knot in my stomach. This is where my stomach will feel twisted and unsettled, often this feeling with settle if I’m doing something that unnerves me. For example, if I know we’re having a package delivered and I’m the only one in, I know I’ll have to answer the door, which instantly makes my stomach twist and my hands start sweating.

Not everyone can feel everything, and this is just an example of the symptoms I have. However, there are many more:

A feeling of overwhelming fear

Feeling of going crazy or losing control

A surge of doom and gloom

An urgency to escape

Dizziness

Feeling like you’re in grave danger

Heart Palpitations

Trembling

Sweating

Shortness of breath

Feeling like you might pass out

Chest pressure or pain

Turning pale

Feeling detached from reality

Weak in the knees

Burning skin

Pins and needles

Hot and cold flushes

Numbness and tingling sensations

These symptoms can be very debilitating and can take your focus away from your day and ensure that the anxiety you’re feeling is the only thing on your mind, which is then feeding it. The important thing to remember is that the anxiety will always pass, and even though it feels like you’ll never feel calm again, you will.

These are the symptoms that affect me the most during an anxiety attack, but you might not feel this way. It important to learn what happens to your own body and identify how to help yourself. Anxiety is a very debilitating thing, if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms then it’s best to get it checked by a doctor and get the help you need.

References:

Featured image by Laurenz Kleinheider on Unsplash

First image by Cassidy Kelley on Unsplash

Second image by Xavier Sotomayor on Unsplash

Last image by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

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