The Symptoms of a Panic Attack

At 13 years old, I had my first panic attack and I was so confused. I was sitting in a maths lesson and my heart started pounding. My hands became clammy, my breathing started to pick up, and my vision went blurry. I can’t remember what happened after that. The next thing I remember was sitting outside the classroom with my teacher kneeling in front of me looking shocked. She told me I had a panic attack, and as soon as I got home I made it my mission to know everything about them.

Panic attacks aren’t uncommon. 1.5 percent of the U.S. population (about 3.3 million American adults) age 18 and older will experience a panic attack in a year. This is an incredible number. Most of the time, people don’t realise that they are having a panic attack as it often feels like a heart attack. But it’s important to know what is happening so you can stop it and prevent it in the future.

My panic attacks generally happen when I’ve been subconsciously worrying about something. My anxiety will build up until it gets too much and I’ll go into extreme panic. Every time I go through one, I get incredibly scared, I feel worthless and like I’ve let myself down. I also feel an incredible sense of dread, like something disastrous is going to happen. This feeling often stays with me throughout a panic attack and then dissipates after the panic has started to subside. When I started to gain control of the panic, I would feel tired, and upset. If it’s been particularly nasty, I’ll fall asleep from exhaustion.

Even though I have been suffering with them for over 5 years, they still don’t get any easier. Sometimes I can get over them quicker. But most of the time, they’re still as scary and debilitating as when I first started dealing with them. What has helped me to feel less stress when I have one is to know the symptoms. And recognise what my body is doing. Being able to identify the symptoms quickly and not get swept up by the panic can help to gain control and reduce the anxiety I will feel.

One of the biggest symptoms that affects me is hyperventilating. Often, the first indicator that I’m having a panic attack is my heartbeat increasing. I’ll hear my heartbeat in my ears and then my pulse points will start pounding. Once this has started, I’ll feel more panicked and then start gasping for air. Because I’m not getting enough air in my lungs, my arms and legs will go numb, resulting in me collapsing and becoming more agitated.  

Another symptom that impacts me is dizziness. This can be extremely scary, as it’s difficult to bring myself out of a panic when my head is spinning.  I can’t employ my usual methods of calming myself down (naming 5 things I can see) when I can’t focus. Dizziness sometimes leads to nausea, which, again, makes it difficult to calm myself down, and can amplify the panic and sense of dread I feel.

I’ll also hear a ringing in my ears. This, coupled with the dizziness, is very alarming. Losing the ability to see or hear fully increases my panic as I feel I’m losing control of my senses. 

After I have a panic attack I sometimes find it difficult to recall exactly what happened during it. Almost like my brain doesn’t want to revisit what happened. I will also feel extreme tiredness after it’s passed and generally nauseous up to an hour after.

With all of this happening to my body, it’s very difficult to gain control and stop the panic. It took me a long time to even begin to talk myself out of it. I am still sometimes unable to successfully pull myself out and end up just waiting until I naturally finish panicking.

The important thing to remember is that the panic will always pass. Even though it feels like you’ll never have control again, you will. Panic attacks can feel like all your worse experiences combined, but they’re not dangerous. An attack won’t cause you any physical harm, and it’s unlikely that you’ll be admitted to the hospital if you have one.

These are the symptoms that affect me the most during a panic 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.

We here at Psych2go would love to hear your thoughts and experiences! Have you ever had a panic attack? What was it like for you? Leave a comment below!

References:

Featured image by Allef Vinicius on Unsplash

First image by Xavier Sotomayor on Unsplash

Second image by Redd Angelo on Unsplash

Last imageby Redd Angelo on Unsplash

 

Edited by Viveca Shearin

Leave your vote

1 point
Upvote Downvote

Total votes: 1

Upvotes: 1

Upvotes percentage: 100.000000%

Downvotes: 0

Downvotes percentage: 0.000000%

Related Articles

Responses

Leave a Reply to Valencia S. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. I love how personal this was. You not only explained in great detail some of the symptoms of panic attacks but you told a story as you went along. There are probably a lot of people who have suffered from panic attacks in the past and attributed it to something else and your article brings awareness about not only knowing the symptoms but knowing which ones are most relevant to you. I also liked how you included tips that help you most while experiencing a panic attack. For people who experience similar symptoms, this is really helpful information.

    I think that since the article is titled ” The Symptoms of a Panic Attack” it might be wise to end with all of the potential symptoms of a panic attack. It wouldn’t take away from your previous points and it would provide a nice closing to the article. It would also provide people who aren’t fully aware of the symptoms of their panic attacks with a list to review after reflecting on your words. They could look at the symptoms and apply your logic y about knowing which symptoms affect them immediately.

    Great job!

Psych2Go

Hey there!

Forgot password?

Forgot your password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Close
of

Processing files…