What Are Common Symptoms of a Panic Attack?

What exactly are panic and anxiety attacks?   

The American Psychiatric Association defines panic attacks as “a discrete period of intense discomfort or fear accompanied by at least 4 of 13 physical or cognitive problems”.  Indeed, experiencing less than 4 of the symptoms is referred to as a “limited symptom attack”.   

So, what are symptoms of anxiety attacks? 

Symptoms can include:  sweating, trembling, heart palpitations, shortness of breath or feeling of being suffocated, feelings of choking or smothering, chest discomfort or pain, diarrhea, cotton mouth, abdominal discomfort, dizziness, feeling on pins and needles, depersonalization, hot flushes or chills (APA, 1994).  Individuals suffering from this type of attack commonly report a fear of “losing control” in some way and/or thinking that they are going to die.  The cognitive and physical symptoms usually precede a strong desire to escape.   

In order to control panic attacks, one must learn about them. 

1.      Spontaneous panic attacks 

These are not associated with a trigger situation and appear to come “out of nowhere”.  They can actually occur during periods of relaxation or when one is sleeping! 

2.      Situational panic attacks 

These occur either when one is anticipating a situation or in a situation in which an attack has previously been experience. 

3.      Situational pre-disposed panic attacks 

Click Here to Stop Your Panic Anxiety Symptoms Immediately

Sometimes an individual is pre-disposed to having a panic attack during a certain situation.  The person many or may not, however, have an attack in the time immediately following the situation. 

All of these can be potentially bad, which is why it’s important for anyone suffering from them to prevent or stop a panic attack.   

What is the fight or flight response? 

Whenever a person is very anxious or even fearful, the fight or flight response is activated.  This is a response to the body’s survival mechanism to prepare to either stand and face the source of the threat or to run away and “survive”.  When this is triggered in the body, the hormone adrenaline courses through the body.  All systems that are not necessary for either fighting or fleeing are shut down. 

From a natural, evolutionary stand point, this makes perfect sense.  It gives us the capacity to run from a fire or flood, the strength to fight off an attacker, and the ability to move out of harm’s way.   

Now, many of what people believe to be symptoms of a panic attack are actually attributed to the fight or flight response.  This can be felt in anticipation of a stressful or feared situation or the fear of being attacked or having an attack.  In much the same way, the fear that arises from a spontaneous panic attack can trigger the fight or flight response.  The additional symptoms of such a response lead to additional feelings of distress and can extend the attack for a longer period of time.  Even after the initial attack subsides, an individual can still feel frightened.  

Symptoms of the fight or flight response (FFR) 

Heart palpitations, racing heartbeat, nausea, indigestion, loss of bladder control, flushed face, fatigue, dizziness, lump and throat, etc are all common symptoms of the FFR.  If you or anyone you know is experiencing any type of panic or anxiety attack, you need to know that you’re not the only one and that there is plenty of panic attack support out there that you can get RIGHT NOW. 

  Click Here to Stop Your Panic Anxiety Symptoms Immediately

  
Discover how to treat panic attack symptoms quickly with the best selling stop panic and anxiety self help course on the market; 
Panic Away.

by Patricia Adams