What happens during a panic attack
What can happen during an attack are flashbacks, heavy breathing and crying. In flashbacks, you can see traumatized events, loved ones who have died. The heavy breathing include fast or slow, it doesn't always have to be fast. Usually when it's hard to breathe. Crying, can occur when you don't even know why, or it happens when you have to hold in a thought and when you are finally alone you let it all out and crying is all you can do.
Panic attacks can also take the form of a fight/flight response maybe? Someone panics because they think something is happening and then they respond in a way that does not make sense (just emotions, I'm not talking danger)and later regret it. I had this happen and then had an ocd type attack because I could not so far fix what I did in a flight response and confusion and misunderstanding. I didn't even know I had a real anxiety issue or what the other person's issue wasor I wouldn't have acted on it.
I'm copying this from one of my favorite books about anxiety, 'The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook' by Edmund J. Bourne, PhD.
"In a panic attack, your sympathetic nervous system sets off several different bodily reactions rapidly and intensely. First, it causes your adrenal glands to release large amounts of adrenaline. What you feel is a sudden 'jolt', often accompanied by a feeling of dread or terror. Within seconds, the excess adrenaline can cause 1) your heart to race, 2) your respiration to become rapid and shallow, 3) profuse sweating, 4) trembling and shaking, and 5) cold hands and feet.Your sympathetic nervous system also produces muscle contractions (the most extreme case of this is when an animal 'freezes' in fear), possibly leading you to experience strong contractions in your chest or throat along with a fear of not being able to breathe..."
"It is important to realize that the adrenaline released during panic tends to be reabsorbed by the liver and kidneys within a few minutes. If you can 'ride out' the bodily symptoms of panic without fighting them or telling yourself how horrible they are, they will tend to subside within a short time".
Okay, so is it a panic attack if someone is talking about something I have a lot of anxiety about such as a phobia and I become light headed and feel like throwing up and I absolutely can't get it out of my head. I also get really shaky and my heart races or sometimes if I'm laying in bed it's hard to breathe. But some of the things people say are parts of panic attacks I don't experience... so am I having panic attacks or what?!
People have all sorts of different things happen to them when they have a panic attack. For me, it's immobilizing fear accompanied by rapid breathing, irregular heart beat, and intense feelings of panic. But other people may feel differently. Sometimes panic attacks have triggers and sometimes they don't. It really just depends on the person.
I have all those reactions. Shallow breathing, tingly feeling, get immobilized, feel that I am going to die, helplessness, feel light headed and worrying too much and depressed.
i feel ya. same things happen to me all the time. its so scary and frustrating.
ill be praying you ya
This is all so true. Thanks for summing up what I can never communicate.
How do you know when your having a panic attack? Because i never know when im having one or not and its just makes everything worse. Like my anixety and nervousess.
Dear @IsabelleEileen, Other members have asked how to determine whether they're actually having a Panic Attack or "just" an episode of severe anxiety.
For my purposes, I don't need to know theperfect diagnosis or be sure of the one and onlyaccurate label -- if a person is experiencing symptoms of severe anxiety and they're suffering, the ways to help themare basicallythe same as for a panic attack. The techniques to feel better are pretty muchthe same, I think.
I guess what I mean is, I don't think it matters whether a person is havinga diagnosable Panic Attack or Generalized Anxiety Disorder or a temporary episode of severe anxietywhen they come to 7 Cups for help and support. The suffering is real, no matter the label.
And we're here to help a person experiencing anxiety or panic, regardless of whetherthe preciselabel is known. I think that the self-guided courseshere at 7 Cupsregarding Anxiety and Panic Attacks areuseful for lots of visitors regardless of how a doctor might categorize their distress.
Sorry for the misspelling, @IsabellEileen.
not fun
I have quite a lot of triggers with my anxiety that can lead to panic attacks. For example if I get really embarrassed or feel like everyone is talking about me 9/10 I'll have a panic attack. Other triggers for me include if I get stressed out about something, thinking about the future, the past, I've even had one before becauseI wasn't well and I was supposed to go for blood tests and I didn't want to, So yeah there can be lots of different triggers.
I have them for the same reason. Its usually people anxiety. I cannot cope with society or people in general and they get all too confusing for me so I get a panic attack.
Everyonce in a while I have this thing happen where I get really bad cramps and have to go to the bathroom where my digestive system decides to emptyitself, sometimes from both ends.Myheart pounds and I'm sweating, thinking it's the worst feeling in the world. ThenI have to lay on the floor for 15 or moreminutes until I feel strong enough to get up and go lay on the bed. Then I pretty much can't do anything for the rest of the day. I've gone to several doctors about it and they told me it was a panic attack. Does anyone experience things like this?
Dear @ScarletLetters, I have chatted with guests and members who described physical symptoms very similar to the ones you describe. I hope some members willstop by here and share their experiences. In the meantime, you could visit the Anxiety Support chat room here at 7 Cups and ask this questionof the group. I've seen some really wonderful discussions in that chat room.
I just found out to my disbelief that what I have been experiencing is panic attacks. I have burning, tingling, and numbness all over my body is pure anxiety attacks. I'm trying to control them. Its not easy but it will be ok.I was taking several meds for anxiety and now trying to learn how to deal with them now that i know.