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How dangerous are the physical symptoms of a panic attack-when I have one I feel like I could die?

Profile: iona
iona on Sep 26, 2014
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In my experience, I get the most horrid symptoms. Firstly, I get this sudden overwhelming fear that my chest will suddenly collapse, literally. Like it will suddenly self destruct. Then my breathing as a result messes up because I get paranoid my body is dying on me. And then I can feel my eyeballs in my eye sockets moving around trying to make sense of what I am doing. The walls feel like they are closing in on me and I have no way out. It's like my body is screaming but with no response. When they get super bad, I either am sick or pass out. It isn't the best thing in the world. And the worst thing is they can be triggered from practically nothing.
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Profile: CMThornRose
CMThornRose on Nov 11, 2014
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Not dangerous at all so try not to worry about that too. It is often described as feeling as though you are having a heart attack which I myself can relate to. You will feel short on breath, sharp chest pains, sometimes writhing in agony and have pins and needles due to the racing heart with shortness of breath but you will not die.
Profile: Randy1
Randy1 on Dec 11, 2015
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They are not dangerous at all, just uncomfortable. The only concern is that if you are driving you should pull over immediately, in case you pass out. But panic attacks are not life threatening.
Profile: niceninja412
niceninja412 on Nov 11, 2014
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They can be dangerous and you should seek help if possible,given that the attack allows you to move.
Profile: KatieB
KatieB on Nov 2, 2014
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A lot of people mistake panic attacks for physical illness - I once drove myself to hospital thinking that I was having a heart attack, when in fact it was a panic attack. The physical symptoms typically aren't dangerous (although they feel that way) - chest pain is most often stress, not anything dire. However, when you hyperventilate or your heart beats too hard you are at risk of fainting. Your body is incredibly aroused during a panic attack, so use abdominal breathing, deep muscle relaxation and keep hydrated during the course of the attack. Despite the relatively benign physical symptoms, panic attacks can be quite emotionally disabling. If you experience them, seek professional help, because if you work at the problem from its origin, you can stop the panic attacks for good. :)
Profile: Sh4una
Sh4una on Dec 24, 2015
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In my personal experiences with panic attacks I've realised that feeling like you're going to drop dead or the world is just going to swallow you up is a common thing, I've learnt that there is no real way to be told how to "stop this" you should try and find your own way and go with what you think is best, for example during a panic attack I will always try and play a game on my phone!
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Oct 12, 2014
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Nowise, the physical symptoms of panic attack includes mainly hyperventilation (fast and deep breathing) and palpitation (fast and strong heartbeat) which causes hyperoxygenation of organism and you can feel tingling in limbs, fainting or you can have feeling like you are going out of your body or like having heart attack. But in fact, you are in control all the time, it's only fight or flight reaction which is normal part of organisms auto defense system. But in panic attack it is triggered in situations that didn't contain any risk or danger. Everything that happens is normal and natural reaction of organism, but in this situation you have scare from the triggered fight/flight reaction and it makes that symptoms worsen and that trigger another defense reaction and that scares you.... It's vicious circle. But in every case, it's not dangerous! It's only abnormal, and for your calm, it's normal to feel abnormal in abnormal situation. But one of the important things is to calm yourself and wait if the attack disappear, if not after about 2 hours or if it's worsening, it's strongly recommended go to the hospital and get an assessment. The reaction itself is very energy consuming, so whether the body wants or not it must after some time end it.
Profile: cakeinthebath
cakeinthebath on May 21, 2015
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Panic attacks are very stressful, but they cannot kill you. Think of your body as having a "panic tank", and once that's empty, you return to calm. That's why panic attacks end by themselves.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Dec 18, 2015
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panic attack do not lead to death no matter how bad you are feeling from one. taking deep breaths and relaxing is key to helping a panic attack pass. always seek medical care if you are suffering from panic attacks as this may be a sign of an underlying mental health condition.
Profile: Elliott13
Elliott13 on Oct 6, 2014
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Panic attacks are not all that physically dangerous. Although it might feel like you're dying, that is because your body is in panic mode, which may make it difficult to move, think, or even just breathe. When you are having a panic attack, it might be helpful to remind yourself that you are not actually in physical danger.
Profile: TheITGuy
TheITGuy on Dec 17, 2015
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My therapist told me, that there are only minimal dangers in physical form. He told me, the worst thing that can happen is that you pass out (and thats rare!). And physical damage will be a cause of the passing out (e.g. hitting the ground). But normally, you should not have a physical damage after a panic attack is over.
Profile: FreshThoughts
FreshThoughts on Sep 10, 2014
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The physical symptoms aren't as bad as first presumed, it's an instant state of worry in which you'll eventually come out of, although scary you will progress through it.
Profile: remnantshadow
remnantshadow on Oct 22, 2014
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I know this has to be really stressful on you and I'm sorry you are experiencing this. The physical symptoms of a panic attack can make you feel like you are going crazy, loosing control, and even like you are experiencing a heart attack. But they can't kill you.
Profile: globaldu72
globaldu72 on Dec 16, 2015
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Very little indeed. Even if you were to manage to hold your breath until you passed out, your body would automatically start regular breathing again.
Profile: bvbcharlotte
bvbcharlotte on Apr 3, 2016
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They are not dangerous, when you have a panic attack it may feel like your throat is closing, you can't breathe, you are dizzy, your heart is beating fast, your fingertips might tingle, but you need to remember that you are not in any immediate danger. Its difficult to convince yourself that physical symptoms are not harmful but if you worry about it, it might feel like they are getting worse. Sit down, relax your body one muscle at a time, legs, chest, shoulders, arms and face, and breathe out through your mouth, your body will automatically breathe back in for you, just keep doing this and you should start to feel a little more calm within a minute or so. :-)
Profile: Cash889
Cash889 on Dec 26, 2015
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I've found that most physical symptoms are harmless, yet terrifying. Some symptoms though, such as serious hyperventilation or any affect that hinders your breathing or your brain should definitely be followed up by a visit to your doctor or a trip to the ER.
Profile: Anonymous
Anonymous on Aug 18, 2015
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well you dont actually die n but what you can do is go to somewhere where you can breath as fast as you can and get some water before it gets worst or ask for help
Profile: vyyvvy
vyyvvy on Jan 2, 2016
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Nowise, the physical symptoms of panic attack includes mainly hyperventilation (fast and deep breathing) and palpitation (fast and strong heartbeat) which causes hyperoxygenation of organism and you can feel tingling in limbs, fainting or you can have feeling like you are going out of your body or like having heart attack. But in fact, you are in control all the time, it's only fight or flight reaction which is normal part of organisms auto defense system. But in panic attack it is triggered in situations that didn't contain any risk or danger. Everything that happens is normal and natural reaction of organism, but in this situation you have scare from the triggered fight/flight reaction and it makes that symptoms worsen and that trigger another defense reaction and that scares you.... It's vicious circle. But in every case, it's not dangerous! It's only abnormal, and for your calm, it's normal to feel abnormal in abnormal situation. But one of the important things is to calm yourself and wait if the attack disappear, if not after about 2 hours or if it's worsening, it's strongly recommended go to the hospital and get an assessment. The reaction itself is very energy consuming, so whether the body wants or not it must after some time end it.
Profile: SimplyBeing
SimplyBeing on May 8, 2016
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The best answer is to talk to your doctor about how your symptoms impact you. Many people experience panic attacks. The sense of impending doom is part of having profound fear, Fear is a natural emotion and it serves to protect us in dangerous situations so it is not directly harmful. In my experience most of the risk from panic involves how we make decisions when we are in such a state of fear. Making hasty decisions or doing risky things because we are panicked is a real issue and one your doctor can help with. He can also tell you if the stress you experience during a panic attack is a risk to you because of other health issues you may have. I wish you peace ~J
Profile: Shasha1997alias
Shasha1997alias on Oct 31, 2014
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Listen I'm not going to chase death well i'll find a way to discuss my problem with someone or maybe i could feel better
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