A panic attack is a sudden feeling of intense fear. Some people say they feel like they are going to die. Others become terrified that they are having a heart attack or a seizure.
One of the main symptoms of panic disorder is having panic attacks again and again.
Panic attack can happen to anyone and is resulted in many diverse and myriad reasons: it can be a one-time incident that will not occur again (Many people will experience one or two unprompted panic attack:s. i.e., a panic attack without a trigger or a preliminary signs) and it can happen very often making life miserable and unbearable. If you experience repeated panic attacks over an extended period of time, either spontaneously or in relations to another form of anxiety disorder, you might have panic disorder, which can be treated by a professional, your doctor or a psychologist.
Panic attacks can happen out of the blue, or when you feel generally anxious about a situation (although you may not get a panic attack every time you face a similar situation). They may happen every time you face a particular challenge, say speaking in public.
You'll usually have several symptoms during a panic attack. You may not get all of these with every attack. And your symptoms may change from one attack to another. The symptoms of a panic attack are similar to those that you would feel in a scary situation. For some people, symptoms may be triggered by a kind of deep and heavy breathing called hyperventilation.
Common Panic Attacks Symptoms
- Fear of losing control, going crazy, dying
- Feeling unsteady, dizzy, lightheaded, faint
- Feelings of choking
- Palpitations, pounding heart, or fast heart rate
- Headache
- Hot flashes
- Abdominal cramps
- Tunnel vision
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Chest pain
Panic attack symptoms typically last up to 30 minutes, while some attacks last for several hours or as little as few seconds.
A significant aspect of panic attacks is the feeling that accompanies these symptoms - a feeling of an impending doom, and possibly an urge to escape or flee the place where the attack began.