What Is An Anxiety Attack?
An anxiety attack involves the intense onset of mental and physical anxiety symptoms, which may occur as a result of life stressors and/or a diagnosable mental health condition like an anxiety disorder. Here, we’ll discuss the differences between anxiety attacks and panic attacks, how to recognize an anxiety attack, common anxiety disorders that may cause one, and tips for recovering from an anxiety attack.
Recognizing the signs of an anxiety attack
Feeling some level of anxiety from time to time is considered a normal part of life. When you feel stressed or anxious, your body automatically engages its fight-or-flight response, which helps you address a situation that’s a threat, challenge, or form of pressure. In the short term, some anxiety may help you stay alert, focused, and motivated in order to resolve a stressful situation. However, when the stress response is engaged chronically over time, health problems can result. Anxiety that’s excessive for the situation and/or persistent even when there’s no direct threat may also represent an anxiety disorder.
Being able to recognize symptoms of anxiety such as the signs of an anxiety attack can be helpful for more than one reason. First, it can equip you to know what’s happening and take appropriate action to calm yourself down if you experience an anxiety attack. In addition, noticing that you’re feeling symptoms of anxiety can help you decide when it may be time to seek professional support. Anxiety disorders typically don’t resolve without treatment. Plus, untreated anxiety can put a person at increased risk of:
Depression
Worsened chronic pain
Elevated blood pressure
Cardiovascular disease
Substance misuse or dependency
If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.
10 signs of anxiety attacks
Again, since anxiety attacks aren’t formally diagnosable, they can take many different forms depending on the person and the situation. That said, 10 potential signs of an anxiety attack can include:
Feeling emotionally stressed to the point of overwhelm
Being unable to stop worrying about a certain situation
Feeling hopeless
Muscle tension
Rapid breathing
Sweating
A stomachache
Loss of appetite during and after
Trouble concentrating before and during
Problems falling asleep before and after
Tips for coping with an anxiety attack
When you’re experiencing an anxiety attack, your fight-or-flight response is likely engaged, which means the most helpful course of action is usually to try to elicit the relaxation response instead. One of the most powerful ways to do this is through breathing exercises. Certain deep breathing techniques can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with a state of calm. Box breathing and deep belly breathing are two examples; you can find a wealth of resources online on how to practice these. It’s usually helpful to learn them when you’re feeling calm so you can engage in them when feeling tense.
Other methods for calming yourself down during or after an anxiety attack can include engaging in progressive muscle relaxation, going for a walk, visualizing the details of a place you find calm and comforting, listening to calming music, and talking to a friend.
Anxiety attacks vs. panic attacks
Anxiety and panic attacks are often confused with each other; many people mistakenly use the term “anxiety attack” to describe a panic attack and vice versa. While both are distressing experiences related to stress, anxiety, or fear, they have a few important differences.
First, panic attacks are recognized psychological phenomena listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). Anxiety attacks are not diagnosable symptoms per the DSM-5. Panic attacks are also associated with a diagnosable mental illness called panic disorder. Symptoms of panic disorder include having panic attacks and an intense fear of having another. In contrast, anyone can have an anxiety attack in response to a stressful situation, whether they’re experiencing other signs of a diagnosable anxiety disorder or not.
In addition, panic attack symptoms typically arise without a specific cause, while anxiety attack symptoms usually occur in response to something specific after stress or worry has been building for some time. For example, someone with a specific phobia may experience an anxiety attack when confronted with the subject of their fear, while someone with panic disorders can experience panic attacks while going about everyday life.
Panic attacks also tend to be shorter and more intense than anxiety attacks. Some people who experience panic attacks mistake them for heart attacks because of severe symptoms like chest pain, trouble breathing, a choking sensation, heart palpitations, a sense of impending doom, and an overwhelming fear of dying, although these episodes are not life-threatening and don’t usually require medical help.
Anxiety attacks and anxiety disorders: What to know
Though anxiety attacks are not always a sign of a diagnosable anxiety disorder, they can be. Learning a bit about anxiety disorders in general may help you understand when it may be time to seek help for any symptoms you’re experiencing.
Types of disorders that may cause anxiety attacks
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common type of anxiety disorder. GAD is thought to be caused by a combination of genetics/family history and environmental factors such as stressful life events, like many anxiety disorders. It’s characterized by excessive, persistent, near-constant fear or worry that’s difficult to control. A person with GAD may also experience anxiety attacks as one of their symptoms, as it may be easier for them to feel overwhelmed with anxious thoughts.
Someone with social anxiety disorder (SAD) or a specific phobia could also experience anxiety attacks. A person with SAD usually has a debilitating fear of being watched, judged, or embarrassed in front of other people, and they may feel overwhelming fear and intense anxiety symptoms—potentially including anxiety attacks—when thinking of or faced with social situations. A person’s symptoms related to a specific phobia could also include an anxiety attack when faced with the object of their fear. For example, someone with a fear of flying could experience an anxiety attack or other symptoms before boarding a plane, during a flight, or even while watching a movie that takes place on a plane.
Finally, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) could also cause symptoms like panic attacks. Although PTSD is not categorized as an anxiety disorder per the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM-5, it often manifests as symptoms related to anxiety. For example, a person who experienced traumatic events related to a car accident may develop PTSD. Later, walking on streets with lots of car traffic or being in a moving car may trigger an anxiety attack, a flashback, or another PTSD symptom that reminds them of their initial trauma. Since self-harm and suicidal thoughts can be symptoms of PTSD, it’s usually important to seek professional support for signs of this disorder right away.
If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts or urges, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text 988 to talk to someone over SMS. Support is available 24/7.
When is it time to seek professional help for anxiety or panic disorder?
If anxiety attacks, panic attacks, excessive anxiety, or other symptoms of other anxiety disorders are causing you distress and interfering with your daily life or relationships, it’s typically recommended that you meet with a healthcare professional.
A doctor can do a physical examination and review any medications you’re taking to see if any underlying medical conditions—such as thyroid problems—or a prescription may be causing your symptoms. Next, meeting with a mental health professional like a therapist can be helpful. They can help you identify what’s causing your symptoms and develop healthy coping mechanisms to reduce symptoms, whether they represent diagnosable anxiety disorders or not.
Treatment options for anxiety
Research suggests that psychotherapy is typically the most effective option for treating anxiety symptoms. Anti-anxiety medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may also be prescribed in some cases.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most common talk therapy methods for treating generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder, and nonclinical feelings of anxiety. CBT is a way to explore thought patterns that can trigger anxiety. To engage in CBT, you’ll work with a licensed therapist to identify and challenge your beliefs while developing methods to change or improve unhelpful thought patterns. Another form of therapy for anxiety, exposure therapy, can help you confront your fears through gradual exposure.
If you don’t feel you’re ready to work with a therapist in person to engage in CBT or exposure therapy to address symptoms of anxiety and panic, you can take advantage of online therapy services instead. Working with a licensed mental health professional through an online therapy platform can empower you to get the help you deserve from the comfort of your home.
Research suggests that online therapy can be an effective treatment for generalized anxiety disorder and related mental health challenges. Remember that you can seek out and potentially benefit from talk therapy whether you have a diagnosable anxiety disorder or are simply looking for support in managing stress and difficult emotions.
Takeaway
Read more below for answers to questions commonly asked about this topic.
An anxiety attack can feel different for each person who experiences one. However, many people report feelings of intense dread or impending doom along with physical symptoms like a racing heart, shortness of breath, sweating, being very hot or cold, feeling dizzy, and feeling faint. Some may experience chest pain or a sense of choking.
You may be able to calm an anxiety attack in the moment by implementing deep breathing and muscle relaxation techniques. You may also be able to get through an anxiety attack by focusing on your senses – five things you can see, five things you can hear, five things you can smell, and so on. In the long run, utilizing tools like therapy, medication, or an anxiety support group may lead to less frequent anxiety attacks.
There are several different types of panic attacks; three common types include expected, unexpected, and nocturnal panic attacks. People with panic disorder or another mental illness may experience expected panic attacks, or panic attacks that occur in response to an expected, fearsome stimuli, such as heights, spiders, or another triggering source. Unexpected panic attacks are exactly what they sound like: panic attacks that seem to come out of nowhere with no identifiable trigger. These panic attacks can also be associated with panic disorder. Lastly, nocturnal panic attacks refer to panic attacks that occur when a person is sleeping, which cause sleep issues and can lead to insomnia.
If you experience physical symptoms like a racing heart, increased sweating, stomach aches, or headaches, you may have anxiety. Similarly, mental symptoms like a persistent feeling of dread, feelings of nervousness or restlessness, or having trouble with sleep, appetite, and concentration, you may be experiencing anxiety symptoms.
How long do anxiety attacks last?
Anxiety attacks and panic attacks last for varying times depending on the person experiencing them. However, a general estimate is anywhere from five to thirty minutes.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual defines anxiety as excessive worry occurring most days for more than six months. For many people, the causes of anxiety can vary – it can be situational, like anxiety over a relationship or living situation, or it can seem to come out of nowhere. Mental disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression may also cause anxiety. The Anxiety Disorders Association offers helpful tools and resources for better understanding and dealing with anxiety.
You may be able to improve your anxiety by trying some lifestyle changes like getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet, maintaining good sleep hygiene, implementing journaling, and other interventions. You may also benefit from therapy or medication to better understand and treat your mental illness symptoms. Understanding the anxiety and depression association could also help you learn to address your anxiety.
How can anxiety attacks start?
How do you stop panic attacks fast?
To calm the symptoms of a panic attack, there are several interventions you can try. Some people find it helpful to focus on deliberately slowing their breathing for several minutes; others may find it helpful to deliberately focus on one object, observing its appearance, texture, scent, etc. in order to calm symptoms of panic. It may be helpful to check out the Anxiety and Depression Association to find more tools to have less frequent panic attacks.
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