Panic Attack Symptoms | Anxiety Attack Symptoms

Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are the same thing. The phrases are interchangeable. The official definition from Wikipedia says that Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense anxiety, mounting physiological arousal, fear, stomach problems and discomfort that are associated with a variety of somatic and cognitive symptoms.

Common Symptoms

How can you tell if you're having an anxiety attack?

You'll probably think you are having a heart attack. You might feel like you are about to die in the next few minutes. Typically, it will build in intensity for anywhere from two to ten minutes then hit a climax. At that point you will really be freaking out. Then without warning it will begin to fade. When its over you'll be wondering "What the hell just happened?" and "Maybe I should go to a hospital." I have further described my personal experience with anxiety attacks here.

Why do I panic?

If you are experiencing panic attacks on a regular basis, there is probably an underlying reason for it. The reason my be physiological or phsychological or both. If you do some research, you'll likely find that you have some of the symptoms of an anxiety disorder or possibly depression. It might also be triggered by a phobia of some sort. You would probably know it if it was though. People who have repeated, persistent attacks or feel severe anxiety about having another attack are said to have Panic Disorder.

How can I make the attacks stop?

In order to make my attacks stop, I had to treat my underlying anxiety disorder. Once, I had a handle on that, the panic attacks diminished in frequency. Eventually I completely stopped having them. There are specific techniques you can follow for treating panic attacks specifically. I recommend reading the two books listed on the bottom of my recommended books page.