Anxiety (panic) attack symptoms can feel awful, intense, and frightening. The good news is that while they can seem serious, anxiety attack symptoms aren’t harmful in and of themselves. That is something to remember.
Because there are many medical conditions that can cause ‘anxiety-like’ symptoms, it’s wise to discuss your symptoms with your doctor. If your doctor has attributed your symptoms to stress and anxiety, you can feel confident that your doctor’s diagnosis is correct. Anxiety attack disorder is relatively easy to diagnose and isn’t easily confused with more serious medical conditions.
Anxiety attack symptoms are NOT always indications of a serious medical condition. They are simply dramatic responses to being afraid. Being afraid causes the body to stimulate stress hormones. Since stress hormones are designed to prepare the body for action, the changes stress hormones bring about can cause the body to exhibit “symptoms” of this biochemical change. Anxiety attack symptoms are simply “sensory sensations” of this biological change. Again, they aren’t harmful, but they are letting you know that your body’s stress hormone levels are elevated.
Common anxiety attack symptoms include:
- A feeling of impending doom, that something horrible is about to happen, that you are in grave danger
- A strong feeling of fear, foreboding, panic
- An urge to escape, to get out, to run away from danger
- Blanching, turning white, looking pale
- Blushing, skin blotches, turning red
- Burning skin
- Choking sensation, tightening throat, it feels like your throat is closing
- Confusion
- Depersonalization (feeling detached from reality, separate from oneself, separate from normal emotions)
- Derealization (feeling unreal, in a dream-like state)
- Dizziness, lightheadedness, unsteadiness
- Emotional distress
- Emotional upset
- Fear of going crazy
- Fear of losing control, freaking out
- Fearful thoughts that seem incessant
- Feels like there is a tight band around your head
- Hot or cold chills
- Inability to calm yourself down
- A knot in the stomach, tight stomach
- Nausea
- Numbness, tingling sensations in any part of the body
- Pins and needles feeling
- Plugged ear(s), stuffed ear(s)
- Pounding heart
- Racing heart
- Shooting pains in the chest, neck, shoulder, head, or face
- Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing
- Sweating
- Tightness in the chest
- Trembling, shaking (visibly shaking or just trembling on the inside)
- Upset stomach
- Urgent desire to go to the bathroom (urinate, defecate)
- Vomiting
There is a long list of anxiety symptoms. But because each body is somewhat chemically unique, anxiety affects each person differently. Consequently, anxiety symptoms vary from person to person in type or kind, number, intensity, and frequency. If your symptoms don’t exactly match this list, that does not mean you don’t have anxiety. It simply means that your body is responding to anxiety slightly differently.
For example, one person may experience only a few minor symptoms, while another person may experience the majority of symptoms to great intensities. All combinations are possible and common.
Anxiety attack symptoms can range from mild to severe, from only one symptom to all of them, and can be sporadic, frequent, and persistent. Again, all combinations are possible and common. My own attacks are intense, but I know they’ll go away in time.
Sometimes all we can do is accept the issues that anxiety brings. We must understand that the Holy Spirit knows us fully and that He will bring us through. Be confident in His grace and receive His mercy.
“I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6, CEB
I am certain that Jesus will carry you the distance.
If your anxiety gets really bad a good number to call is 1-800—NEED-HIM. I believe they’re up 24/7. It’s a good number to remember.
Much of this particular post came from the internet and I can’t remember the address.
Related articles
- Understanding anxiety will help you to defeat panic attacks. (eagleman6788.wordpress.com)
- The Big Picture (livingwithanxietytoday.wordpress.com)
- Self help guide to Anxiety Treatment (anxietyanswersblog.wordpress.com)