Signs and Symptoms of Panic Attacks: Foundations of Panic #1 – Ep 280

What Are The Signs and Symptoms of Panic Attacks?

How can you tell if you’re having panic attacks, or if its something else? I’m always surprised to hear how many members of our community have experienced panic attacks in the past without even knowing what they were or what was actually happening to them.  Let’s clarify some of this!

A panic attack is an extreme state of anxious agitation and fear that arises when there is no actual threat or danger present. This makes panic attacks very confusing and even mysterious for many people. During a panic attack, you can experience a combination of intense physical sensations in your body, a flood of scary and catastrophic thoughts, and extreme fear. Most people also experience a strong feeling of impending doom or disaster, all without an actual threat being present at the moment.

Physical Signs of Panic Attacks

• racing heart
• tightness or pain in the chest
• choking sensations
• dry mouth
• visual disturbances
• shaky or weak feelings in your limbs
• nausea
• feeling like you need to run to a bathroom
• feeling off-balance, unsteady or dizzy
• feeling like you can’t get enough breath
• hot and cold flashes
• shaking or trembling
• feelings of unreality
• feeling as if you are outside your body or detached from yourself
• extreme muscle tension
• numbness or tingling, especially in the face, fingers, and toes

Mental and cognitive signs of panic attacks

These are also important to understand. These  include feelings of extreme fear and impending doom or catastrophe and “What if?” thoughts that suggest that you are in real danger. You might also struggle to speak clearly or remember things like phone numbers, street names, or the names of people you’ve known for a long time. During a panic attack, it is common to feel afraid, confused, convinced that you are in real trouble, and unable to use the “thinking part” of your brain because the lower part of your brain – call it your lizard brain if you want – is in the driver’s seat and calling the shots.

If you are experiencing what you think might be panic attacks, and are worried that they do mean you are in medical or psychological danger, you are not alone in that. A very large number of people that experience panic attacks misinterpret them as real danger. It’s more common than you might think.

Scary and Intense, But Not Dangerous

I want to emphasize that one of the most important features of a panic attack is that is it scary and intense, but not dangerous. An actual panic attack will feel like it can kill you, harm you, or make you lose control, but it cannot. This may be the first time you’ve heard this, or you may have heard it many times and want to keep hearing it. Just know that if you are struggling to believe that you are safe when experiencing panic, you are not alone in that, and you are not broken in some way. You are having the same experience that many many people have at some point in their lives.

Are You Experiencing Panic Attacks, or Something Else?

Determining if what you’re experiencing are in fact panic attacks can be tricky. You really have to look at the combination of physical and mental signs to determine if your experience meets the clinical definition of a panic attack, and there must be no actual threat or danger present when these experiences happen. If you experience a combination of scary sensations, scary thoughts, and intense fear for no apparent reason out of the blue, then there’s probably a good chance that you are having panic attacks, but again, only a qualified professional can tell you this for sure.

In the end, whether or not you technically had a panic attack or did not sometimes doesn’t matter. A scary and adverse experience that you don’t want to repeat is going to be impactful no matter what we call it, so let’s acknowledge that.

Start With Medical Clearance

If you are experiencing what you think might be panic attacks, it’s important to get medically checked out by your doctor. Everyone starts there. It’s not just a good idea to get medically checked in this situation, any good mental health professional would really insist that you do that before starting therapy or counseling to address the issue. If you’ve already been checked out and medically cleared, good job. You advocated for yourself and your wellbeing.

Panic Attacks Are Addressable

A panic attack is an experience most people will have at least once in their life. Many many people will have recurring panic attacks, Some will develop chronic conditions like panic disorder or agoraphobia. And while this is all very impactful and frightening, experiencing panic attacks does not doom you to a life of suffering. This is one of the most common and successfully addressed mental health issues.

Related Links

Hear Regular People Describe The Symptoms of Panic

My Panic Attacks Explained Workshop

Information About My Anxiety and Recovery Books