In order to quickly understand that you’re suffering from a panic attack you have to know the most common symptoms.(Please note that this guide is not a replacement for a full diagnosis by a physician, there are often specific circumstances and physical conditions of an individual that might contribute to any of the following without necessarily implying that the person is suffering a panic attack.)
The most common symptoms of a panic attack are:
Breathing symptoms – the sufferer often feels a difficulty in breathing, as if not getting enough oxygen, which leads to hyperventilation.
Muscle tension – Victims find themselves with clenched jaws, aching neck and back muscles, chest pain and headaches.
Heightened heart rate – one of the most quoted symptoms is the feeling of racing pulses, with the heart seeming as if it’s about to pound right out of the chest.
Miscellaneous physical symptoms -other physical symptoms are:
- Rush of current/energy/heat through the whole body
- A tingling sensation of intense heat and cold (pins and needles)
- An “ants crawling” sensation through the body
- Involuntary shaking or trembling of the body
- Unusual amount of perspiration and sweaty palms
- Increased frequency of urination
Digestive symptoms – some of the reported episodes of attack include diarrhoea as a symptom, but a few studies also seem to indicate that this might be a cause rather than an effect, readily exhibited by people suffering from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
Out-of-body feeling – known as “dissociative” symptoms, a person suffering from a panic attack experiences various symptoms of feeling disconnected from what’s going on.
Various types of Fear – perhaps the driving impulse behind all the other symptoms, panic attacks are defined by the following types of intense fear:
- Fear of having a heart attack and/or dying
- Fear of losing one’s mind and going insane
- Fear of losing self control and embarrassing oneself before others
In addition to the above symptoms exhibited during a panic attack, some people experience a short term memory loss. The aftermath of an attack can also include a feeling of extreme exhaustion, lack of concentration, lack of libido etc.
For any particular instance of a panic attack you would most likely experience a subset of the above symptoms, not all of them.
However, please note that any combination of the listed effects might be a result of specific physiological/psychological composition of an individual, which is why it is important to consult your personal physician before self-diagnosis.
I am a former panic attacks sufferer, and I struggled for years with panic symptoms, but I was finally able to totally eliminate my panic attacks and start enjoying my normal life.
