Panic attack
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Panic attacks are sudden, discrete periods of intense anxiety, mounting
physiological arousal, fear, stomach problems (spastic colon) and discomfort that
are associated with a variety of somatic and cognitive symptoms.[1] The onset of
these episodes is typically abrupt, and may have no obvious triggers. Although
these episodes may appear random, they are a subset of an evolutionary response
commonly referred to as fight or flight that occur out of context. This response
floods the body with hormones, particularly epinephrine (adrenaline), that aid in
defending itself from harm.[2] Experiencing a panic attack is said to be one of the
most intensely frightening, upsetting and uncomfortable experiences of a
person's life.[2]
According to the American Psychological Association the symptoms of a panic
attack commonly last approximately ten minutes. However, panic attacks can be as
short as 1–5 minutes, while sometimes panic attacks may form a cyclic series of
episodes, lasting for an extended period, sometimes hours. Often those afflicted
will experience significant anticipatory anxiety and limited symptom attacks in
between attacks, in situations where attacks have previously occurred, and in
situations where they feel "trapped". That is, where escape would be obvious
and/or embarrassing.
Panic attacks also affect people differently. Experienced sufferers may be able to
completely "ride out" a panic attack with little to no obvious symptoms or external
manifestations. Others, notably first-time sufferers, may even call for emergency
services; many who experience a panic attack for the first time fear they are
having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown.[3]
Physical
A sensation of adrenaline going through your entire body
Sweating
Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
Stomach Problems (spastic colon)
Racing or pounding heartbeat or palpitations
Chest pain
Dizziness or vertigo
Headache
Lightheadedness
Nausea / stomach pains
Hyperventilation
Choking or smothering sensations
Hot flashes
Cold flashes
Tingling or numbness in the hands, face, feet or mouth (paresthesia)
Feelings of "crawly," "itchy," or "cringy" skin sensations.
Burning sensations
Trembling or shaking
Feeling of claustrophobia
Feeling like the body is shutting down/ dying
Tremors in the legs/shaking legs/thighs
Tingling spine
Feeling like one is experiencing a heart attack
Exhaustion
Muscle spasms
Feeling of physical weakness or limpness of the body
Grinding teeth or tensing other muscles repeatedly or for prolonged periods of time
Temporary blindness
Sizzling/ringing in ears/head
Mental
Intense and/or frightening realizations of reality
Loss of the ability to react logically to stimuli
Loss of cognitive ability in general
Racing thoughts (often based on fear)
Irrational thoughts
Loud internal dialogue
Feeling like nothing is real
Feeling of impending doom
Feeling of "going crazy"
Feeling out of control
Feeling like no one understands what is happening
Vision is somewhat impaired (eyes may feel like they are shaking.)
Feeling like you are going to die any second
Avoidance behavior
Agoraphobia
Emotional
Terror, or a sense that something unimaginably horrible is about to occur and one is powerless
to prevent it
Fear that the panic is a symptom of a serious illness
Fear that the panic will not subside
Fear of losing control
Fear of death
Fear of living
Fear of going crazy
Flashbacks to earlier panic trigger[citation needed]
Intense "scared" feeling
Fear of failure
Perceptual
Tunnel vision
Heightened senses
The apparent slowing down or speeding up of time
Dream-like sensation or perceptual distortion (derealization)
Dissociation, or the perception that one is not connected to the body or is disconnected from
space and time (depersonalization)
Feeling of loss of free will, as if acting entirely automatically without control