10 clear signs you’re having a panic attack

Panic attacks can come without warning, triggering a sudden feeling of overwhelming dread. It’s more than feeling nervous, anxious, or stressed out about something. The surge that comes over you is intense and comes without any obvious reason, though often it’s linked to feeling physically trapped or agoraphobic. If your panic attacks are recurring, you can go on to develop panic disorder, which affects some 5 percent of Australians in their lifetime, slightly more women than men.

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Because of the intensity and sudden onset of the feelings, in addition to the physical panic attack symptoms that may arise at the same time, it’s not unusual to develop a “fear of going crazy” during a panic attack, says Todd Farchione, PhD. “I didn’t know what was going on,” explains one patient. “Your body doesn’t know what to do… Half your brain is telling you to run, and the other half is telling you to stay. You’re in kind of a deadlock.”

When you have a panic attack, your body responds as though it’s under an actual physical threat, escalating to a state of severe discomfort within minutes. A massive surge of nervous signals activates the amygdala, the brain’s evolutionary fight or flight centre, causing symptoms that include a rapid, pounding heart rate that can make you feel like you’re having a heart attack.

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The fear pulsing through you may lead you to feel as though you’re dying or out of control. But what’s really happening, as Farchione explains, is that your body is flooded with adrenaline, due to the perception of imminent danger. It’s gearing up to do whatever’s needed to protect itself, whether that means punching and kicking or running as fast as you can. If you can remember that this is simply your natural, physiological responses at work, it may lessen the impact of the fear.

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Having “difficulty breathing” and “feeling as though you can’t get enough air” are common symptoms when you’re experiencing a panic attack, according to the American Psychological Association. It happens when heightened anxiety causes you to breathe too quickly and hyperventilate. Learning some mindful breathing techniques may help prevent anxious feelings from escalating into a full-scale panic attack.

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You may find yourself overcome with a fear so strong that it practically renders you immobile. The American Psychological Association describes this as a “terror that is almost paralysing.”

Common panic attack symptoms include feeling weak, dizzy and faint, likely because blood is rushing away from your brain toward your limbs, so you can fight or flee as needed. Don’t be surprised if nausea enters the picture too; this sensation may accompany dizziness during a panic attack.

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Sweating is a natural reaction to heightened anxiety. You may also start trembling or shaking while you’re sweating.

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During a panic attack, it’s not uncommon to feel suddenly flushed with heat or have chills. While a panic attack lasts only about five to ten minutes, you can feel some of the effects for hours.

Although there are variations on who gets panic attacks and why, one thing that’s clear is that severe stress plays a role. “The cause is very often stress that’s occurred over the past six to eight months,” says Reid Wilson, PhD, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry. “Often the stress might have to do with loss – a sense that there’s a task or challenge in front of me that I perceive as large, and I perceive my skills as small.” If you’ve faced a great deal of stress on a fairly ongoing basis, and you experience most of the panic attack symptoms we’ve mentioned, it’s highly likely you’re having panic attacks.

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