Anxiety and Panic Attack Symptoms Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Anxiety Disorders

What It s Like to Have an Anxiety or Panic Attack

Flushing, sweating, tight chest, pounding heart rate: You might think you're having a heart attack, but it could very well be a panic attack. By Madeline R. Vann, MPHMedically Reviewed by Allison Young, MDReviewed: August 3, 2018Medically ReviewedAnxiety or panic attacks can occur suddenly and last for only a few minutes.Los Angeles entrepreneur Neal Sideman was in the middle of an intense workout at the gym when he felt lightheaded and realized his heart was pounding. Alarmed, he immediately worried about his heart — never thinking that he might be having a panic attack instead. But a visit to the doctor the next day and an EKG reassured him his heart was fine. His doctor told him that what he'd experienced were, in fact, the symptoms of anxiety.

How Do You Know You re Having a Panic Attack

An anxiety or panic attack often comes on suddenly, with symptoms peaking within 10 minutes. For doctors to diagnose a panic attack, they look for at least four of the following signs: sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, a choking sensation, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, fear of losing your mind, fear of dying, feeling hot or cold, numbness or tingling, a racing heart (heart palpitations), and feeling unusually detached from yourself.

Stress Anxiety and Then Panic Neal' s Story

As Sideman says, his attack occurred in the early 1990s, and few people seriously considered the possibility of a panic attack in a 39-year-old man. So he went home thinking all would be fine, only to have another, more severe attack one week later. Now, looking back, the situation seems clearer. “I was under a lot of stress — starting a new business, working 16-hour days, a close friend was ill and dying, and on top of all that, I was doing a super heavy workout regimen at the gym with a trainer," Sideman says. "So it was a lot of physical stress, emotional stress, and a lot of financial stresses." He says he also can see roots of anxiety in his childhood and teen years as well as in other family members. In the moment, he didn’t know what to think because it can be tough to know what a panic attack is like until you have one. His second panic attack “was really a full-blown panic attack, where I thought I was going to die," Sideman says. "I thought I was going to pass out, not wake up, go crazy, have a heart attack." He recalled being terrified, and the response he chose was one that can actually make panic disorder worse: He started to avoid the situations where he had attacks. “I thought I would be smart, take care of myself, and not go out as much,” Sideman says. He managed to find ways to build his business without leaving his home office. After he had a panic attack on a freeway, he decided to avoid driving on the freeway — a tough stand to take in Los Angeles. He kept withdrawing from activities to try to avoid panic attacks, but that never solved the problem, he says, and after two and a half years, he realized the attacks were getting worse.

How to Cope When You Have Panic Attacks

Desperate for help, he reached out to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, which sent him a list of therapists experienced in treating panic attacks and anxiety. “This is how I got better," Sideman says. "I found a therapist who understood what panic disorder was, understood agoraphobia, and knew cognitive behavioral therapy, which I had not known about.” He also started practicing meditation. RELATED: 9 Foods That Help or Hurt Anxiety Cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to help with treating panic disorder and agoraphobia. According to a study published in December 2013 in the journal Behaviour Research and Therapy, its effects lasted as long as two years after the initial treatment. And a study published in August 2017 in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology suggested that it may be superior to traditional psychotherapy in the treatment of this condition. People generally can overcome panic attacks faster if they seek help after the first one or two, says psychologist Cheryl Carmin, PhD, director of clinical psychology training at the Wexner Medical Center and a professor at Ohio State University in Columbus. When you do seek help, your doctor or therapist will ask about your symptoms and the situations in which they arise, and might also recommend additional medical testing to rule out other health concerns. Don’t wait too long to seek help, or it might mean you'll also have to do extra work to undo the habits you may have developed to try to protect yourself — like avoiding triggering situations, which Sideman had tried to do. “If it’s beginning to interfere with your life, if you’re more fearful, or you’re avoiding doing things that provoke the symptoms, that’s when you need to seek help," Dr. Carmin says. "At its worst, people with panic disorder become housebound. Or they stop doing things they really like."

There s Definitely Life After Panic Attacks

Sideman says that his recovery has also made him a better friend. While he was struggling with anxiety, he would call friends for help. As he recovered, he realized that he could cope on his own and would then call them to share his success. “I changed the way I talked about my condition,” he says. “Now, I focus on my recovery, not my suffering.”

#BlackHealthFacts Highlighting the Issues and Influencing Change

In this six-part #BlackHealthFacts series, we examine the social and systemic inequities that have impacted Black Americans’ health and look at how to make improved physical and mental health care possible for all.Watch nowNEWSLETTERS

Sign up for our Mental Wellness Newsletter

SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

The Latest in Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety Screening Is About to Become Way More Common in Adults — Here s What Your Doctors Want You to Know

Soon you may be routinely screened for anxiety at your annual checkup.By Julie Lynn MarksOctober 12, 2022

Kendall Jenner Says a Brain Scan Confirmed She Has Anxiety Should You Get One Too

The short answer is no, according to a psychiatrist. Here’s why — and what you can do instead if you think you have this condition.By Fran KritzOctober 7, 2022

5 Ways You Can Help Someone With an Anxiety Disorder

Experts say simply offering to listen to your loved one’s worries and providing them moral support can go a long way.By Michelle PugleJuly 19, 2022

What Not to Say to Someone With Anxiety and What to Say Instead

Here’s why you shouldn’t say phrases like 'calm down' to someone with anxiety — and what you can say instead to let them know you care and want to help...By Michelle PugleMay 31, 2022

Have Anxiety Here s What Your Gut Has to Do With It

Researchers believe that regulating the gut microbiome — the good (and bad) bacteria and other microorganisms in your gut — may ease anxiety. Consider...By Julia MétrauxMay 27, 2022

New Year Same Anxiety Disorder 3 Worry Traps to Avoid in 2022

For people who have an anxiety disorder, a new year can bring anxieties about what the future holds and regrets from the past year.By Leona VaughnFebruary 8, 2022

Are My COVID-19 Concerns Normal or Do I Have Illness Anxiety Disorder

It’s normal to monitor your health during the COVID-19 pandemic. But if anxiety over possible symptoms is hindering you from living your daily life, you...By Michelle PugleJanuary 27, 2022

Exercise May Improve Anxiety Symptoms According to New Research

Both moderate and high intensity workouts over a 12-week period showed positive results.By Becky UphamJanuary 11, 2022

Are You Just Feeling Anxious or Do You Have an Anxiety Disorder

Some amount of anxiety in your life is normal, even healthy. But if that anxiety persists and interferes with your day, there are ways to cope.By Michelle PugleJanuary 6, 2022

7 Causes of Anxiety

What's making you so anxious? You may be surprised — from certain medications to problems with your thyroid, watch out for these anxiety triggers.By Chris Iliades, MDApril 12, 2021 MORE IN

TREND NOW

Anxiety and Panic Attack Symptoms Everyday Health