Panic Attacks
Symptoms of Panic Attack
The feeling of panic is much different from panic attacks. A panic attack is a serious health condition. It is both an emotional and physical ailment. Panic attacks are characterized by intense anxiety that results to physiological fear and can even affect your physical functions, like for instance it can give you stomach problems. Panic attacks can even cause cognitive and somatic issues. The problem with panic attacks is that it is sudden and random. It would also often reveal no symptoms and may have unknown triggers.
Studies show that panic attacks can last anywhere from one to ten minutes. There are some attacks that can extend into hours and can even be a recurrent cycle. Panic attacks affect people negatively and may even result to a more serious health condition. Some people who experience mild panic attacks can get out of the situation immediately without obvious manifestations of its symptoms. For those who may experience panic attacks the first time, it can cause them to call emergency hotlines right away and mistake a panic attack as a heart attack or even a nervous breakdown.
The symptoms of panic attacks vary. Most people would have the sense of "going crazy" because of the extreme feeling of panic and anxiety they are going through. Some people would be nauseous, may faint, and can lose total self-control. These symptoms may push a person to go out of the place of the incident and it is often referred to as a fight-flight response.
Other symptoms of panic attack include shortness of breath, trembling, hot and cold flashes, chest pain, dizziness, and the feeling of choking or smothering. At times, a person may experience de-realization, which is a feeling that tells you that what's happening around you is not real. Panic attacks are not directly related to mental disorders, but it is not uncommon that it can be a symptom of a mental dysfunction.