Is This A Panic Attack?

Thursday, October 7th, 2010 at 12:13 PM

Is this a panic attack? Answers to this frightening question.

Is this A Panic Attack

Is this a panic attack? You are having a normal day, doing normal things. Perhaps you are sitting down to dinner, or driving to a friend’s house.

Suddenly your heart begins pounding, and it beats so hard you can see your chest moving. You have a smothering sensation and everything around you starts to feel unreal. Your legs feel like they will buckle and everything stops.

The thought you might be dying surfaces and you fear something terrible is going to happen. You desperately want emergency help. What is happening? Your wisely undertaken trip to the emergency room ends in a diagnosis not of heart trouble, but panic attack.

Maybe you feel embarrassed over your diagnosis. But no one who has ever been through this nightmare would ever minimize it. They can be horrific. So, the next time you are in that horribly familiar distress and you are asking yourself, “Is this a panic attack,” what do you look for? This article will list panic attack symptoms so you can be forewarned.

Symptoms that trigger the question, “Is this a panic attack?”

Chest discomfort or pain
Rapid heart beat, strongly felt
Difficulty getting a good breath, feeling of smothering
Sense of unreality
Tingling hands and numbness
Choking feeling
Sweating, hot or cold chills
Shaking, or muscle tension
Cramping, diarrhea, or nausea
Dizziness, unsteadiness, and weak knees
Confusion, slowed time, blank mind
Feelings of doom and a need to escape

How can you be sure if it is a panic attack and not a heart attack?

The first thing to understand is that with panic attack, there is no threat to your health or survival.
It comes on fast, and will last 10 to 60 minutes, with 30 minutes being average.
They really do feel like they come out of the blue with no warning.
The discomfort or pain is located over your heart.
Your heart may be beating so hard that you may even hear it.
Moving around or distracting your mind can bring an easing of the distress.

Heart attack pain is very different.

It feels like your chest is being crushed and nothing you do will take your mind off of it, or ease it.
It is so intense it will cause you to double up and fall to the floor.
Any normal activity is impossible.
And it is continuous and will not let up, like anxiety pain will.

If the pain moves to your chest center, and/or down your arms, does not ease within 10 minutes, if you experience more than one episode of vomiting or diarrhea, or you get relief but then the symptoms return, seek medical care immediately. It is always wise to err on the side of caution!

If you have been diagnosed with panic attacks, take hope. Help is easily available. And it is not always necessary to be or remain on medication. People can cure panic attack without medication. Others just like you have recovered their normal life. Arm yourself with knowledge and understanding.

Above all, do not give in to embarrassment and feel you need to hide your condition. Let your loved ones know so they can support you once you determine your course of treatment. Many effective approaches are available to you to help you overcome this distressing experience. You will feel better!