Signs and Symptoms of Panic Attacks

Although the signs and symptoms of panic attacks can vary greatly from person to person, there is one thing we can probably all agree on: they suck! The physical symptoms are bizarre and the thoughts they bring on can be terrifying. Panic attack symptoms can make your heart race and breathing difficult, and make you feel dizzy, nauseous, and worse.

Panic attack symptoms can include any combination of the following:

Racing heart
palpitations or skipped heartbeats
shallow breathing
visual disturbances including blurred vision
dry mouth
face flushing
intense flashes of heat (such as on torso or down back)
feelings of unreality/ depersonalization
dizziness
lightheadedness
chest pain or discomfort
trembling in extremities
lump in throat
difficulty swallowing
feeling off balance, whether standing or sitting
nausea, or fear that you will vomit
upset stomach
inability to take a deep breath
air hunger (gasping for air)
chills
stomach cramps
sweating
sensitization, or feeling on the edge
racing thoughts (such as, that you are going to scream in the middle of church)
feeling as if you are going to die or go crazy

Panic attacks often strike when away from home, such as when you’re out shopping, at the grocery signs and symptoms of panic attacks store, at a movie, at church, at a meeting, or at a social gathering.

They can also strike unexpectedly when you’re at home, such as in the early morning, while watching tv, or in the middle of the night.

The signs and symptoms of panic attacks happen suddenly and alarmingly and the attack itself usually peaks in about 5 – 10 minutes. After a panic attack, you may feel jittery, nervous, exhausted, sad, and/ or depressed.

When I was younger, I always had nausea and racing thoughts. In my adult years, I experience feeling unable to balance with hot flashes and sensitization. Throughout my life, I have felt depersonalization, in fact that was the first feeling of panic I experienced back at age 7.

Now that I’m in my 40′s, I get tension headaches a few hours after a panic attack. Occasionally I will get a severe migraine headache.

What hasn’t changed over the years is the fact that there is nothing pleasant about having a panic attack.

What symptoms do you experience with panic attacks? Feel free to share below.

I wish you peace,
Jill G.

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