Anxiety is a common experience for many people. In limited amounts, it produces feelings that won’t harm your mental health. However, serious anxiety can have a disruptive, negative influence on your ability to function. If your feelings rise to this level, an anxiety treatment program can help you regain your sense of equilibrium. One potential problem for seriously affected people is an anxiety or panic attack. How can you tell if you’re having a panic attack? Keep reading to learn five signs and symptoms of this extreme, unpleasant emotional state.
Signs and Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack – #1: Intense Fear and Dread
People in the midst of an anxiety or panic attack often feel intensely afraid. This fear may not have a specific focus. However, many affected people do focus on something in particular. Common fear-based themes during an anxiety attack include:
- Losing your sanity
- Lacking any control over your thoughts or emotions
- Dying
Dread is a sense of foreboding. It makes you feel like something bad, unpleasant, or unwanted is about to happen. As a rule, the fear and dread you experience don’t have a rational basis in your current situation or location.
Signs and Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack – #2: A Heightened Sense of Alarm
A panic attack can be viewed as a spontaneous, extreme triggering of your natural fight-or-flight response. This response is designed to help you either defend yourself or escape as quickly as possible. Among other things, it triggers a high state of alarm or vigilance. As a result, you feel on edge and alert to any sign of danger, real or imagined.
Signs and Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack – #3: An Inability to Think Clearly
When panic hits, it’s common to lose your ability to think in rational terms. That leads to difficulty getting an accurate picture of what’s happening to you. It also leads to difficulty making sound judgments or decisions.
Signs and Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack – #4: A Sense of Detachment
Normally, you feel anchored in the reality created by your surroundings. This feeling helps you experience a sense of security and well-being. However, you may feel detached from your surroundings during a panic attack. This sense of unreality can have a significantly disturbing effect on you.
Signs and Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack – #5: Physical Effects
A panic attack is usually accompanied by at least some of a variety of physical symptoms. Examples of these symptoms include such things as:
- Tightness in your chest
- A rapid heartbeat
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Restricted breathing
- Muscle tension
- Trembling or shaking muscles
- Stomach distress and/or nausea
- A dry mouth
- Heavy sweating
- A tingling sensation, especially in your hands or arms
- Hot flashes
Like the mental/emotional symptoms of panic, these physical symptoms are rooted in your fight-or-flight response.
Other Possible Causes of Your Symptoms
Certain things can mimic some of the typical symptoms of a panic attack. A common source here is a drug or medication. That includes such things as caffeine, alcohol, and sedatives. In addition, some physical illnesses can contribute to feelings of panic.
Turn to Springfield Wellness for Anxiety Treatment in Louisiana
Need anxiety treatment in Louisiana? The specialists at Springfield Wellness Center can help. We begin by taking steps to determine the source of your anxiety. We then create a customized plan designed to help you recover.
Many of our recovery plans include NAD+ therapy. This is a modern, innovative technique that helps support critical brain functions. In combination with our other treatments, this therapy promotes a renewed sense of wellness. For more information on our anxiety treatment options, call today at 844.334.4727 or fill out our online form.