During a time in my life when my Grandmother was dying, my life was plagued with continuous panic attacks.
I had not dealt with my stepson’s death which occurred 4 years before and when my Grandmother was ill every thought was bombarding me at once about life and death and the people I love leaving me.
A visit to the hospital, via an ambulance, when I was convinced I was having a heart attack made the attacks even worse as I could not pinpoint and sort out exactly what was happening to me.
It took me almost a year to get a handle on my panic attacks.
That year, I learned What Anxiety Feels Like. I also learned:
- the difference between a panic attack and chronic anxiety
- what to do during a panic attack
- why I was having panic attacks
- how to prevent panic attacks
- what to say to others who were having anxiety or a panic attack
Let’s begin with the two types of anxiety — referred to as Anxiety Disorder — and then learn what anxiety feels like and what to do about it.
Two Types: Acute and Chronic
There are two types of conditions that fall under what’s called Anxiety Disorder:
- Acute (sudden, short, rapid onset)
- Chronic (persistent and long-lasting)
Panic attacks, like I was having, are Acute. Often triggered by circumstances happening in our lives.
Acute Anxiety = Panic Attacks
Acute = a sudden, short, onset of anxiety manifesting as a panic attack.
A panic attack is a fight or flight reaction which occurs at an unnatural time.
Feelings May Include:
- overwhelm
- sense of impending disaster or death
- shortness of breath
- smothering, claustrophobic sensation
- heart palpitations
- chest pain that comes and goes
- dizziness
- nausea or stomach ache
- spaced out feeling with fear
- hot flashes/chills
- trembling, numbness or tingling in the extremities, sweating, nausea, unreality distorted perception of time
When They May Occur:
- during changes in hormones (PMS, Menopause)
- day or night, anytime
- every few weeks or several a day
- during stressful life situations
- when triggered by something in our thoughts, our foods, our lives
How Long Do Panic Attacks Last?
- several seconds to up to half an hour
- until the mind and body are able to manage the stressor(s)
What Are Panic Attacks Triggered By?
Stress, emotions, caffeine-based stimulants, drugs or illness, food allergies, and hypoglycemia are all common among people with this disorder and can promote panic attacks.
The cause is often not apparent at first as the attacks take over any reasonable thoughts.
After a more serious look is taken, the cause is revealed and then we can remedy the attacks.
Panic attacks are fixable.
Chronic Anxiety = Constant Anxiousness
Chronic = milder, more generalized with an overall vague sense of anxiety much of the time.
What Anxiety Feels Like When It’s Chronic:
- Not as intense as a panic attack yet seems to be always there
- A constant uneasy feeling, especially around other people
- You may startle easily, have headaches, and chronic fatigue
- Anxiety can occur at any age with the twenties or thirties more common
- Occasional panic attacks may occur
- Chronic anxiety has been found to be hereditary to some extent and it seems to run in families
Summary for What Anxiety Feels Like
There are two types of conditions that fall under what’s called Anxiety Disorder: Acute and Chronic
Acute most often shows up as panic attacks which can happen at any time, even at night, and you may feel overwhelmed, shortness of breath, sense of doom, heart plantations, chest pains that come and go, dizziness, nausea, trembling.
Chronic is a long-term feeling of anxiousness and you may feel uncomfortable around people, startle easily, a feeling of fatigue and overall anxiousness with occasional panic attacks.
What to do: avoid caffeine; talk with someone; take supplements such as magnesium, chromium and Vitamin C; definitely exercise; change your diet; try breathing and relaxation techniques; find a focus object; know you are not alone.
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