How do you know if you had a panic attack?

Feeling like you’re about to die, racing heartbeats, and sweating buckets all at once could only mean one thing – you’ve just experienced a panic attack! But wait… are you sure it wasn’t just the extra hot sauce from last night’s burrito? Before jumping to conclusions, let’s take a closer look at what really happens during a panic attack.

What is a Panic Attack?

A panic attack is an intense bout of fear that arises suddenly without any visible trigger. It may occur once or repeatedly and typically peaks within 10 minutes before subsiding gradually.

People often mistake anxiety attacks for panic attacks when in reality they are two different things; while anxiety focuses on the constant worry surrounding future events, panicking occurs spontaneously with no clear root cause.

Common Signs & Symptoms

Knowing whether or not you’ve had a panic attack can be confusing since most symptoms pertain to other conditions as well. Nevertheless, here some signs that set apart genuine panicked responses from regular bouts of excitement:

Physical Symptoms

• Rapid heartbeat: Heart palpitations fall under the umbrella of physical symptoms associated with heightened breathing rate.
• Sweating profusely/ excessive perspiration: Joining rapid beating hearts in tandem is extreme sweat production produced via apocrine glands found in your skin layers.
• Shortness of breath & difficulty swallowing
• Chest pain: People who go through their first-time manifestation might confuse it with mild chest pains such as what someone dealing with acid reflux would experience.
• A feeling that something terrible will happen

Emotional/Mental Symptoms:

It’s common for people having certain types of mental disorders or illnesses tend to get frightened more quickly due to stimuli triggers failing his/her coping mechanisms causing limbic overstimulation (limbic meaning emotional parts) leading onto drastic mood shifts-

These indicators let on to possible panic attacks:

• Feeling out of control: It’s an instinctive human nature to fill caprice voids (such as being devoid of any sense or order) with feelings of powerlessness and uncertainty.
• Intense fear accompanied by thoughts that you might die, go crazy or lose your mind
• The feeling that you can’t come up for air in a closed space

Differentiators From Other Conditions

Anxiety, depression and panic disorders commonly happen together causing one long-drawn-out rollercoaster ride. However, the symptoms between them can vary greatly; while everybody worries at some point in their lives – anxiety means suffering from a chronic cycle whereby worrying becomes overwhelming.

On the other hand, depression occurs due to lack of pleasure-seeking activities leading onto negative behavior patterns emerging such as excessive sleep unavailability exacerbating mood disorders.

Panic Attack vs Anxiety Attack

Let’s get something straight here: it’s essential not to confuse anxiousness with panic attack since they display subtle differences:

Triggers or events

The central difference between anxiety attacks and panic episodes is related closely with how effectively someone copes with coping skills placed under sudden pressure spurts.

While impending disasters may be known triggers for anxiety sufferers/sporadic panicking surfaces without reminder signifying something minor sent wacky pathways firing off too quickly producing exaggerated responses when compared normal situations – this happening seemingly out-of-the blue.

Length of Time

Another key distinguishing factor would be timeline depth – While periods of high anxiety resulting in last-at-least-six-weeks lasting effects which interfere daily living make diagnosing straightforwardly clear cut/episodic panicking exhibiting momentary anguish but less prolonged.

What Do I Do After A Panic Attack?

Having gone through this whole ordeal could leave anyone confused about what next steps should ideally look like? Fear no more because we have got you covered! Here are some steps you can follow to ensure a speedy recovery post-Panic attack:

1. Focus on your breathing: Take long deep breaths, inhaling through your nose for a count of four, holding for five and exhaling gently via the mouth.

2. Grounding techniques: Focus on objects found in front of you or near you like the texture of the rocks beneath your feet or leaves next to much rather fixate brainpower that trying abstract visualizations.

Mindfulness Practice

If there is no concrete activity providing distraction after an episode use mindfulness tools instead those distractions bring relief – this allows anchoring mind downs towards present ensuring circumstances at hand are not overly worry inducing steadily decreasing anxiety levels without painfully laborious work being put forth people who might have trouble harness self-control.

1. Exercise regularly: Move around some daily.- Preferably outdoors especially during sunlight hours when preferable concerning metabolism/ vitamin D replenishment requirements.

When To Seek Medical Attention

Most panic attacks require minimal medical attention as they could resolve themselves within minutes but occasionally it’s essential to involve professionals.
Here are situations where one should seek help from experts depending upon situation specifics requiring immediate action be taken:

• Joint occurrences: If these happen recurrently then priority calls for seeing therapists/counselors since escalation level alarms higher panic disorder definitions and falling victim requires more active remediation initiatives.
• Thyrotoxicosis-related conditions: Given relevant status preexisting physiology may intervene making heart palpitations management requirement prior recommended care route.
• Agapanthus comorbidities required medical consultation with primary carers before battling out unexplored symptoms reality:
• Depression causing challenges related work regime setting up difficulty routine tasks/responsibilities.
• Substance abuse disorders increasing susceptibility relapses involving long-term issues.

Burning questions answered!

So we asked our resident guru few general doubts, Usman has covered his personal take below –

How do I overcome anxiety that comes with recurring panic?

• Make A Mental Note: Essential first step imperative to curb recurrence is recognizing triggers, diffusing them away via unhealthy coping mechanisms helping keep self-grounded.

Is it possible for someone to experience a Panic Attack in their sleep?

• Yes! It’s not an uncommon situation where victims wake up inexplicably feeling overwhelmingly terrified, experiencing symptoms such as palpitation & night sweats.

As you can tell from the comprehensive list above, distinguishing between regular nervousness and legit panic attack could get tricky at times. Understanding these differences increases chances of effective remediation hence making way out of miasmic cortisol-spewing vortex experiencing more comfortable – so take deep breaths when things spiral beyond control and don’t be afraid to seek help!