If you’ve ever had your heart start racing for no reason, felt like you couldn’t breathe or thought something terrible was about to happen, you may have experienced an anxiety attack. Around 11% of people in the United States experience at least one panic attack every year. While the experience isn’t dangerous, it can feel incredibly frightening and isolating in the moment.
Understanding how anxiety attacks manifest and what they feel like is an important step in recognizing and managing them, whether for yourself or someone you care about.
What Is an Anxiety Attack?
The term “anxiety attack” is often used interchangeably with “panic attack,” but medically, panic attacks are more clearly defined. Both terms describe a sudden surge of fear or anxiety that peaks quickly and includes physical symptoms. Anxiety attacks may build gradually in response to stress, while panic attacks often seem to come out of nowhere.
Regardless of terminology, the experience can be deeply distressing. It can make everyday situations like driving, being in a crowd or even sitting alone feel like an emotional emergency.
Common Anxiety Attack Symptoms
Anxiety attack symptoms often include a mix of physical and psychological sensations. People commonly report:
- Racing heart or chest pain
- Shortness of breath or feeling like you can’t breathe
- Shaking, trembling or muscle tension
- Nausea or stomach discomfort
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Hot flashes or chills
- Sweating
- Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
- Feeling detached from reality (derealization) or from yourself (depersonalization)
- Intense fear or a sense that something bad is about to happen
- A feeling of losing control or going crazy
These symptoms usually last a few minutes to half an hour, peaking within the first 10 minutes for many people. For others, they may fade more slowly or lead into a cycle of ongoing worry and tension.
What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?
Many people describe panic attacks as feeling like they’re dying or having a heart attack. The physical symptoms mimic those of serious medical issues, which adds to the fear.
Descriptions often include:
- “It felt like the walls were closing in.”
- “I thought I was having a heart attack.”
- “I couldn’t catch my breath, and I felt like I was going to pass out.”
- “I felt completely disconnected from my body.”
- “I thought I was losing my mind.”
For those who haven’t experienced it, it can be hard to understand how visceral and real the fear is. But the danger feels completely real to someone in the middle of it — even when there’s no physical threat.
Emotional Impact of Anxiety Attacks
The aftermath of an anxiety or panic attack can leave you feeling:
- Drained or exhausted
- Embarrassed or self-conscious
- Worried about when the next attack will happen
- Reluctant to go into public spaces or social situations
- Trapped in a cycle of fear about fear itself
Many people begin to avoid specific situations that seem to trigger attacks, which can lead to social withdrawal or agoraphobia.
Why Do Anxiety Attacks Happen?
There’s no single cause of anxiety attacks. Some common contributors include:
- Chronic stress
- Trauma or unresolved emotional pain
- Generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder
- Phobias or social anxiety
- Substance use or withdrawal
- Certain medications or medical conditions
- Family history of anxiety or mood disorders
In some cases, panic attacks appear without an obvious trigger. In others, they’re tied to specific fears or memories. Your brain and body react as if you’re in immediate danger — even when you’re not.
How to Cope With an Anxiety Attack in the Moment
When experiencing panic attack symptoms, grounding techniques and breathwork can help calm the nervous system. Try:
- Breathing slowly in through your nose for 4 seconds, holding for 4 and exhaling for 6
- Placing your hand on your chest and reminding yourself that you’re experiencing anxiety and it will pass
- Naming five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste
- Splashing cold water on your face or holding an ice cube
- Moving your body to discharge nervous energy
Educating loved ones is also helpful so they can support you without escalating your fear.
When to Seek Help
Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, but recurring anxiety attacks can indicate an underlying condition like panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. You should consider reaching out to a mental health professional if:
- You experience frequent or intense anxiety attacks.
- You start avoiding people, places or activities to prevent them.
- Your anxiety interferes with work, relationships or daily life.
- You feel hopeless, isolated or ashamed.
Effective treatments are available, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction and medication if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Are the Symptoms of a Panic Attack?
Panic attack symptoms often include chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, trembling, racing heart and intense fear. Many people also experience depersonalization or a fear of dying or losing control. - What’s the Difference Between a Panic Attack and an Anxiety Attack?
Panic attacks tend to be more sudden and intense, often without a clear trigger. Anxiety attacks may build more gradually and are typically linked to specific worries or stressors. Both can feel overwhelming and they share many of the same symptoms. - Are Anxiety Attacks Dangerous?
Anxiety attacks aren’t physically harmful, but they can feel terrifying. If you’re unsure whether symptoms are anxiety or something more serious, it’s okay to get checked by a medical provider. - Can Anxiety Attacks Happen Without Warning?
Some panic attacks happen suddenly and with no obvious cause. Others follow specific stressors, triggers or patterns of thought. Learning your triggers can help with management. - How Can I Stop an Anxiety Attack Quickly?
Try breathing slowly, grounding with your senses, reminding yourself that it will pass and using physical grounding tools like ice or movement. Therapy can also teach you long-term coping skills to reduce frequency and severity.
You’re Not Alone, and You’re Not Broken
Experiencing an anxiety attack can feel like losing control of your body and mind. It’s terrifying in the moment, and the fear of it happening again can make even safe spaces feel threatening. But the truth is, anxiety attacks are treatable, and they don’t define you.
Understanding what anxiety attacks feel like is the first step in reclaiming your peace. You deserve support that meets you with compassion, not judgment. If you or someone you love is struggling with anxiety attacks, the Mental Health Hotline offers free, confidential guidance to help you take the next step. Relief is possible, and so is feeling like yourself again.
