Article
What does a panic attack actually feel like?
Panic is frightening partly because it feels like a body emergency rather than a feeling. Many women describe being certain something is medically wrong.
The short answer
A panic attack is a sudden surge of fear with strong physical symptoms: racing heart, tight chest, shortness of breath, shaking, nausea, tingling, or a sense of unreality. It usually peaks within about ten minutes and passes, even though it does not feel survivable while it is happening.
Why it feels so physical
Your alarm system is doing what it was built to do, only at the wrong moment. Adrenaline moves blood to the large muscles, breathing speeds up, and your senses sharpen. Every symptom that scares you is part of a system trying to protect you.
That does not make it pleasant. It does mean the sensations are not evidence that something is broken in you.
What helps while it is happening
- Slow the exhale. Breathe out longer than you breathe in, for a minute or two.
- Put your feet flat and name five things you can see and three you can hear.
- Hold something cold or press your hands together and notice the pressure.
- Tell yourself the true thing: this peaks and passes.
- Stay where you are if you safely can. Leaving teaches the fear that the place was the danger.
Afterward
Panic that keeps happening usually starts shrinking your life quietly. You stop driving certain routes, avoid the grocery store at busy times, or decline invitations. That avoidance is what counseling addresses most directly.
If chest pain, fainting or new physical symptoms are involved, get medical care first. Ruling things out is a reasonable step, not an overreaction.
Common questions
Can a panic attack hurt me?
Panic is intensely uncomfortable and is not dangerous in itself. Still, new or unexplained physical symptoms deserve a medical evaluation so you know what you are working with.
Why do panic attacks happen out of nowhere?
They often follow a long stretch of stress your body absorbed quietly. The trigger can be small while the buildup was not.
Does counseling help panic?
Yes. Cognitive behavioral approaches have a strong track record with panic, largely by reducing avoidance and changing what the sensations mean to you.
Learn more about counseling for anxiety and depression with Lori, or browse all articles on anxiety and depression.
Written by Lori Rasmussen, LISW, a Licensed Independent Social Worker licensed in the State of Iowa and a Certified Spiritual Director. Lori counsels women and female students in Waterloo, Iowa and online across Iowa. Articles here are meant to help you understand what you may be experiencing; they are not a diagnosis and they do not take the place of care from a professional who knows your story.
Reaching out can be the first step.
You don't need to know exactly what to say, or have anything figured out, before you contact Lori.
Or email rasmussencounselingandsd@gmail.com