What an Anxiety Attack Feels Like & How to Soothe One
Anxiety comes with a lot of fear and uncertainty. When you’re dealing with it, you might struggle with things like a racing heart, trembling, or feelings of nausea and dizziness.
An anxiety attack, however, can exacerbate those symptoms and more. While some people refer to anxiety attacks as panic attacks, they are two different things. It’s important to understand what an anxiety attack feels like so you know what you’re dealing with and how to soothe it.
So, what are the signs of an anxiety attack, and what can you expect when you’re going through one?
The Physical Symptoms
The physical signs of an anxiety attack are likely to be the first things you notice. Again, things like a racing heart, shaking, and dizziness can start to feel worse. You’re also likely to sweat and experience shortness of breath. Some people experience hot flashes, while others deal with chills. It’s also not uncommon to deal with stomach issues or muscle aches and pains.
Some of the physical symptoms might remind you of the flu. However, they are often much stronger and come on faster. One of the differences between an anxiety attack and a panic attack is that an anxiety attack tends to build over a period of time. However, when the physical symptoms hit their peak, it can feel next to impossible to control them.
The Psychological Symptoms
Dealing with physical issues like dizziness and trembling can be terrifying, causing the fear that’s making your anxiety even worse. Unfortunately, physical symptoms are only part of the problem when you’re experiencing an anxiety attack.
Intense fear and dread are the most common psychological symptoms of an anxiety attack. Sometimes, these feelings can become so severe that you’ll feel like you’re completely losing control or even that you’re dying. Because of that, it’s also not uncommon for individuals experiencing an attack to feel like they’re going crazy.
As an anxiety attack builds, you might have trouble concentrating or staying still. You can become restless and irritable, and feel a sense of detachment from the world around you.
How Long Does an Anxiety Attack Last?
If there’s a silver lining to anxiety attacks, it’s that they typically only last for a few minutes and tend to peak in intensity within the first 10 minutes.
However, the lingering effects can last much longer, and the emotional impact can create more stress and anxious thoughts that cause you to feel on edge for quite some time. Some people even experience back-to-back anxiety attacks for this reason.
Soothing an Anxiety Attack
Even though your attack will likely calm down on its own, there are things you can do during it to self-soothe and help yourself “come down” faster.
First, focus on grounding yourself. There are a variety of techniques that can help with this, but one of the most effective is to take slow, deep breaths while focusing on your senses. What can you hear, smell, see, taste, and touch? Focusing on these things will help to bring you back to the present rather than thinking about the “what ifs” caused by anxiety.
To calm your body, try gentle movement. Take a short walk or give yourself a gentle hug. Do some light stretching and find a quiet place to move that will make grounding yourself easier.
Finally, don’t hesitate to talk to someone. Lean on a loved one during the attack and share your feelings. Let them be there to support you and keep you distracted with positive talk.
Talking to a mental health professional can make a huge difference in your anxiety levels. Don’t wait until you start experiencing attacks regularly. Instead, get to the bottom of your anxiety and learn how to start fighting back against it with the help of an anxiety counselor. I’m here to walk with you on that journey. Contact my office today for a consultation.
