In panic attacks, people have sudden feelings of fear that strike seemingly without warning. These episodes may occur at random, even during periods of sleep. For people who suffer from panic attacks, it can feel as though you're having a heart attack or going crazy. Often, the level of fear that you experience during such an episode is in no way proportionate to the situation that you're in, and it can be completely unrelated to the circumstances around you.
Most of the time, panic attacks are quite brief, though some of the symptoms can linger for a longer period. People who have had a panic attack in the past are more likely to have more attacks in the future, and when these occur frequently, there is some worry about the person having a "panic disorder". Here, we're going to look at the 7 warning signs and symptoms of severe panic attacks.
1. Racing Heart
The first, and one of the most common in our list of 7 warning signs and symptoms of severe panic attacks is a racing heart. People who have panic attacks frequently feel as though they're having a heart attack because their pulse seems to race out of control, and they feel overwhelmed by the sensation of blood rushing through their body.
2. Feeling Faint
Although people who have panic attacks rarely faint because of the amount of adrenaline that's running through their body at that time, feeling faint, dizzy, or weak is a common sign .
3. Numbness in the Extremities
Because your blood is racing when you're having a panic attack, it can sometimes feel as though all of the sensation suddenly goes out of your fingers and toes. If you have tingling or numbness throughout your hands or fingers, this could be a sign of a panic attack.
4. Terror
An obvious symptom of a panic attack, and one of the most important in our list of 7 warning signs and symptoms of severe panic attacks, is a feeling of impending doom or terror. People who experience this struggle from an over-exaggerated experience of fear, either in relation to a thought or a situation.
5. Sweating or Chills
People who suffer from panic attacks can frequently have feelings of chills or sweatiness that seems to coat their entire body. In fact, you might feel that you're covered in a cold sweat that makes you feel sick or unwell.
6. Chest Pains and Breathing Difficulty
It's not uncommon to hear those who are in the middle of having a panic attack say that they can't breathe. Often, the feeling of panic that persists during these attacks can make the chest feel tight, thanks to an overactive pulse, and this might result in breathing difficulties, and pains or shooting discomfort throughout the chest which can exacerbate the feeling that you're having a heart attack.
7. Loss of Control
Finally, the last on our list of 7 warning signs and symptoms of severe panic attacks, is a feeling that you've lost control over the situation and even your own body. People having a panic attack can feel completely powerless and often overwhelmed by the situation they're in.