You shoot awake from a dead sleep, sweating, heart racing, and short of breath. You have an awful sensation, but you’re not sure why. You feel a deep sense of dread as the walls close in around you. Are you dying? Are you having a heart attack? What is going on? If this describes you, you might be experiencing nocturnal panic attacks (NPA). Having a panic attack at night can be terrifying. Understanding what we’ve learned about nocturnal panic attacks, including their symptoms, who’s most likely to experience them, and methods for treating and coping with them can help. Read on to learn more ..read more

Your breathing is shallow and quick. You’re beginning to perspire. You feel shaky, and your heart is racing. Adrenaline courses through you, and suddenly, you feel intense fear. It feels like you might faint. Worse, you think you might be dying. For those who live with panic attacks, this is how it feels. Panic attacks are marked by a sudden and irrational onset of intense fear. The attack causes both emotional and physical symptoms. Unfortunately, often the pain and distress aren’t always over when the attack is.  Coping with panic attacks as they happen can be very challenging. Coping ..read more

Anyone who has them can tell you, panic attacks can produce a level of anxiety that’s devastating. Sometimes, attacks can be so intense that you might start to feel dizzy. You may even think you’re about to pass out — but can panic attacks make you pass out? Keep reading to find out.  We’ll explore the effects of panic attacks and look specifically at how much potential there is for you to actually pass out during an episode. We’ll look into why dizziness and faintness may occur during a panic attack, and we’ll discuss what you can do to regain emotional and physical control when you’re ..read more

More than four million Americans experience panic attacks, with the signs and symptoms of an episode appearing quickly and sometimes without warning. These sudden attacks of anxiety and overwhelming fear can happen to anyone and are known to be somewhat unpredictable, generally occurring without an obvious cause. Often, without a diagnosis, the overwhelming symptoms of panic attacks are misinterpreted and may even go ignored. This makes it increasingly important to understand the causes, signs, and ways to prevent or treat panic attacks over the long term. What is a Panic Attack? Panic attacks ..read more

Updated 2/8/2022 Frequent panic attacks can be crippling and devastating. They can keep you from living your life and enjoying the people in it. The good news, though, is they’re highly treatable. Armed with the right coping tools and information, you’ll understand how to stop a panic attack, in public or in private, the next time you experience one. Controlling your panic attacks, instead of letting them control you, will feel liberating.  Learn how to stop a panic attack fast and where you can find help preventing them here.   10 Ways to Stop a Panic Attack There isn’t one s ..read more

Updated on 9/22/2021 Understanding the differences when it comes to a panic attack vs anxiety attack can feel confusing since so many of the symptoms are very similar. But the truth is, these are two different conditions, and there are a few key things to know about the symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks that can help you determine which you might be having. The primary difference between panic attacks and anxiety attacks is that a panic attack generally comes on very suddenly. It’s also typically over quickly, too. An anxiety attack, however, tends to build up for a while, and it’ll most ..read more

“This Viral Tweet Is Helping Couples Support Each Other During Anxiety Attacks” originally appeared on Fairy God Boss, an advice blog that makes it easier for you to take care of yourself. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults ages 18 and older every year — that’s 18.1 percent of the population. Anxiety develops from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality and life events, and people with anxiety disorders are three to five times more likely to go to the doctor ..read more

This post is part of our #TherapyHelpedMe series for Mental Health Awareness Month. Talkspace shares stories of how therapy helps people of all backgrounds work through the daily challenges of modern life. The panic attacks escalated during my senior year of college. Once, I was sitting on the side of the freeway. I abandoned my car a mile back and called 911, convinced I was having a heart attack. Confused, I gave the 911 operator the wrong location of where I was. The longer I waited for help the more I struggled to breathe. Another time, while stopped at a traffic l ..read more

I’ve had severe panic attacks on and off since I was 16 years old. Although I may never be able to pinpoint their exact cause, I’ve long suspected that some of the traumas I experienced as a child (divorce, abandonment, custody battles, and verbal abuse) contributed to my panic disorder. Recently, though, my therapist mentioned something in passing that illuminated the whole phenomenon for me in an entirely different way. She said that when we hold our emotions inside, they tend to kind of morph into conditions like anxiety and panic. A lightbulb went off in my brain then: I could picture myse ..read more

Classifying different types of anxiety attacks can be difficult. “Anxiety attack” is not an official clinical term. You won’t find it in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,” the handbook most mental health professionals reference. There is also the issue of both mental health clients and professionals confusing anxiety attacks and panic attacks. “Anxiety attack” is a colloquial term clients created to describe intense or extended periods of anxiety. On a scale of intensity, an anxiety attack is between mild feelings of anxiety and a panic attack. Because of its frequenc ..read more