Anxiety Attacks - Why They Happen and What to Do About Them

You’ve probably heard of anxiety attacks and wondered what they are. You can best describe them as sudden attacks of fear, terror, or feelings of impending doom. They are an acute episode of anxiety and strong feelings of panic. In fact, they are the same thing as panic attacks.

You don't have to ask, "What is anxiety?" Just keep reading and you'll get a good understanding of anxiety, anxiety attacks, and anxiety disorders.

I had an one of these attacks a few years ago and I honestly thought I was going to die then and there. Sweating, panic, feelings of disorientation…it really was the most awful feeling I’ve ever had. I have been fortunate in the intervening years because I haven’t experienced another one; most likely because I’ve sought treatment for my anxiety disorder. I cannot imagine what it must feel like if you have had a number of these attacks.

Let’s read on and see how something like this can occur…

How an Anxiety Attack Happens

These attacks are formed by a small organ in your brain - called the amygdala. Your amygdala essentially acts like a thermostat because it regulates your anxiety responses.

Under normal circumstances, your amygdala only reacts when a real-life threat is present. If you experience a lot of repeated anxiety during periods of stress, your amygdala will get “reset” at a higher than normal rate of anxiety. At this point, you may begin to experience an anxiety attack, a phobia, or other type of anxiety disorder. Repeated stress is a big key in the formation of anxiety. Speaking of stress, there are also cardiac causes of anxiety, so sometimes the cause of your anxiety isn't as clear cut as you'd think.

The funny thing about an anxiety attack is that the symptoms seem very threatening. Because no real threat is actually present, your anxiety symptoms are not appropriate…they don’t represent real fear.

Your anxiety is not a response to an actual threat even though your anxiety makes you feel threatened. You give credibility to your anxiety symptoms because you believe these symptoms are the response to a real threat. This only creates more fear.

I know exactly how that feels…in my case, when I had an anxiety - or panic - attack, I thought I was having a heart attack...but there wasn’t anything to fear because my heart was healthy. When I had the attack, I didn’t know that and couldn’t think rationally about it even if I had known my heart was healthy. The more I focused on my anxiety symptoms, the worse things got!

Symptoms of an Anxiety Attack

If you think you or a loved one is having an attack of anxiety, you certainly want to know what symptoms to look for. Here are some of the more common symptoms:

breathlessness
blurred vision
racing heart
shaking
dizziness
tingling in your arms and legs
stomach symptoms
chest pains
difficulty swallowing

These physical symptoms can be accompanied by weird or depressing thoughts and feelings of gloom.

Happily, this disorder can be successfully dealt with. It’s important to get the right information, help, and support. Obviously, the earlier you get treated, the better. Anxiety disorders that are allowed to persist often become more complicated and it takes longer to treat them.

Treating Anxiety Attacks

The most effective way of treating these attacks is a combination of good self-help information and personal coaching or counseling/therapy. Since the underlying factors that cause these disorders are learned, usually a professional therapist is needed to help you uncover, identify, and successfully treat them. Working with a professional therapist ensures the underlying factors are properly addressed.

And once you've visited your doctor or mental health professional, get their permission to follow some good relaxation techniques. You should find them to be very helpful in dealing with your anxiety. Relaxation techniques aren't the only way of controlling these attacks...you can also try exercise, eating a good diet, avoid caffeine and sugar, and especially learn deep breathing techniques.

If you suffer from any anxiety disorder, the good news is that it is fully resolvable when approached in the right way. Anxiety attack disorder, like other anxiety disorders, almost never goes away on its own. The longer you ignore it, the more entrenched it can become. Getting help at the earliest opportunity is your best course of action.