Emotional and Physical Symptoms of Anxiety Attacks

People, from adults to teenagers, are now facing more stresses in life than ever before, which is a strong cause to pre-dispose you to anxiety and panic attacks. Although having an anxiety attack does not necessarily indicate that you will develop into anxiety disorder or you need to seek immediate medical help, you should never take it lightly. If you have concern over your mental condition, you may like to check yourself against the following emotional and physical symptoms of anxiety attacks to make sure whether you need to exercise enough attention.

EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMS

There are numerous emotional symptoms accompanying an anxiety attack, and the most common ones include:

- having ungrounded fear and excessive worry

- feeling of losing control of life

- being uneasy wherever you go as if you need an escape

- feeling insecure and unguarded

- becoming restless and edgy

- being over self-conscious and hyper-vigilant

- feeling confused and lacking concentration

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

There are also numerous physical symptoms for you to look out for. These include:

- Heart Palpitations

This is a sensation of skipped or stopped heart beats, and you feel as though you are suffering an heart attack. This unpleasant palpitation often accompany emotional symptoms such as excessive fear, worry and excitement.

- Chest Pain

In the case of an anxiety attack, the chest pain can be as severe as the case with heart attacks. What you feel is a heaviness, pressure, or extreme discomfort in the chest area.

- Shortness of Breath

Short breath is usually associated with lack of oxygen in the brain, muscle or other organs in the body. Sometimes, emotional disorder will also lead to this symptom, and you will suffer difficulty in breathing as though all the air is taken away from you.

- Chills or Hot Flashes

This is a short period of hot or cold sensations in your upper body caused by emotional distress.

- Nausea, Vomiting or Diarrhea

Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can all be triggered by a host of emotional conditions such as pain, panic, worries and irritations.

- Sweating

Yes, sweating is not just a natural response to high temperature or exercise. It can also be caused by emotional disorders including anger, embarrassment, nervousness, fear or anxiety.

- Dizzy Spells and Tremors

If you often feel light-headed without any other symptoms, the symptom is more likely to be emotion-related. Taking anti-anxiety medications can help reduce severe dizziness.

Apart from what was mentioned already, other common physical symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, headaches and muscle aches.

The emotional and physical symptoms described above are typical symptoms of anxiety attacks, but may not cover all. Sometimes, your condition may be more complicating that the doctor will have to screen you against possible physical problems first. Today, the commonly used methods to treat anxiety include traditional medications, behavioral therapy, and alternative medications. If your condition is only minor, self-help techniques can also get you go around.