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Katharina

Updated 10mo ago

Understanding Panic Attacks: Causes and Triggers

Tell me more about panic attacks. What they are. How they come on. What triggers them. Ect. I’ve lived with anxiety attacks and I may have had a panic attack and I really don’t know much about those.

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Quillathe

1y

I've always thought they were similar but an anxiety attack would build up over a longer period of time. Whereas a panic attack would be a more sudden onset of symptoms.
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Katharina

1y

that makes sense cause it caught me by surprise . And there’s was no definite trigger. I thought I was having Allergic reaction or stroke.
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Len

1y

My panic attacks often come out at random times. They're usually completely unseen until you're in the middle of one. Anxiety attacks, like Quillathe said, are usually a build up of anxiety.
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Katharina

1y

would it be true that the two are simalr but one is emontial distress and panic attack is physical distress and can come in at any point in time?
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tigershark98

1y

An anxiety attack is a general term that has no specific definition, different people can use it to describe different things. A panic attack is a medical term for an episode of intense anxiety accompanied by at least 4 of the following symptoms (listed below). Panic Attacks can be triggered by a specific situation(s) that cause someone anxiety, and they can also happen completely randomly with no warning. At least 4 of these symptoms are required: - Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate - Sweating - Trembling or shaking - Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering - A feeling of choking - Chest pain or discomfort - Nausea or abdominal distress - Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint - Feelings of unreality (derealization) or being detached from oneself (depersonalization) - Fear of losing control or going crazy - Fear of dying - Numbness or tingling sensations (paresthesias) - Chills or feeling too hot A panic attack can also cause additional symptoms that are not on that list, but they don’t “count” toward the 4 required symptoms. A panic attack can last a few minutes, or even for several days straight. Some people describe their panic attacks as mild, while others can have clinically-extremely-severe attacks. Panic Disorder is a condition in which a person experiences repeated panic attacks, and at least some of the attacks are completely random. It can also range from mild to extremely severe. My Panic Disorder was extremely severe for years, and has gradually become mild instead (Thank God).
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tigershark98

1y

Edit: You mention feeling like you were experiencing an allergic reaction or a stroke. That could definitely be a panic attack! (or some physical issue of course). A lot of anxiety disorders can cause panic attacks that aren’t Panic Disorder. There is also a term called Limited-Symptom Attacks, where someone who experiences at least some panic attacks, also has lesser episodes of intense anxiety that only have a few symptoms, rather than 4 or more.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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