Anxiety Attack Symptoms

Anxiety Symptoms

• Panic disorders - Separate and intense periods of fear or feelings of doom developing over a very short time frame -- 10 minutes -- and associated with at least 4 of the following:
  • Palpitations
  • Sweating
  • Trembling
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sense of choking
  • Chest pain
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • A feeling of being detached from the world (derealization)
  • Fear of dying
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Chills or hot flushes
• Generalized anxiety disorder - Excessive and unrealistic worry over a period of at least 6 months associated with 3 of the following:
  • Restlessness
  • Easy fatigue
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Irritability or explosive anger
  • Muscle tension
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Personality changes such as becoming less social
• Phobic disorders - Intense, persistent, and recurrent fear of certain objects (such as snakes, spiders, blood) or situations (such as heights, speaking in front of a group, public places). These exposures may trigger a panic attack.
• Stress disorders - Anxiety (also known as post-traumatic stress disorder) caused by the exposure to either death or near-death circumstances such as fires, floods, earthquakes, shootings, automobile accidents, or wars, for example. The traumatic event is re-experienced in thoughts and dreams. Common behaviors include the following:
  • Avoiding activities, places, or people associated with the triggering event
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Being hypervigilant (you closely watch your surroundings)
  • Feeling a general sense of doom and gloom with diminished emotions such as loving feelings or aspirations for the future
• Symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations, dizziness, fainting, and weakness generally should not be attributed to anxiety and require evaluation by a doctor.