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What is an Anxiety Attack?

The term “anxiety attack” can sometimes be used to describe a wide range of acute anxiety symptoms. However when many people speak of an anxiety attack they are referring to an anxiety experience which occurs spontaneously and includes symptoms such as: breathing difficulties, light-headedness or dizziness, a tight chest, tachycardia (fast heart rate), sweating, hot or cold flushes, nausea, or tingling or numbness in the fingers, lips or toes. These symptoms often occur alongside an intense desire to flee the situation in which the attack occurs. People experiencing these attacks often fear they might: die, pass-out, or go insane. The sense of lacking control over the attacks tends to fuel many people’s anxiety symptoms.

The technical term for this form of anxiety attack is a “panic attack”, and such attacks often occur as part of Panic Disorder. Panic Disorder involves the occurrence of repeated panic attacks or persistent anticipation of recurrent panic attacks.

In some cases people begin to avoid the situations which appear to trigger the panic attacks which can in turn lead to the development of agoraphobia.

Other Types of Anxiety Attacks

However it is not uncommon for people to experience attacks of anxiety which do not fit into the category of “panic attack”. Anxiety reactions vary widely from person to person. For some people their anxiety reactions are more cognitive (“mental”), while for others anxiety reactions involve strong physical symptoms. Some people describe feeling a sudden sense of dread or overwhelming fear that doesn’t include all the classic panic symptoms.

These anxiety attacks can occur spontaneously or may be triggered by thoughts or external situations. The attacks may also occur as part of a separate anxiety disorder such as: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Specific Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Phobia, or Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

While there is a great deal of individual variation in anxiety symptoms, there is a great deal of overlap in the psychological treatment approaches which are beneficial in addressing the anxiety.