What exactly is a panic attack

What exactly is a panic attack? Would overwhelmed, nauseious and having a migrane all at the same time count as one?

Uuuhhhh... I don't think so. It's more of like not being able to catch their breath, I think? It looks that way from what I see in movies.

Nirvana said:

What exactly is a panic attack? Would overwhelmed, nauseious and having a migrane all at the same time count as one?

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Yeah, I would recon so. I'm not sure about the migrane, but it's very possible. I know migraine can be anxiety related, but I know very little about it otherwise.

Adrenaline rush, heart beating fast, sweating, breathing problems, chest pains, shivering and sickness are other common symptoms. They can vary quite a lot, and be extremely intensive/strong. Of course panic attacks are not dangerous, but they can be very uncomfortable and scary! It's not uncommon that people even call for an ambulance cause they think something's really wrong with them. (I heard this from someone who works with paramedics.)

It's important to learn to deal with the panic attacks, little by little they'll lose their power. My psychotherapist's helped me quite a lot.. But it’s a long way to go, a hard row to ho and so on.

Forgive me if I'm telling you stuff you already know here. It's my first time here, so if I'm being patronizing, it's completely unintentional

I have derealization episodes which are like intense panic attacks that can last for hours. Derealization is basically a change in the way I perceive things. It is almost like dreaming, but you can't wake up. It doesn't sound bad, but it is the worst and most frightening thing in the world. It makes me so scared that I breathe shallower, sweat, shake, sometimes get nauseous (sp?), and my heart beats faster. Some people who suffer panic attacks don't have derealization accompany it though. Also, sometimes people experience derealization from panic attacks, but some unfortunate people have derealization and that causes panic attacks.

I had panick attacks and they used 2 wake up in the middle of the night, it felt like climbing the walls, very fast heart beat, sweeting, adrenaline rush, shaking, the feeling that you have to run away as fast as u can from something as you were face 2 face with a hungry grizzly bear, but physical simptoms were nothing compared 2 what u experience inside your mind, that feeling.

I don't exactly know the difference between high anxiety and a panick attack, I think they are somehow related, anxiety leads 2 panick attack, but they are 2 separrate things.

ShadowCat, can u explain 2 me what u feel inside your mind when u experience derealization ? If i get extremly anxious and scared, i feel like i'm going blind and deaf, and can't tell what's going on around me, it is like an underwater sensation for me, or dreaming, i dunno how to explain, besides the well known physical sensations. Is this derealization ? :roll:

I'd say panic isnt sufficient enough a work, extreme terror attack is more like it.