Do you recall the last time it seemed your body was about to fail you — you couldn’t breath, you were uncomfortable, you knew that something was just not right? Chances are, unless you were in the midst of a true life-threatening event, you were simply experiencing a symptom of a panic attack. Anxiety or panic attacks come with a list of uncomfortable feelings, some of which I’m going to list and discuss to help you recognize them the next time they happen to you.

“If Only My Heart Would Stop Pounding!”

A racing heart is one of the most common symptoms of a panic attack. Any number of stressful situations can bring out this reaction signaling a mild or even a severe attack of anxiety. When your heart pounds you might have the reaction of clutching your chest because you think you may be having a heart attack. The trick is to calmly (as best you can) evaluate your situation and recognize that this is probably a symptom of your anxiety attack.

“Oh Man! I Just Can’t Breath”

Feeling like you just can’t breath is another symptom you might experience during an anxiety attack. Not being able to breath is indeed frightening — you feel as if you’re boxed in and the world is caving in. If you’re under stress, do yourself a favor by considering that this may just be a panic attack symptom.

Losing Control! Oh No!!!

It can be hard to manage anxiety when you’re in the middle of feeling like you’re losing control — of yourself and the situation. Being afraid you’ll lose control is the last thing you need when you can’t catch your breath, you’re feeling light headed, and your heart is pounding. The trick here may be to realize that this is a natural by-product of all the other symptoms your body is putting you through.

A Feeling as If You’ll Faint from Light-headedness

The lightheaded, “about to faint” feeling tends to happen when you’re in a crowded area. A fear of being in crowds is known as agoraphobia and light-headedness is one of the common symptoms associated with this anxiety. This is merely one of the symptoms associated with anxiety attacks and you may not have a more serious issue other than that.

In Conclusion, but no, it’s not yet over…

The symptoms associated with anxiety attacks vary from one person to the next. Each person experiences fear and the symptoms of anxiety attacks differently based on his own level of fear. The symptoms of anxiety can be controlled and even treated so that you can lead a normal life. If you want to seriously pursue treatment, get together with your doctor to discuss your symptoms and possibly draw up a plan to manage anxiety as it happens in your day-to-day life. The ultimate goal is to get control of your life by managing anxiety and stress before it destroys you.