Busting Myths: What Happens During an Anxiety Attack?

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Apr 21, 2022

✨POV✨: Even though it's been ages, that one traumatic memory still unlocks intense feelings of anxiety - almost causing you to spiral and overthink your way into an anxiety attack. Spoiler alert: there are ways to overcome this!

Anxiety attacks are not easy to experience.

You know something is building up in your chest and that your mind is on fumes overthinking every possible worst-case scenario.

You often know exactly what's leading up to anxiety symptoms like difficulty breathing and chest pain that almost feels like a heart attack.

Is this all "just made-up stuff"?

Or are anxiety attacks more than that?

Where did this anxiety stem from? 🧐

The thing about anxiety is that it may or may not leave even after the anxiety-inducing event/situation has passed.

For some, it can show up without warning.

And for some people, just the mere thought of past traumatic events can cause extreme anxiety.

This is when it's more than just occasional, fleeting anxiety.

This is when it's an anxiety disorder.

This disorder can manifest physical symptoms of anxiety, like chest pain, feelings of losing control of the day, sweating, tightness around the throat, or shortness of breath.

But know that not everyone has to experience anxiety the same.

It helps to know where our anxiety disorders stem from to treat these same symptoms.

Treating anxiety disorders can also help reduce their impact on physical health conditions like abdominal distress. (In other words, it's that stomach ache or feeling of butterflies in your tummy when you're nervous.)

Here's a closer look into the types of anxiety disorders:

👉🏽 Generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder is when we experience severe anxiety and worry that stops us from being able to carry on with regular, everyday chores. We’re restless, and our anxious thoughts just won't quit.

If your anxiety disorder symptoms point to GAD, you can now build awareness and incorporate healthier coping mechanisms into your daily life.

👉🏽 Panic disorder

Panic attacks happen when our anxious thoughts have us convinced of impending danger when actually, there is no threat or danger.

Panic attacks can happen at any time, even during regular life events.

When these panic attacks start affecting your mental well-being, they become a panic disorder.

👉🏽 Obsessive-compulsive disorder

When your anxious, obsessive thoughts are so persistent and convincing that you start working on these thoughts by behaving in a certain way or pattern that may not be the healthiest - this could indicate that your anxiety disorders stem from underlying mental health conditions like OCD.

We're talking thoughts like, "did I turn off the stove? Will the house burn down? I should head back right away".

These thoughts lead to intense anxiety and rob you of being present in the here and now.

All that your brain does is come up with worst-case scenarios that won't leave your mind for the ages to come. And if these mental symptoms are persistent and continuous - this could lead to mental health problems.

Is anxiety attack = panic attack? 🤔

Not necessarily.

Although, it can be because of your panic disorder.

But anxiety attack symptoms can sometimes go unnoticed. This is because most of its giveaways are silent.

There's muscle tension and stiffness in the neck.

There can also be heart palpitations or chest pain.

There's overall worry and nervousness about whether a past stressful event will repeat in the future.

But, a panic attack can typically hit you out of nowhere. It rarely comes with a warning and stays for however long it wants to.

People who experience panic attacks know how intense and lingering panic attacks can be. The manifestations of this one aren't that subtle or moderate, like anxiety attacks.

Panic attacks can have severe symptoms like losing control and feelings of impending doom.

You can't shrug off these feelings and move on as if nothing happened.

About time we bust some anxiety-attack myths 🤝

We're busting these myths so that anxiety and panic attacks can stop feeling like the scary unknown.

It gets easier to cope with and prevent panic attacks or anxiety attacks when we have all the facts we need - what happens during an anxiety attack - and how to deal with it in the healthiest way possible.

Myth 1️⃣ - cry for attention

Since symptoms of anxiety disorder or panic disorder manifest differently, many of them can go misunderstood or misconstrued.

This can make it look like someone opening up about their experiences with anxiety attacks or panic attacks typically do it for popularity.

And when this stereotype propagates, it can discourage a person from seeking help.

Your anxiety is valid regardless of how you cope with it.

Myth 2️⃣ - dramatic

No one can scale or measure the levels or ranges of feelings and emotions one may experience. This means that panic attack symptoms can look differently for people.

People experience panic attacks but can still move on as though the episode never happened.

People can also cry hysterically for hours on end.

The minute we shed the concept of how emotion should be expressed, the better it gets to accept them.

Myth 3️⃣ - it's only for the sad and the depressed

It may make no sense why someone who's got their picture-perfect life on track would feel anxious or experience a panic attack.

But know that nobody really knows what happens behind the scenes with each of us. So even in those days when you feel all put together, show yourself grace and compassion and not the opposite when feelings of anxiety creep in.

Myth 4️⃣ - every attack should look the same for everyone

Some may withdraw and cry in private.

Some can still pull off a presentation at work while experiencing an anxiety attack.

Understand how your anxiety attack or panic attack manifests and believe that even if it's not the most common way for an anxiety attack to display, it doesn't make it any less valid.

Here's what you can do to keep anxiety attacks at bay 🤗

🧠 Awareness

The more you read up or find out about your anxiety and panic attacks, the better it gets to overcome them and keep more panic attacks or anxiety attacks from creeping up.

Look for medically reviewed suggestions and treatments by mental health professionals

The past traumatic events or situations that contributed to your anxiety disorders can be your triggers. Still, managing stress and anxiety gets a lot easier when you understand them as just perceived threats and not actual imminent danger.

🏃🏼‍♀️ Put in the work

Now that you know your specific anxiety triggers and how they manifest, deal with them as triggers.

Focus on just minimizing the impact of these triggers. If there's trouble breathing because of the anxiety build-up, prioritize ways to get the breathing on track.

The onslaught of scary "what if" thoughts can aggravate your intense feelings of anxiety.

This is when it's time to shift the tone of those thoughts from scary to “it is what it is.”

You have the facts with you. You know all you have is the now, no matter how many anxious thoughts about the future we can come up with.

Here, being's got you with that - check this mini guided session the next time you feel those anxious thoughts creeping in - I feel like I might have a panic attack.

🌻 Patience and compassion

All good things take time.

It takes time to unlearn your mind's coping strategies to defend itself.

Through this journey with anxiety and healing, you'd know that there is nothing to protect yourself from.

Fortunately, there's a mini guided session on being that can help with this - I embrace my fears, fully and lovingly.

Tend to your anxious thoughts as you would have wanted as a child.

How would you speak to yourself?

To wrap it up 💜

Know that anxiety and panic attacks occur out of valid feelings of constant fear and anxiety.

It's not a cry for attention, and it isn't "made-up stuff."

If you need guidance through this journey with anxiety, the best recommended way is with the help of mental health professional.

But in the interim, if you're too anxious to make that appointment or even google one at this point, there's being.

It's your one-stop app for all things feeling and mini-guided therapies to help deal with them.

The best part?

These are customized mini guided sessions and therapies, designed by mental health specialists. Like, therapy but on your phone, at any time and any place.

Now that you know a few healthy ways to keep these feelings of anxiousness at bay, your journey just got more beautiful!

You got this!

Disclaimer

This is not a substitute for therapy.

Visit your nearest mental health professional and wellness professionals for more information on your mental health issues/mental disorders and physical symptoms of anxiety disorders, panic disorders and unexpected panic attacks, and ongoing stress about a chronic health condition. They offer medically reviewed advice, diagnosis, or treatment like exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and other ways to treat anxiety or diagnosed anxiety disorder.