Anxiety attacks, also called panic attacks, cause emotional and physical symptoms. People with anxiety attacks experience different symptoms. Possible anxiety attack symptoms include nausea, racing heart rate, dizziness, feelings of impending doom, and rapid, shallow breathing. Can anxiety attacks cause fainting?

Some people have experienced fainting with anxiety attacks. Fainting, also called syncope, is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain. Though most episodes of fainting subside within minutes without causing injury, people may get hurt when they fall to the floor when they faint. This is especially dangerous for the elderly.

When someone faints, the person loses consciousness. Fainting is a fairly common condition. Fainting during an anxiety attack can be caused by intense fear or emotional distress. Anxiety attacks can also cause fainting from hyperventilation. Breathing during anxiety attacks often becomes fast and shallow which can lead to hyperventilating.

With the rapid, shallow breathing of anxiety attacks, fainting occurs due to the high levels of oxygen and rapid release of carbon dioxide. The resulting low level of carbon dioxide causes a constriction of the blood vessels of the brain. The decreased blood flow in the brain may cause fainting or lightheadedness. If a person is aware of their rapid breathing, the person may learn to consciously slow their breathing during an anxiety attack.

Fainting from anxiety attacks can be due to vagus nerve stimulation. The vagus nerve is located in the neck, chest, and intestines. This nerve may become stimulated in response to emotional distress or fear. Vagus nerve stimulation can cause nausea, clammy hands, and fainting. Fainting from vagus nerve stimulation is called vasovagal or vasomotor syncope.

If possible, people experiencing lightheadedness during a panic attack should sit to help avoid injury if they faint. Other conditions can make a person more susceptible to fainting. Heart, nerve, and circulation problems can cause fainting. Fainting can also be caused by drug use, medications, alcohol use, and excessive hunger or low blood sugar. Typically, fainting during anxiety attacks is not cause for alarm. Most people who have fainted from anxiety do not have any medical conditions causing the fainting.

Panic attacks cause the sudden onset of extreme emotional distress and physical anxiety symptoms including difficulty breathing, racing heart rate, dizziness, heart palpitations, and nausea. A panic attack can make the person to believe that something bad is going to happen to them or a loved one. Isolation by people who have panic attacks is an attempt to avoid situations that might trigger a panic attack. How do I control a panic attack?

In my experience, truly believing something bad is going to happen is the most terrifying part of a panic attack. The physical symptoms of panic attacks can mimic a heart attack and cause additional anxiety for many people. These physical symptoms of anxiety cause fear of a heart attack which exacerbates the already elevated levels of anxiety.

Identifying the symptoms as just a panic attack and acknowledge that there is no real danger can help diffuse the panic attack. This is easier said than done, but it does become easier with practice. Acknowledging the panic attack for what it is can help avoid adding to the anxiety by worrying about a perceived threat or heart attack.

Some people who have panic attacks take medication at the onset of symptoms. The physician or psychiatrist may prescribe a medication for panic attacks that is only taken as needed. A daily anxiety medication may be prescribed to reduce the likelihood of experiencing panic attack symptoms.

Isolating is very common for people who experience panic attacks, because the person begins to fear panic attacks. The fear of panic attacks causes the person to retreat to living in a comfort zone. If the person experiences panic attacks in crowds, the person may start avoiding stores and the public in general.

The behaviorism perspective explains why a person with panic attacks may struggle with isolation. Panic attacks in public places can be perceived subconsciously as a punishment for being in public. Behaviorists would call this positive punishment. Since staying at home does not cause a panic attack, the lack of panic attacks is a reward, or negative reinforcement according to behaviorists, for staying at home. The shaping of behavior with reinforcement and punishment is a process called operant conditioning.

Isolation is extremely detrimental since the person’s comfort zone tends to decrease in size over time. In my case, I started out avoiding stores. Then, I avoided going out public at all. My comfort zone was my home. Then, my comfort zone continued to shrink until I was practically confined to my bedroom and could no longer even check my mail without experiencing terrible anxiety. I was surprised to find out that this is actually a common course of the illness.

So, I’ve begun to challenge myself to go out in public at least once a week. Going out in public has decreased the anxiety tremendously. I encourage anyone who suffers from anxiety or panic attacks related to being in public to try their best to force themselves to be outside their comfort zone regularly.

Some psychological terms can be confusing. Some words may be unfamiliar to the general public. A mental health term may have a different meaning when it is used in everyday speech. For example, depressed is a term commonly used to mean sad, but the word “depressed” in a psychiatric context takes on a whole new meaning.

Because I have a background in psychology, feel free to use the comments section to ask questions about psychological terms that you may have whether your question is about anxiety disorders or other psychological topics or other mental illnesses.

People may become confused by the use of “panic attacks” and “anxiety attacks.” What is the difference between panic attacks and anxiety attacks? These terms are synonymous and often used interchangeably. There is no difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack.

The psychological disorder most commonly associated with panic attacks is panic disorder. Panic attacks can occur with other psychiatric disorders as well. A panic attack includes the sudden development of four or more anxiety symptoms like pounding or racing heart, numbness, dizziness, sweating, fear of dying, nausea, and trembling or shaking. Many of these separate anxiety symptoms of panic attacks can be present with other anxiety disorders.

Panic attacks typically last for several minutes. Having some panic attack symptoms is not enough to warrant a diagnosis of panic disorder. The diagnosis of panic disorder not only requires the presence of four of these symptoms, but the symptoms must have a sudden onset and the panic attacks must be recurring.

Panic and anxiety attacks http Internet resources can be valuable sources of information to learn about panic attacks. One informative panic and anxiety attack http resource is the About.com page on panic disorder. This website includes information about the symptoms of anxiety attacks, treatments, and other panic attack facts.

WebMD.com also has a wealth of information on anxiety disorders and panic attacks. This panic and anxiety attacks http resource includes many panic attack facts and information on anxiety disorders.

I have written several panic and anxiety attacks http resources as articles on PTSD Central as well as my article called “Stopping Anxiety Attacks with Positive Self-Talk” on HubPages.com. I will continue to add more articles about panic attacks and anxiety disorders to both websites.

Pristiq or its generic form called desvenlafaxine may be prescribed for anxiety disorders or depression. Pristiq may reduce anxiety attacks caused by panic disorder. Pristiq for anxiety is an effective medication for many people.

The antidepressants that are often prescribed to treat anxiety disorders such as Paxil are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Unlike these common antidepressants, Pristiq affects both serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmitters. Many antidepressants including the SSRIs increase the levels of serotonin in the brain. Pristiq and other selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) increase the levels of serotonin and norepinephine in the brain.

It is recommended to take Pristiq with a full glass of water. People should take this medication as prescribed by the doctor or psychiatrist. Abruptly stopping the medication can cause uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbances, and the sensation of a mild electrical shock.

One of the common side effects of Pristiq is suicidal thoughts. These suicidal thoughts are most common when beginning this medication. They often stop after taking the medication for seven days. The suicidal thoughts from Pristiq can be worse for people under the age of twenty-four years old.

When taking Pristiq for anxiety the person may develop other side effects. Other side effects of Pristiq include drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, loss of appetite, blurred vision, dry mouth, sleep problems, mild headaches. People may experience sexual side effects of Pristiq such as decreased sex drive or impotence. If the side effects of Pristiq are bothersome, the person should discuss this difficulty with their doctor or psychiatrist.

At the time this article was written, Pristiq was featuring a coupon offer on their website for fifty percent off the prescription price or insurance prescription copay for Pristiq. Offers like this from pharmaceutical companies can be extremely helpful for people struggling with the costs of prescriptions.

The person should not get discouraged if the anxiety is not improving with Pristiq. It may be necessary to try several different medications before finding the best prescription drug for the person’s anxiety. If a family member has anxiety that is effectively treated with a medication, let the doctor or psychiatrist know. Many times, a medication that effectively treats a family member’s anxiety will also work for other family members.

People who suffer from panic attacks, also called anxiety attacks, can be desperate to learn how to stop them. Panic attacks can be a debilitating condition. People with panic attacks often avoid social situations or situations that may trigger panic attacks.

Panic attacks cause an emotional and physical response to intense fear that is not based on a real danger. The person may experience heart pain or palpitations, sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath, and nausea. A panic attack often causes feelings of being disconnected from reality and a fear of dying.

Positive self-talk is one method of breaking the panic response. Therefore, it can be an effective way to stop panic attacks. How to stop a panic attack with positive self-talk is to begin replacing the distressful messages of danger with internal messages based on reality.

The intense fear is often a beginning symptom of a panic attack. The person may have a fear of dying, fear of losing control, or fear that someone they love is going to die. The fear may be a sense of impending doom like something horribly bad is going to happen.

Fear is sometimes appropriate. Fear can save us from dangerous situations. For example, a person may not speed because the person has a fear of being in a car accident. That would be a healthy fear. People with panic attacks may have had reasons to have this fear at one time. However, as with many anxiety disorders, the fear has somehow become stuck and returns when there is no longer any real threat or danger.

Immediately when the fear begins during a panic attack, the person should remind themselves that there is no actual, real danger. Recognizing that what is happening is a panic attack and nothing more can help reduce the fear response and empower the person to control the panic attack.

Negative thinking is a common problem for people with panic attacks and other anxiety disorders. During a panic attack, negative thinking can be combated with positive self-talk. Assuring yourself that there is no real danger is just one example of how positive self-talk can be used during a panic attack.

People can use statements like:
I am safe and strong.
I was feeling anxious which caused the physical symptoms. I am fine and the symptoms will go away shortly.
I am able to cope with the anxiety. The anxiety cannot control me unless I allow it to.

These are only examples. Someone can write down their own positive statements that may help them in this situation. Writing them down and carrying them with you is helpful. During a panic attack is not an ideal time to try to figure out how to cope with them. Having a plan ahead of time is empowering.

Having personalized statements can be helpful. For example, if during a panic attack, a person often feels they are in danger of being attacked, the person may want to write several statements that focus on their safety. The person may want to start by repeating “I am safe and strong” and add other statements that they wrote such as “No one is going to hurt me” and “The anxiety is lying to me and telling me that I am in danger, but there is no real danger.”

Coping with panic attacks can take practice. If the person tries these methods and the methods do not help, the person may be tempted to feel that the situation is hopeless. Often, all that is needed is more practice to gain control of the anxiety. A therapist can be very helpful in developing effective coping skills or personalizing these methods for more control over panic attacks.

People who are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or nervous may wonder if they are having an anxiety attack. Anxiety attacks cause physical and emotional symptoms. How can I tell if I’m having an anxiety attack?

What happens during an anxiety attack? Emotionally, a person may feel threatened or in danger during a panic attack. They may have a strong urge to leave the area immediately even though there are no real signs of danger. The person may feel nervous and scan the area for signs of danger. Feeling more alert than usual and gathering in details from the environment is not uncommon during an anxiety attack.

There is a sense of impending doom during an anxiety attack. The person may feel that they are going to die or someone they know is going to die. The person may experience a fear of dying, losing control, or going crazy.

During an anxiety attack, the person often feels a sense of being unreal or detached from reality. Their environment may feel unreal as if the person is dreaming or otherwise disconnected from reality. People having anxiety attacks may feel disconnected from their bodies.

The physical symptoms of anxiety attacks can be shallow breathing, sweaty palms, hot flashes, or chills. The person may have a feeling of choking, dizziness, and nausea. Heart symptoms of anxiety attacks can include a racing heart rate, pounding heart, chest tightness, chest pain, or heart palpitations. Other physical symptoms of anxiety attacks include shortness of breath, numbness, tingling sensations, trembling or shaking.

The physical symptoms of anxiety attacks can be prominent and very noticeable or minor. Instead of having these anxiety attack symptoms, a person may have the emotional symptoms and uncontrollable crying.

A person is not likely to have every symptom of anxiety attacks. So, if I am having some symptoms of anxiety at once, how can I tell if I’m having an anxiety attack? The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) which is the manual used to diagnose psychiatric conditions states that in order for a person’s anxiety symptoms to be considered an anxiety attack, the person must have at least four symptoms during the time of intense fear or discomfort. The symptoms must have developed suddenly and typically hit their peak approximately ten minutes after onset.

Anxiety attacks can occur with different levels of severity. A person may have a severe anxiety attack when under higher stress levels, but experience mild anxiety attacks at other times. Some people may only experience mild anxiety attacks.

Even mild anxiety attacks are uncomfortable and stressful. The symptoms of mild anxiety attack make it difficult to concentrate and cause distressful feelings. People with social anxiety may experience symptoms of mild anxiety attacks whenever they are among people or in certain social situations in which they feel scrutinized.

Mild anxiety attack symptoms can include uneasiness, disturbing thoughts of being judged or threatened, racing thoughts, and difficulty concentrating. A person may feel the need to avoid or leave certain situations that tend to trigger these uncomfortable feelings.

Symptoms of a mild anxiety attack can include irritability, muscle tension, sweating, and restlessness. A person experiencing a mild anxiety attack may be more alert and watchful as if looking for signs of danger. Nervousness and feeling jumpy are common symptoms of anxiety attacks of any level of severity.

A person who is experiencing symptoms of an anxiety attack may be able to use positive self-talk to cope with the distressful symptoms. Positive self-talk is silently talking to yourself in a self-assuring way. The person may be able to remind themselves that the symptoms are caused by anxiety and they are not in any true danger.

It may take practice to overcome anxiety symptoms with positive self-talk. The person may want to think about ways of replacing distressful thoughts of impending doom or judgment that may occur during a panic attack with more realistic thoughts before entering situations that tend to make the person feel anxious. Preparing in this way can equip the person with the necessary coping skills to deal with the anxiety attack when it occurs.

It is easy to fall into a counter-productive habit of berating yourself for having anxiety symptoms. Reminding yourself that anxiety symptoms are not a personal weakness or flaw, but may be part of a physical illness such as a psychiatric condition of panic attacks may be helpful. Think of anxiety attacks as similar to other physical ailments such as diabetes. A person with diabetes would not criticize themselves for having diabetes and neither should someone with panic attacks.

When having an anxiety attack, a person may become intensely worried about whether the chest tightness or shortness of breath are signs of a heart attack or anxiety attack. The short of breath anxiety can cause someone to fear that they will hyperventilate and pass out. Since anxiety attacks cause physical symptoms that seem to be leading to a heart attack or fainting, these symptoms can cause even more anxiety for the person.

In addition to the physical symptoms that can cause fear of a heart attack or hyperventilation, anxiety attacks cause feelings of dread or feelings of being in danger. These feelings of impending doom can cause the person to interpret physical panic heart attack symptoms as life-threatening which in turn can cause even more anxiety. This increased anxiety can cause even worse physical symptoms, so this cause a horrifying cycle.

Someone who suffers from chest pain and anxiety or short of breath anxiety should be examined by a physician to be properly diagnosed with panic attacks. Panic heart attack symptoms such as tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing need to be medically evaluated to determine if the person is experiencing signs of heart disease or having anxiety attacks. After being diagnosed with panic attacks, knowing that the physical anxiety symptoms are due to anxiety and not heart disease can help alleviate some of the anxiety that one may feel while having the symptoms.

The physician may give the patient information on how to distinguish physical symptoms of anxiety attacks from heart attack symptoms. During an anxiety attack, it may help the person to remind themselves that these are anxiety symptoms that will pass. Reassuring self-talk is one of the best things to do during an anxiety attack.

If the person has pain in the arm or jaw, severe chest pain, or other symptoms of a heart attack that the physician may tell the patient to look for, the person should seek emergency medical attention immediately. It is best to be checked by qualified medical professionals to evaluate whether the symptoms are anxiety-induced or signs of a heart attack.