What does a panic attack feel like? Panic attacks have both physical and emotional symptoms. During a panic attack, people may feel their heart pounding and may feel as though they are going to hyperventilate. The emotional symptoms of panic attacks are fear and anxiety.

Panic attacks trigger the fight or flight response. The fight or flight response prepares the body and mind to survive a threat. The person’s perception becomes narrow. The person is on edge as if ready to fight or run from danger. Several body systems that are unnecessary for the fight or flight action, such as the digestive system, become less active while energy is directed to the muscles, including the heart. While this natural response is helpful when the person is in real danger, a panic attack is the fight or flight response without any real danger.

A person may want to know what does a panic attack feel like because they fear that they are having a heart attack. While a person having a panic attack may feel their heart racing or pounding. Panic attacks do not often cause chest pain, but chest pain is a possible symptom of panic attacks. If someone thinks that they are having a heart attack, they should call emergency medical services (911) immediately. It’s better to be safe about possible heart attacks.

Fear of impending doom is a very common symptom of panic attacks. A person having a panic attack may feel that something bad is going to happen to them or someone they love. A sudden, overwhelming fear of death is one of the most difficult symptoms of panic attacks. They may feel an urgent need to escape even though there is no real danger.

There are many physical symptoms of panic attacks. A panic attack can cause changes in vision and cause numbness or tingling sensations. The person’s palms may become sweaty. People may feel lightheaded or dizzy during a panic attack.

Sometimes, a person can identify things that trigger the panic attacks that they experience. I experienced panic attacks for several months after two young people at my work died within a month. The panic attacks that I experienced were triggered when I would see an ambulance. I assume this is due to the ambulances that were frequent at the residential facility where I worked.

When I would see an ambulance at work, I would have difficulty breathing and be overcome with fear. These panic attacks began to happen whenever I saw an ambulance anywhere, which was problematic if I saw an ambulance while driving. Each time, I would try to talk myself through the fear. I believe it was helpful that I recognized the trigger and why I had the panic attacks. I imagine that panic attacks would be much more difficult to cope with if the person is unaware of the trigger. Eventually, the panic attacks became less frequent and then stopped.