What An Anxiety Attack Feels Like & What to Do

Managing work, families and household upkeep, to instability in the outside world like forest fires, politics and viruses spreading — it can feel like we are living in a constant state of anxiety. And when your worries all come to a head, you might experience what some label as an “anxiety attack.”

While the term “anxiety attack” is not a formal medical term, it's a very real experience that many of us face. 

“An anxiety attack often refers to when someone who has generalized anxiety experiences an intensified peak in emotions or even physical symptoms of panic or worry,” explains psychiatrist Catherine Cunningham, M.D. 

What Does An Anxiety Attack Feel Like?

“While it’s not an official clinical diagnosis, an ‘anxiety attack’ is often how we describe when anxious feelings have come to a high point – you may have an increase in heart rate, you may feel stuck on certain thoughts where you’re going over and over it in your head,” says Dr. Cunningham.

Some symptoms of an anxiety attack can include:

• Racing heart
• Constant tension
• Racing thoughts
• Nausea 
• Feeling out of control or restless 
  
  

How Does an Anxiety Attack Differ From a Panic Attack? 

The terms ‘anxiety attack’ and ‘panic attack’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but clinically, they are not the same.

Dr. Cunningham explains, “A panic attack is a classically diagnosed term – it can feel like an impending sense of doom, accompanied by very strong physical symptoms. Some people start to hyperventilate, their lips or their fingertips may go numb, they may feel like their heart is racing, they may feel dizzy, and some feel like there is an urgent need to use the bathroom. And all of these symptoms can come on very quickly.” 

Here are the key differences between a panic attack and an anxiety attack: 

• Intensity and Duration: Panic attacks are characterized by a sudden, intense surge of fear and discomfort, peaking within minutes and often subsiding quickly. Anxiety attacks, on the other hand, can build gradually or come on abruptly, are generally less intense than panic attacks, and can last for extended periods, even hours.
• Triggers: Panic attacks often occur seemingly out of the blue, without any identifiable trigger. Anxiety attacks are typically triggered by a specific stressor, event, or situation, although the perceived threat may not be proportionate to the level of anxiety experienced.
  
  

Regaining Control: What to Do Mid-Attack

Whether you're experiencing a peak of anxiety or a full-blown panic attack, there are strategies to help you regain control. Dr. Cunningham recommends several techniques:

If you’re in public, you can try:

• 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique: This technique helps you reconnect with your surroundings. "Look around you and identify five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste," explains Dr. Cunningham. "What that's essentially doing is refocusing on your external environment instead of what's happening inside."

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This involves tensing and releasing different muscle groups, starting with your toes and working your way up. This physical focus can help distract from the internal panic.

• Box breathing: This simple breathing exercise involves inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again, each for four seconds. “You can mentally imagine going around a box, and every four seconds is a side of that box,” she mentions. “This is another good technique to distract your mind and calm your physical body.”
  
  

If you’re at home, you can try: 

• Cold Facial Immersion: Submerge your face in cold water for 30 seconds – "It activates a response that can actually lower your heart rate, slow down your breathing and help calm you,” explains Dr. Cunningham.
  
  

Stopping an Anxiety Attack in its Tracks

If you sense your mind starting to wander into an anxious space, Dr. Cunningham recommends her patients separate their thoughts into three separate circles: the circle of control, the circle of influence, and the circle of worry. 

She recommends that her patients focus on the innermost circle – what is in your control. 

“There’s a feeling of powerlessness when you get stuck on things you can’t control. So try to make a list of what is within your control – what you’re wearing, what you chose to talk about, and your mindset,” she explains. 

“Focus on building that list and increasing the circle of control. Concentrating on what you can control will give you a sense of power,” she notes. “If you think about the inner circle getting bigger and bigger, eventually, it squeezes your ‘circle of worry’ down to where it's not taking up as much space in your mind.”

No one is exempt from daily stressors and worries, and even Dr. Cunningham uses these techniques to help regulate her emotions. “If I have to give a talk in front of a large group of people, I may start to feel symptoms of anxiety or tension. And I like to use those grounding techniques or progressive muscle relaxation to refocus and recenter,” she recalls.

When to Seek Help for Anxiety 

If anxiety is significantly impacting your life – your work, relationships, or physical health – it's crucial to seek professional help. 

“Everyone experiences some level of anxiety, but for some, it’s more serious than managing everyday pressures,” Dr. Cunningham says. “If you feel like you’re carrying a lot of tension, are on edge all the time, have racing thoughts, can’t control your worries, are feeling out of control, fatigued, trouble sleeping, irritable or lashing out at others, those are all signs something greater is going on.” 

Dr. Cunningham advises speaking with your primary care physician or a mental health specialist. They can help determine the best course of action, which may involve therapy, medication, or a combination of both.

Next Steps & Resources:

• Meet our source: Catherine Cunningham, M.D.
• To make an appointment with a psychiatrist near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website.
• Learn more about behavioral health services at Hackensack Meridian Health.
• Visit HMH247.org to see a doctor any day, any time, for stress or anxiety.
  
  

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.