Panic Attacks

A panic attack is characterized by significant physical symptoms such as hyperventilation, racing heart, trembling, sweating, light-headedness, and dizziness, as well as a period of strong, overwhelming fear and apprehension.

Panic attacks cause people to feel an uncontrolled sense of dread as if something terrible is going to happen. This sensation can continue anywhere from a few minutes to many hours, and it may respond to calming techniques such as regulated breathing. It is without a doubt the most well-known and, for many people, the most unsettling symptom of anxiety disorders. Because a panic attack is so intense, it's not uncommon for people to mistake it for a heart attack the first time they have one. Panic attacks, unsurprisingly, are what motivate many people to seek help from a therapist.