All about Anxiety Attacks

As recently as 2020, more than 374 million people in the world have had anxiety disorders. Over 4.05% of the world population is affected by anxiety disorders, a common mental health condition. Read on to find out what is an anxiety attack, what do anxiety attacks feel like, and how to handle it.

What is an Anxiety Attack?

An anxiety attack is an episode where you have intense feelings of terror, fear, or anxiousness that last for a while. These feelings are difficult to control, affect your day-to-day activities, and may be exaggerated in proportion to the actual danger, fear, or challenge that you are facing.

What do they feel like?

When you have an anxiety attack, you may experience a sense of dread, feel nervous or stressed, have an increased heart rate, and have trouble sleeping or concentrating on tasks.

Other signs & symptoms of an anxiety attack may include:

• Rapid breathing or hyperventilation

• Feeling panic or fear

• Shaking or trembling

• Digestive problems like diarrhoea, gas, or heartburn

• Excessive sweating, dizziness, or nausea

• Unable to stop worrying

• Avoiding tasks or people that trigger such feelings

What can you do ?

If you or your loved one is having an anxiety attack, there are things you can do to deal with it:

• Take deep breaths. Deep breathing exercises increase the oxygen supply to your brain and help calm down your nervous system.

• Do some simple stretches to relax your body.

• Write down the cause of your anxiety and jot down the best possible solutions for that problem.

• Talk out loud to yourself. Tell yourself that everything will be alright. This will help relieve your anxiety.

• Concentrate on your senses by splashing water on your hands and face or applying a nice-smelling hand cream. You could also sip on some warm chamomile tea for a calming effect.

• If you have a pet dog or cat, stroke your pet affectionately for a few minutes. This will have a calming effect on you.

Rather than panicking and thinking, “I’m having an anxiety attack, what to do” try these techniques to calm yourself down.