Is this a panic attack?

WHAT IS A PANIC DISORDER?

A person can be diagnosed with a panic disorder when they have had two or more panic attacks that occur spontaneously (without any apparent cause) and also experience persistent worry, over a period of a month or so, about having another attack.  

This list of panic attack symptoms below is taken directly from The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne, Ph.D.. (This book has been my panic and anxiety bible for the past 2 decades, and there isn’t a single page in my book that isn’t underlined with notes scribbled in the margins.) If you are struggling with panic, I strongly recommend this book. 

 

SYMPTOMS OF A PANIC ATTACK

A panic attack is characterized by 4 or more of the following symptoms:

• Shortness of breath 
• Heart palpitations – pounding heart or accelerated heart rate
• Dizziness, unsteadiness, or faintness
• Trembling or shaking
• Feeling of choking
• Sweating
• Nausea or abdominal distress
• Feeling of unreality – as if you’re “not all there” (depersonalization)
• Hot and cold flashes 
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Fears of going crazy or losing control
• Fears of dying