What does a panic attack feel like? A panic attack can look and feel different for each individual who experiences it. Although there are some similarities in panic attacks, the severity and duration of the attack can differ from one situation to the next.
Regardless of what type of panic attack your teen has, if they have ongoing panic attacks or anxiety disorder, you can seek help at a teen anxiety treatment center. Venture Academy help your teenager recover from their mental health condition or substance abuse.
Scenario 1: The Feeling of Dying
Many of the people who have experienced a panic attack often report that they feel like they are going to die. They start with a sharp pain in the chest that goes down one or both arms. An extreme amount of fear comes during or after the attack. The most common concern is that something is going to happen, and the person can do nothing about it. Teenagers may feel like someone needs to call an ambulance right away.
Scenario 2: Can’t Breathe, Can’t Move
The inability to breathe is one of the most common symptoms of a panic attack. A teenager may be triggered, feel a rush of stress or anxiety, and then freeze. They can’t breathe, they can’t move, and they feel physically, emotionally, and mentally paralyzed.
Their heart starts beating so fast it feels as though it is going to pop out of their chest. It is also common to be so filled with emotion that the person starts to cry or get emotional, not to be confused with depression.
Scenario 3: Tightness in the Chest
This is another common symptom of anxiety. There is a tightness chest accompanied by choking, dizziness, tingling legs, and numb hands. Your teen is so wound up that they end up exhausted from using so much energy so fast. In this scenario, a panic attack can last for several minutes before the person’s chest relaxes.
Scenario 4: The Eerie Feeling That Something is Really Wrong
This type of panic attack may not produce any severe physical symptoms. However, everything inside of your teen is on red alert with the feeling that something is really wrong. Keep in mind that this is more than just stress or casual worry.
This is an uncontrollable paranoia, that could be exacerbated by teen drug addiction, that something terrible either has happened or is about to happen. All senses are acute, and the person’s awareness of what is going on around them seems heightened.
Scenario 5: Working Through a Panic Attack as It Is Happening
This may be more difficult for teenagers than adults, simply because panic attacks may be a new thing. However, some teenagers have panic attacks so often that they have learned how to cope with them. They do homework, eat dinner, hang out with friends, and finish chores. They go shopping, drive cars, watch movies, and even laugh at jokes.
All the while, their mind is spinning, their heart is racing, and they are trying their best to keep calm and just work through the attack. While it is impressive that they can keep their composure during a panic attack, it does not solve the underlying problem: what is causing the attack.
Are You Wondering What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?
What does a panic attack feel like? If your child has experienced one or more of the scenarios above several times lately, then you may need to seek teen mental health treatment. Our teen anxiety treatment center can help your teen with their panic attacks or anxiety disorder so that you can live life more peacefully. Call us today at 866.762.2211 to find out more about your treatment options.
