When Anxiety Attacks

Anytime, day or night, anxiety can attack. Sometimes it can even wake people out of a dead sleep. Often times people feel like the anxiety attack is a heart attack or that they are going crazy. Common symptoms include:

-"Racing" heart

-Feeling weak, faint, or dizzy

-Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers

-Sense of terror, or impending doom or death

-Feeling sweaty or having chills

-Chest pains

-Breathing difficulties

-Feeling a loss of control

Most of the time these intense attacks last for a brief period of time. If you notice yourself having anxiety and panic attacks, a trained therapist can help you learn how to manage your attacks.

So, what do you do when anxiety attacks?

1. Focus on your breathing

2. Notice 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste

3. Take a cool shower

4. Get a drink of water

5. Go for a walk

6. Talk to someone close to you

7. Write down what triggered the attack