Are you feeling restless, nervous, or tense? These feelings may seem minor at first, but they could be early signs of something more serious—an anxiety attack. Many people dismiss these symptoms as simple stress, but when they persist or intensify, they may signal an underlying anxiety disorder. If you’re noticing physical discomfort like rapid heartbeat or mental unease that affects your daily life, it’s essential not to ignore these warning signs.
Anxiety is a normal part of life, especially when facing difficult or unfamiliar situations. It’s your body’s way of preparing you to deal with challenges. However, when this emotional response becomes overwhelming, persistent, and begins interfering with your day-to-day functioning, it can evolve into a diagnosable anxiety disorder. In many cases, this disorder can lead to an anxiety attack, where symptoms become more intense and harder to control.
An anxiety attack can come suddenly or build up gradually. People experiencing one may feel a surge of panic, dread, or extreme worry that is disproportionate to the situation. While everyone experiences stress, it’s important to recognize when it becomes excessive or disruptive.
If you believe you’re dealing with symptoms of an anxiety attack, professional support can help you regain control of your mental health. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in East New York or log on to Behavioral Health – Doral Health & Wellness NY to schedule an appointment with a specialist who understands and treats anxiety-related conditions with care and compassion.
Causes of an Anxiety Attack
An anxiety attack doesn’t always come out of nowhere—it can be triggered by a wide range of emotional, physical, and environmental stressors. These episodes are often a response to overwhelming pressure or unresolved internal conflict. While some triggers may seem harmless or part of everyday life, the buildup of stress over time can cause the brain and body to react with heightened fear and panic.
Life Events That Can Trigger Anxiety Attacks
Many people develop anxiety during transitional periods or when they feel a lack of control in their lives. Situations such as:
Becoming a parent for the first time
Changing or losing a job
Facing a serious illness
Struggling with financial instability
Mourning the death of a loved one
Going through a divorce or major relationship change
Even positive events like getting married
Feeling overwhelmed by parenting or family responsibilities
Being required to speak in public
Preparing for high-stakes exams
Pressure from work or fear of failure
Dealing with cognitive decline or memory issues
Receiving a chronic health diagnosis
All of these can build internal tension that may erupt as an anxiety attack—especially if left unmanaged.
Medical and Psychological Conditions Behind Anxiety Attacks
Certain medical conditions may increase your vulnerability to anxiety and its physical manifestations. These include:
Phobias and irrational fears
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from past trauma
Substance use or withdrawal (alcohol, drugs)
Overconsumption of caffeine
Reactions to specific medications or supplements
Genetic predisposition to anxiety
Long-term exposure to stress without coping strategies
Respiratory illnesses that cause shortness of breath
Diabetes and unstable blood sugar levels
Cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease
Hormonal imbalances like hyperthyroidism
Chronic pain that leads to emotional exhaustion
Understanding these contributing factors is crucial to recognizing why you may experience an anxiety attack, even if everything on the surface seems normal.
Anxiety Disorders That Commonly Lead to Anxiety Attacks
Anxiety attacks are often symptoms of deeper, underlying anxiety disorders. Common conditions include:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Marked by persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life, often without a clear cause.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Characterized by repetitive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that become overwhelming.
Panic Disorder: Causes sudden and intense anxiety attacks without any warning, often leaving the person terrified of the next episode.
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD): Rooted in an extreme fear of social situations or being judged by others.
Specific Phobias: Irrational and debilitating fear of certain objects, environments, or situations (like flying or spiders) that can trigger an acute anxiety attack.
Symptoms
Symptoms can vary from person to person some experience mild symptoms while some have moderate to severe symptoms, including:
- Increased heart rate
- Trouble sleeping
- Nausea or diarrhea
- Hot flashes, and chills.
- Sweating
- Breathe rapidly
- Feeling weak or tired
- lightheadedness or headaches
- Choking or trouble breathing
- Losing control or feeling crazy.
- Dry mouth
- Trouble in concentration
- Difficulty in controlling your worries.
- Trembling
- Try to manage your anxiety.
- A simulation that runs in mind about a situation repeatedly.
- Depression or worried about the future
- Sense of danger or panic will occur
- Chest pain
Anxiety attack vs. Panic attack
While these terms are used interchangeably and have similar symptoms both are different terms.
A panic attack can be defined as an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort which causes physical and mental symptoms. Its episode reaches its peak within minutes or hours.
Whereas an anxiety attack is caused by emotional and protective responses that disrupt your daily life. Its episodes can be mild, moderate, or severe depending on the cause or duration of the episode.
The main difference between panic and anxiety is in the intensity or length of the episode that people experience as panic attacks develop suddenly and reach their peak in 10 minutes while anxiety can last for months and develop gradually.
A panic attack is linked with panic disorders, which give a sense of detachment from the world, self, fear of dying and losing control. On the other hand, an anxiety attack is linked to anxiety, anxiety disorders, medications, and traumatic stress is behind the causes of an anxiety attack.
Diagnosis and Treatment
To diagnose anxiety attacks, first doctors ask about the anxiety symptoms and then run a physical exam to see if there are any medical conditions that lead to your symptoms. If there is no medical cause, then the doctor orders further evaluation. While anxiety attack has no formal diagnosis, you can be diagnosed with anxiety disorder types based on your symptoms. Your doctors ask you questions about your symptoms to determine the diagnosis on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM -5 -TR) for further evaluation.
Experts recommend that everyone over the age of 13 should take a screening test for anxiety but should always talk to a doctor if they have concerns about the symptoms they experience.
For treatment, therapies, medications, or coping techniques are used. Therapies like Cognitive behavioral therapy or exposure therapy are used to reduce the general feeling of anxiety and anxiety disorder.
Medicines such as benzodiazepines, SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), and SNRIs (Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) are used to treat the symptoms of anxiety. And coping methods help to modify your lifestyle to reduce or remove the chances of having those attacks. It includes:
- Getting proper sleep.
- Learning stress-releasing methods such as deep breathing, and meditation.
- Follow an exercise plan regularly which is beneficial to improving mental health.
- Building social support helps to improve your mental health and your well-being.
Anxiety attacks happen in the form of episodes that are triggered by several reasons. While mostly it is not dangerous, in several cases, it can cause severe symptoms. But you can reduce the symptoms of anxiety attacks by taking treatment and improving your life.
Looking for a mental health clinic for treatment?
Doral Health and Wellness has the best Doctors and Psychiatrists that specialize in Behavioral health make accurate diagnoses, and craft tailored treatment programs. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
In order to schedule a consultation with the best Mental health Clinic in East New York, please visit www.doralhw.org.
Call us at 1-347-384-5690 to schedule a consultation.
