An anxiety attack typically feels like a period of intense worry or dread that makes it difficult to function or relax. People often experience a combination of physical and mental symptoms that build up over time rather than suddenly. Common feelings during an anxiety attack include:
- Racing or pounding heart
- Constant tension or restlessness
- Racing thoughts or feeling stuck on certain worries
- Nausea or a churning sensation in the stomach
- Feeling out of control or unable to concentrate
- Sweating, shaking, or hot flushes
- Dizziness or light-headedness
- Pins and needles sensations
- Headaches, backaches, or other aches and pains
- Difficulty sleeping and teeth grinding
- Feeling tense, nervous, or unable to relax
- A sense of dread or fearing the worst
- Feeling disconnected from oneself or the world (depersonalization or derealization)
- Fatigue, irritability, and hypervigilance if anxiety is chronic
Unlike panic attacks, which come on suddenly and peak quickly, anxiety attacks tend to build gradually and may last longer, often related to a specific stressor or ongoing worry. Anxiety attacks are not a formal medical diagnosis but are a real experience many people describe when their anxiety intensifies
. In summary, an anxiety attack feels like overwhelming worry combined with physical symptoms such as a racing heart, nausea, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating, often making it hard to function normally
