When a person is having an anxiety attack, she can feel as though the entire world is coming down around her. Although Helpguide.org states that an anxiety attack usually lasts 10 minutes, it can seem longer and have effects that continue after the attack has ended. Without treatment, such as therapy or medication, the anxiety attacks can continue.
Trouble Breathing
During an anxiety attack, a person can have problems breathing. According to Helpguide.org, the person can think he is choking. The anxiety attack can be severe enough that the person feels dizzy and is about to pass out. According to the Mayo Clinic, the choking feeling can be caused by a tightness in the throat. This tightness can also cause the person to have trouble swallowing. He may also have a shortness of breath, or hyperventilation, where he breathes faster and harder than normal; the hyperventilation can also cause the person to feel lightheaded.
Loss of Control
According to Helpguide.org, when a person is having an anxiety attack, she can feel as though she is losing control of everything around her. For example, she may feel detached from the rest of the world or think that the anxiety attack is unreal. The loss of control can also stem from the person's overwhelming panic. The person may have a sense of impending death during the anxiety attack, according to the Mayo Clinic, which can lead to an intense fear of another panic attack occurring in the future.
Developing a Psychological Disorder
According to Florida State University researchers, a person who has anxiety attacks, or "anxiety sensitivity," has a higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder, such as panic disorder. In a study done at the university, participants were given an anxiety sensitivity index, which rated their responses to stress. Those who scored high on the ASI "were nearly twice as likely to have suffered spontaneous panic attacks and to have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder by the time of the follow-up two years later," according to a Florida State University article. Participants who had the high ASI had more than one anxiety attack.
