panic attacks

I copied this from another site but it pretty much covers it all... you can experience any combination of these during a PA, but everyone experiences them differently.

Here is a list of common symptoms for anxiety/panic disorder...of course
there are a lot of other ones but these are the most common:

HEART sensations~

* racing or rapid heart beat (flight and flight response)
* heart palpitations (flight and flight response)
* 'missed' heart beats (flight and flight response)
* pounding heart (flight and flight response)

BREATHING sensations~

* breathing difficulties (can be a result of swallowing air, chest pain through tension or hyperventilation)
* choking sensation (tension)
* hyperventilation (flight and flight response)
* feel as if can't take another breath (can be a result of swallowing air, chest pain through tension or hyperventilation)
* tightening of the throat (tension)

PAIN sensations~

* chest pain (tension)
* headaches (tension)
* neck aches (tension)
* lower back pain (tension)
* sciatica (tension)
* muscle pain (tension)
* aching jaw (tension)
* clenching fists (tension)
* chronic temporary pain (tension)

STOMACH / ABDOMINAL sensations~

* nausea (flight and flight response or caused by not eating)
* loss of appetite (effects of anxiety disorder)
* churning stomach (flight and flight response)
* burning stomach (flight and flight response or caused by not eating)
* indigestion (flight and flight response)
* abdominal pain (tension or caused by not eating)
* digestive problems (flight and flight response or caused by not eating)

ASSOCIATED ANXIETY sensations~

* hot and cold flashes (flight and flight response)
* flushing face (flight and flight response)
* shaking/ trembling (flight and flight response)
* excessive perspiration (flight and flight response)
* sweating hands (flight and flight response)
* dizziness (either Fight and flight, hyperventilation or dissociation)
* giddiness (either Fight and flight, hyperventilation or dissociation)
* feeling lightheaded or faint (either Fight and flight, hyperventilation or dissociation or caused by not eating)
* pins and needles (flight and flight response)
* diarrhoea (flight and flight response)
* loss of bladder control (flight and flight response)
* grinding teeth (tension)
* sleeping difficulties (can be a result of overactive thinking, worry,
nocturnal panic attacks or taking sleeping medication (wake after a few hours and then can't get back to sleep)
* night sweats (flight and flight response)
* lack of concentration (effects of anxiety disorder)
* extreme exhaustion (effects of anxiety disorder)
* loss of feelings (effects of anxiety disorder)
* localised pressure (flight and flight response)
* loss of libido (effects of anxiety disorder)
* appetite swings (effects of anxiety disorder)
* numbness of hands or feet
* unexplainable rashes

DISSOCIATIVE sensations such as feeling~

* detached from the body (dissociative sensations)
* feeling as if you and/or surroundings are not real (dissociative sensations)
* as if looking through a white or grey mist (dissociative sensations)
* sensitivity to light and sound (dissociative sensations)
* tunnel vision (dissociative sensations)
* stationary objects appearing to move (dissociative sensations)
* sensations of falling into a void (dissociative sensations)
* temporary paralysis (dissociative sensations)

MAJOR FEARS~

* Having a heart attack and/or
* Going to die
* Brain tumour
* Going insane
* Lose control in some way

EMOTIONAL sensations~

* episodes of anger and "rage" and frustration (effects of anxiety disorder)
* deep sadness (effects of anxiety disorder)
* depression and major depression (effects of anxiety disorder)
* increased feelings of worry (effects of anxiety disorder)
* increased feelings of guilt (effects of anxiety disorder)
* feelings of emptiness (effects of anxiety disorder)
* feelings of loneliness (effects of anxiety disorder)
* feeling detached from "normal" emotional state