Signs of a Panic Attack: 13 Symptoms Everyone Should Know

What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?

If you've never had one, it's hard to imagine. If you have, you'll never forget it.

A panic attack feels like your body is convinced you're about to die, even though you're sitting on your couch, standing in a grocery store, or driving on the highway. The fear is disproportionate to the situation, but it doesn't feel that way in the moment. It feels real, urgent, and physical.

The 13 Symptoms of a Panic Attack

The DSM-5 (the diagnostic manual used by psychiatrists) lists these symptoms. A panic attack is diagnosed when you experience 4 or more of these symptoms, reaching a peak within 10 minutes:

1. Racing or pounding heart — Your heart feels like it's beating out of your chest. You can feel it in your throat, your ears, your fingertips.

2. Sweating — Sudden, cold sweat. Often on your palms, forehead, or underarms.

3. Trembling or shaking — Your hands, legs, or whole body shakes uncontrollably.

4. Shortness of breath — You feel like you can't get enough air, even though you're breathing. It feels like choking or suffocating.

5. Feeling of choking — A tightness in your throat, like something is stuck there or closing up.

6. Chest pain or discomfort — This is the symptom that sends people to the ER. It can feel exactly like a heart attack: pressure, tightness, or sharp pain.

7. Nausea or abdominal distress — Your stomach churns, you feel like you might throw up.

8. Dizziness or lightheadedness — The room spins or you feel like you might pass out.

9. Chills or hot flashes — Sudden waves of heat or cold running through your body.

10. Numbness or tingling — Often in your hands, feet, or face. This is caused by hyperventilation.

11. Derealization — The world feels unreal, dreamlike, or distant. Like you're watching a movie of yourself.

12. Depersonalization — You feel detached from yourself, like you're floating outside your body.

13. Fear of losing control or going crazy — You're convinced you're about to do something embarrassing, lose your mind, or "snap."

14. Fear of dying — The overwhelming conviction that you are about to die, right now, in this moment.

(Yes, that's 14. The DSM-5 lists these as 13 symptom categories, with #13 sometimes split into two.)

Panic Attack vs Heart Attack: How to Tell the Difference

This is the most common question, and it's a critical one.

Get emergency help immediately if you experience:

• Chest pain that radiates to your jaw, left arm, or back
• Chest pressure that feels like "an elephant sitting on your chest"
• Symptoms that get progressively worse over 10+ minutes
• You have risk factors for heart disease (high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, family history)

It's more likely a panic attack if:

• Symptoms peak within minutes and then start to fade
• You've had panic attacks before and this feels familiar
• You can still talk and move (in a heart attack, this becomes very difficult)
• The pain is sharp and localized (heart attack pain is usually dull and crushing)
• Your symptoms improve with slow breathing

When in doubt, call 911. It's always better to be safe. But knowing the difference can save you from unnecessary ER visits in the future.

How Long Do Panic Attacks Last?

Most panic attacks peak within 10 minutes and resolve within 20-30 minutes. Some lingering symptoms (shakiness, fatigue, feeling "wired") can last for hours.

This is important to remember during an attack: it WILL end. Your body cannot sustain that level of adrenaline indefinitely. The wave always recedes.

What Triggers Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks can be triggered by:

• Specific situations — crowded places, driving, flying, public speaking
• Physical sensations — a skipped heartbeat, feeling hot, chest tightness
• Stress — major life changes, relationship problems, work pressure
• Substances — caffeine, alcohol withdrawal, certain medications
• Health anxiety — worrying about a symptom and spiraling into panic
• Nothing at all — many panic attacks happen completely out of the blue

The "out of nowhere" panic attacks are often the scariest because there's nothing to blame. But they're caused by the same mechanism: your body's fight-or-flight system firing when there's no real threat.

What to Do When You Feel One Coming

1. Remember: this is a panic attack. You've had them before. You survived every one.

2. Start 4-7-8 breathing. In for 4, hold for 7, out for 8.

3. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.

4. Splash cold water on your face. Triggers the dive reflex, which slows your heart rate.

5. Or open Huggers and tap the panic button. One tap. It guides you through the whole thing.

You don't have to face this alone. The tools exist. The techniques work. And the panic always, always ends.

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Huggers has a one-tap panic button that guides you through breathing and grounding. Download free on the App Store.