The article I’m Dying: What a Panic Attack Feels Like is one of the most popular posts on this site, with over 350 comments.
Many of the comments–some are very long–are heartbreaking: relationships wrecked, jobs lost, fear trailing like a shadow.
Over and over people describe how panic attacks affect them:
- In response to heart palpitations: “I’m going to have a heart attack,” or I’m going to die.”
- In response to choking sensations: “I’m going to stop breathing and suffocate.”
- In response to dizzy sensations: “I m going to pass out.”
- In response to sensations of disorientation or feeling “not all there”: “I’m going crazy.”
- In response to “rubbery legs:” “I won’t be able to walk” or “I’m going to fall.”
- In response to the overall intensity of your body’s reactions: “I’m going to completely lose control over myself,” or “I’m going crazy.”
Panic attacks are an intense “fight-or-flight” reaction occurring in a situation that poses no obvious or life-threatening danger, such as sitting quietly at home, driving a car, or attending a social event. Because there is no obvious, external danger, your mind tends to invent or create danger to match the intense bodily symptoms you’re going through.
Your mind can very quickly go through the process: “If I feel this bad, I must be in some danger.” And so it’s very common when experiencing panic to invent any or all of the “dangers” listed above–or more.
The ironic thing is that this reaction is absolutely and always false. Panic attacks are not dangerous. They cannot hurt you physically. Ever.
“I’m going to have a heart attack”
A Panic Attack Cannot Cause Heart Failure or Cardiac Arrest
Two of the most common symptoms of a panic attack are a rapid heartbeat and palpitations.(1) Certainly, these can be frightening sensations, but they’re not dangerous. Your heart is made up of very strong and dense muscle fibers and can beat two hundred times per minute for days without sustaining any damage. If an electrocardiogram (EKG) is taken during a panic attack, it will show no abnormalities–only a rapid heartbeat.(2)
There’s a big difference between what happens with your heart during a panic attack and what happens in a heart attack. During a panic attack, your heart may race, pound, and at times miss or have extra beats. Some people even report chest pains in the left-upper portion of their chest, which pass fairly quickly. Note that none of these symptoms is aggravated by movement or increased physical activity.
During a true heart attack, the most common symptom is continuous pain and a pressured, even crushing sensation in the center of the chest. Racing or pounding of the heart may occur but this is secondary to the pain. Moreover, the pain and pressure get worse upon exertion and may tend to diminish with rest.(3) This is quite different from a panic attack, where racing and pounding may get worse if you stand still and lessen if you move around.
“I’m going to stop breathing and suffocate.”
A Panic Attack Will Not Cause You to Stop Breathing or Suffocate
Many people feel their chests tighten and their breathing become restricted during a panic attack.(1) This might lead you to suddenly fear that you’re going to suffocate. Under stress your neck and chest muscles tighten and reduce your respiratory capacity. In reality, there is nothing wrong with your breathing passage or lungs, and the tightening sensations will pass.
Your brain has a built-in reﬂex mechanism that will eventually force you to breathe if you’re not getting enough oxygen. If you don’t believe this, try holding your breath for as long as you can and observe what happens. At a certain point you’ll feel a strong reﬂex to take in more air.(1) The same thing will happen in a panic attack if you’re not getting enough oxygen. You’ll automatically gasp and take a deep breath long before reaching the point where you could pass out from a lack of oxygen. And even if you did pass out, you would immediately start breathing!
“I m going to pass out.”
A Panic Attack Cannot Cause You to Faint
The sensation of light-headedness 