What an Anxiety Attack Really Feels Like: Insights from a Therapist in Atlanta, GA
Have you ever been sitting in your car, totally still, engine off, but your heart is racing like you’re speeding down a highway? Have you been mid-conversation with a friend and suddenly felt like you might cry, throw up, or disappear all at once?
That’s anxiety. More specifically, it might be an anxiety attack, and if you’re reading this because you’ve had one (or think you might have), you’re not alone.
I’m not here to hit you with a list of breathing exercises or self-help steps (though those are great when you’re ready for them). This is more about saying the quiet part out loud: what anxiety attacks really feel like, how they sneak into everyday life, and how they’re different from panic attacks.
So…What Is an Anxiety Attack, Really?
Here’s the thing: “anxiety attack” isn’t a clinical term. It’s more of a lived experience, a phrase people use to describe that moment when anxiety swells to a breaking point.
Unlike panic attacks (which often come on suddenly and feel like they hit out of nowhere), anxiety attacks tend to build over time. They’re often tied to something such as stress about a deadline, a tense conversation, or a creeping sense that something’s “off.”
Anxiety attacks can look like:
- Feeling a tightness in your chest that won’t go away
- Racing thoughts that you can’t slow down
- A constant sense of dread or doom
- Difficulty breathing, but still being able to talk or move
- Crying unexpectedly, or feeling like you’re going to “snap” at any moment
They might not always look dramatic from the outside. In fact, many people with anxiety attacks get really good at hiding them.
Real-Life Moments Where Anxiety Shows Up
You don’t need to be in a high-stress emergency to have an anxiety attack. More often than not, they show up in quiet moments. Here are a few real-world scenarios that might feel familiar:
The Grocery Store Spiral
You’re in the checkout line. There’s a small crowd. Your heart is pounding a little too hard, and suddenly you feel like you need to leave, but your cart is full, and you’re next. You try to act normal, but your hands are shaky and your face feels hot.
In your head, you’re thinking: “What if I pass out? What if everyone can tell? What’s wrong with me?” You’re not being dramatic. You’re having an anxiety attack.
The Nighttime Avalanche
You’re finally in bed. Everything is quiet. And that’s when the thoughts come. One by one at first, then all at once. Things you said five years ago. That bill you forgot to pay. The feeling that something bad is going to happen.
Your heart beats faster. Your breathing gets weird. You flip your pillow over, then again. Maybe you even sit up. You check your phone for a distraction, but nothing helps.
It’s not “just overthinking.” It’s your nervous system firing off like there’s a threat, even if there isn’t one.
The Smiling Meltdown
You’re at brunch with friends. Laughing. Chatting. You’re “fine.” But something feels off. You’re dissociating a little, like watching yourself from a distance. Your smile feels plastered on. Your throat is tight. You excuse yourself to the bathroom and lean on the sink, trying not to cry.
No one would guess you’re mid-anxiety attack. But inside, you’re unraveling.
How It’s Different from a Panic Attack
It’s easy to confuse anxiety attacks with panic attacks, and they do overlap. But here’s a quick way to tell them apart:
| Anxiety Attack | Panic Attack |
|---|---|
| Builds up over time | Comes on suddenly |
| Often tied to a stressor or worry | Can seem to come “out of the blue” |
| Can last for longer periods (even hours) | Usually peaks within 10 minutes |
| Emotionally heavy: dread, worry, fear | Physically intense: chest pain, dizziness, numbness |
| Can sometimes be hidden or masked | Often visibly distressing |
Anxiety attacks are often like a slow flood. Panic attacks are more like a tsunami. But both are real, and both deserve care.
Why It’s Important to Talk About This
If you’ve ever felt ashamed or confused about what’s happening to your body and mind during an anxiety attack, please know this:
You’re not broken.
You’re not weak.
You’re imagining it.
Anxiety isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it whispers. Sometimes, it looks like being quiet at dinner. Or canceling plans. Or zoning out in a meeting. And sometimes, it explodes.
But either way, it’s not “just in your head.” It’s in your nervous system. It’s in the years of stress you’ve carried. It’s in your lived experience. And it deserves attention, not avoidance.
Okay, But What Can I Do?
This isn’t a “how-to” guide, but if you’re here looking for a tiny bit of hope, let me offer this:
- You’re not alone in this.
- You can feel better over time.
- Therapy can help you understand the deeper roots of your anxiety and find ways to gently work through it, not just “manage” it.
Even just naming it, “I think I’m having an anxiety attack” can be powerful. So can telling a friend, partner, or therapist.
You don’t have to keep this to yourself.
Need a Place to Talk About It? Contact An Anxiety Therapist in Atlanta, GA!
If you’re ready to stop white-knuckling your way through anxiety, I’m here to help. In therapy, we explore not just the symptoms, but the story behind them. The why. The how. And the “what now?”.
You’re not too much. You’re not too sensitive. You’re a person navigating life with a nervous system that’s doing its best to keep you safe. You can start your therapy journey with the Informed Therapy Group by following these simple steps:
- Click here to schedule a free initial consultation or email admin@informedtherapy.com to get started today!
- Meet with a caring therapist from our team
- Start finding calm in the midst of anxiety!
Other Services Offered at Informed Therapy Group in Georgia
At Informed Therapy Group, our compassionate clinicians use a multifaceted, evidence-based approach to mental health. Along with anxiety therapy, we provide depression therapy, pregnancy counseling, neurodivergent therapy in Atlanta, GA, and grief and loss counseling. We also specialize in couples counseling, stress-management therapy, and postpartum support. Want to learn more? Explore our About Us page, check out the blog, or browse our FAQs to see how we can help.
