While the physical symptoms of an anxiety attack tend to subside after about 20 minutes, others may continue to linger for a while. The person may continue to feel fearful, or their chest or stomach may hurt. They may continue to hyperventilate or have trouble catching their breath.
The lowdown
Mental health conditions are highly individual, and so it is impossible to predict exactly how long your anxiety disorder will last. There is evidence to suggest that the median, or “middle” length of time for an anxiety disorder to last is 7.5 months, but that is one study's findings.
For some this may be as little as a few minutes. Others find that this can take hours and leave them incredibly drained. On average, it takes about 30 minutes or so for someone to recover from a panic attack, although they may feel tired and drained for hours.
Panic disorder is treatable and you can make a full recovery. But it's best to get medical help as soon as you can. If you do not get medical help, panic disorder can escalate and become very difficult to cope with.
The attack itself lasts around 20 to 30 minutes, after which the majority of the symptoms subside. Panic attacks release a lot of adrenaline, and you could experience an “adrenaline hangover” afterward. An adrenaline hangover is the feeling you have after the level of adrenaline in your body goes back down.
After the comedown of the attack, you may also feel tired or tension in your muscles. The main symptoms that can linger are behavioral or cognitive symptoms. General anxiety may persist after the attack. People often continue to worry about their lack of control.
“Feeling completely drained of energy is common after experiencing a panic attack, as our bodies are doing the best they can to regulate ourselves after coming down from the adrenaline-fueled “fight or flight” response of a panic attack. It's important to do your best to take good care of yourself after a panic attack.
Feelings of anxiety are likely to pass with time as we get used to the "new normal" but it's important to do what we can to take care of our mental health. There are lots of things that can help you to manage these feelings and make it easier to adjust.
An anxiety disorder can be caused by multiple factors, such as genetics, environmental stressors and medical conditions. New research also indicates that chronic anxiety symptoms that will not go away can be due to an autoimmune response, triggered by common infections.
Panic disorder is treatable and you can make a full recovery. But it's best to get medical help as soon as you can. If you do not get medical help, panic disorder can escalate and become very difficult to cope with.
In some cases, panic attacks are linked to an underlying mental health condition, such as: panic disorder. agoraphobia or other phobias. obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
And having that intense form of anxiety for prolonged periods of time is considered an anxiety attack, a condition which can last anywhere from several minutes to weeks on end.
Unfortunately, there is no way to speed up anxiety disorder recovery other than routinely practicing your recovery strategies, such as reducing stress, increasing rest, getting regular good sleep, containing anxious behavior, and being patient. Consequently, recovery is going to take as long as it takes.
having a history of stressful or traumatic experiences, such as domestic violence, child abuse or bullying. having a painful long-term health condition, such as arthritis. having a history of drug or alcohol misuse.
But long-term or chronic stress can lead to long-term anxiety and worsening symptoms, as well as other health problems. Stress can also lead to behaviors like skipping meals, drinking alcohol, or not getting enough sleep. These factors can trigger or worsen anxiety, too.
A big event or a buildup of smaller stressful life situations may trigger excessive anxiety — for example, a death in the family, work stress or ongoing worry about finances. Personality. People with certain personality types are more prone to anxiety disorders than others are. Other mental health disorders.
Anxiety is not curable, but there are ways to keep it from being a big problem. Getting the right treatment for your anxiety will help you dial back your out-of-control worries so that you can get on with life. There are many ways to do this.
The even better news: Many people respond well to anxiety treatment without medication. They find that their condition can often be managed entirely, or at least in part, with lifestyle changes and holistic therapies.
Panic attacks require enormous amounts of energy, which can take quite a toll on your nervous system. Relax and rest for a few days following an attack, so your body has time to recover. Our therapists recommend turning out the lights and taking a nap or relaxing with your eyes closed following an attack.
Some may have anxious episodes that last hours while others may only experience the effects of the disorder for a few minutes. Each person's anxiety is also spurred on by different causes. One person might have social anxiety and experience extreme distress while in social settings or afterward for hours or days.
Multidimensional scaling (MDS) of panic symptoms identified three types of panic which were consistent over time and for which reliable scales were constructed to measure derealization, cardiac panic, and respiratory panic.
Some moments of anxiety are more brief than others, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. But for some people, these feelings of anxiety are more than just passing worries or a stressful day at work. Your anxiety may not go away for many weeks, months, or years.