An anxiety attack typically feels like a period of intense worry or dread that makes it difficult to function or relax. People often experience a combination of physical and mental symptoms that build up over time rather than suddenly. Common feelings during an anxiety attack include:

• Racing or pounding heart
• Constant tension or restlessness
• Racing thoughts or feeling stuck on certain worries
• Nausea or a churning sensation in the stomach
• Feeling out of control or unable to concentrate
• Sweating, shaking, or hot flushes
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Pins and needles sensations
• Headaches, backaches, or other aches and pains
• Difficulty sleeping and teeth grinding
• Feeling tense, nervous, or unable to relax
• A sense of dread or fearing the worst
• Feeling disconnected from oneself or the world (depersonalization or derealization)
• Fatigue, irritability, and hypervigilance if anxiety is chronic

Unlike panic attacks, which come on suddenly and peak quickly, anxiety attacks tend to build gradually and may last longer, often related to a specific stressor or ongoing worry. Anxiety attacks are not a formal medical diagnosis but are a real experience many people describe when their anxiety intensifies

. In summary, an anxiety attack feels like overwhelming worry combined with physical symptoms such as a racing heart, nausea, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating, often making it hard to function normally