Also known as anxiety attacks, panic attacks can affect anyone, regardless of age, background or whether they have a history of anxiety.
TV Presenter Alison Hammond, from Birmingham, recently spoke out about suffering a panic attack on live TV while filming an episode of ITV’s This Morning, highlighting just how sudden and frightening the experience can be.
According to the MIND mental health charity, panic attacks are an extreme anxiety response. They can develop quickly, and come with very intense symptoms.
These are both physical and mental.
Gwinnett, from Wolverhampton, said people who experience them often feel like their heart is racing, they feel a tightness in their chest and struggle to catch their breath.
“It’s very frequently misinterpreted as a heart attack,” Gwinnett said.
Because the symptoms can closely resemble those of a heart problem, she said people experiencing them for the first time should seek urgent medical attention.
“If this is the first time you’ve experienced these symptoms, dial 999 and get yourself to Accident and Emergency as soon as possible.”
People who regularly experience panic attacks and recognise the symptoms may be able to treat it as a panic attack in the first instance.
However, Gwinnett said any episode that feels different from previous attacks should be treated seriously.
“If the symptoms feel different, get yourself to hospital.”