Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

Are panic attacks normal? I feel like I'm going crazy.

143 Answers
Last Updated: 09/10/2018 at 9:06pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Sarah Robb, LISW-S (Licensed Independent Social Worker, Supervisor Designation) and LICDC (Licenced Chemical Dependency Counselor)

Clinical Social Work/Therapist

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. Life poses many challenges. Learning to face, cope with, and resolve these challenges can increase our resilience.

Top Rated Answers
wonderousSunshine82
November 15th, 2015 5:18am
A sense of panic is your body's way of telling you that something may be awry. If your symptoms are difficult to manage or happen frequently you should speak with a healthcare professional who can offer you more advice.
heretohelpinanyway
November 15th, 2015 6:38pm
Panic attacks are normal to those who have trouble finding out what triggers the attack. Ask yourself do I see a pattern every time I have attack. It can feel like youre going crazy. The best this to do is take notes. Write down the events that happen around the attack and the time of day it happens. This can help you avoid them in the near future.
dancingTurtle59
November 18th, 2015 4:49am
panic attacks are not normal it is all your emotions over working at the same time so you r in a overwhelmed state thinking is not clear or rational
Bruedella222
November 18th, 2015 6:30pm
Panic attacks are very normal. When you are stressed your body reacts to the stress. This can mean panic attacks, high pulse or high blood pressure. I go though panic attacks to, like today. I have been stressed about my relationship and it became hard to breath and I started shaking uncontrollably. This is a normal reaction to stress. It is our body's way of saying you need to relax or you are going to burn yourself out.
xxjustadream
November 19th, 2015 2:15am
Panic attacks are normal, and some people can experience panic attacks more frequently than others.
Anonymous
November 19th, 2015 11:21am
Panic attacks aren't something that happen to an average individual. We all experience anxiety but it important to know the difference between regular anxiety and an overwhelming state of worry.
interestingBerry24
November 20th, 2015 3:25am
I don't think bpnormal, but situations can onset them in everyone! Panic attacks does not mean your crazy!
SN
November 21st, 2015 3:07am
Panic attacks are not normal. You need to get help from a friend, a relative, or best, from a professional.
PuppyLover9392
November 21st, 2015 3:01pm
It is normal as we are still not used to do something before so we get panic. Try to take a deep breath and calm down. Or even drink some cool drinks.
Anonymous
November 21st, 2015 10:11pm
I would say they are common and can definitely make you feel like you are going crazy. Just remember you are not alone in your struggle.
Beastlyenough
November 22nd, 2015 1:01pm
Yes! They are very normal!there is a limit to what a person Can feel. N it's okay to break down take some time off and jump back at life like a warrior!
FriendlySeal
November 25th, 2015 12:21am
They are perfectly fine and normal! You just have to breathe and find out how to calm it and control it :)
greenJOHN1971
November 25th, 2015 4:48am
Panic attacks are not normal. They are something that you need to seriously deal with. There are many things you can do and try to calm and relax yourself and make the anxiety go away. Why not try them? If they don't work, you can try medications.
SereneSummer
November 26th, 2015 4:46am
Panic attacks can make you feel crazy. They are more common than most people think. They can cause you to have irrational fears and sometimes convince us we are going crazy.
AlanRY
November 26th, 2015 10:55pm
If I were in your shoes, I'd not focus on evaluating whether panic attacks are normal, but instead I'd accept they are what I call #improductive. For some reason, in some given circumstance, your reaction is feeling panic. My guess is you panic with the intention to protect. This may be a good opportunity to explore & discover: what are you protecting against? If you compared the situation where you have panicked before, what would they have in common? Are you panicking in front of a similar situation?
ForU
November 27th, 2015 6:47am
I get panic attacks too and i feel that its because i hold a lot of things inside and never let them out , that is why i feel heavy. Whenever i get a panic attack , i try to first calm myself and take the help of music to do so , then i drink a glass of water and go outside in the balcony to relax :)
Michael77
November 27th, 2015 12:53pm
Panic attacks are normal and can have any number of reasons for coming on. They can be terrifying with the dry throat, pounding heart and sinking feeling in your chest. Usually there's some sort of trigger that may or may not be obvious. For me, they are a reaction to overall stress, but maybe not exactly when the pressure is on, but later when things are calm. They can come out of nowhere and sometimes at inopportune times. If it's about something specific, maybe reach out to someone to talk about it to "get some of it out of your system," or find some cathartic way of coping with it; such as doing artwork that embodies what you're feeling, or the event that caused it. Maybe write what you're feeling and burn it so that you can keep it private if you like. There is help, and no, you aren't going crazy. Life is crazy and we're living in the middle of it.
peacefulBlossom75
November 28th, 2015 2:48am
They aren't exactly normal but they are common for people under stress and that is okay. It is just your body reacting to being overwhelmed.
Anonymous
November 28th, 2015 9:50pm
In certain situations, panic attacks may be a normal response to an unfortunate event. When times are tough and when anxiety hits hard, panic attacks can happen but when you seek help, they can be controlled.
Korlix44
November 29th, 2015 4:20pm
It depends on what normal is really. While i dot think there normal they may be normal for you to have due to stresses in your life. if you feel a panic attack cumming on its important to take some deep breaths and remember that you'll be okay :).
eternalWillow91
November 29th, 2015 8:53pm
Yes totally normal, I used to have them hourly. Just try and focus on something they are your body over-reactive to a threat that isn't really there.
Anonymous
December 2nd, 2015 4:46pm
Not really. I get panic attacks from time to time aswell. Have you tried talking about this with someone you trust? I think it would be the best option for now.
EmpatheticKitten
December 3rd, 2015 6:03am
Its normal to feel like you're going crazy, unfortunately. Panic attacks set off your fight or flight sense when its not needed. Your adrenal glands are all out of whack and your thinking becomes irrational. While not dangerous, panic attacks could cause physical manifestations such as palpitations, tingles, sweats, etc. You will NOT go crazy. Thankfully, there are many techniques to get through them. This too shall pass!
Anonymous
December 4th, 2015 1:39am
Panic attacks are very normal although we all feel different symptoms or have different thoughts. The big question is to ask why 'am I having a panic attack'? That's how you start to help yourself.
enigmaticBraveheart19
December 5th, 2015 1:31am
panic attacks are normal in a weird sense - they are your body's way of reacting to too much stress.
L0ttie
December 5th, 2015 8:38pm
They can be normal. They are a fight or flight response to a difficult and overwhelming situation. It is how you learn to deal with them that can help a great deal.
crissiebabe
December 6th, 2015 7:42am
Panic attacks are totally normal and a lot of people get them. My best friend gets them sometimes and i know a lot of other people do as well. Just keep calm your not going crazy it ok. Make sure there will be someone with you if you do have a panic attack who can help you and knows what to do
Anonymous
December 6th, 2015 8:08pm
Panic attacks are like affections and there's absolutely nothing dangerous and you won't die or turn mad. Focus on the idea that it will pass, it's just a moment - you are stronger than this. Try not to panic and you will be OK :)
Alcazand
December 7th, 2015 9:34pm
There is no normal unless you chose it. Every country and person is never the same and always the same. Though I recommended not choosing a box to put yourself neatly in, that would be crazy.
Anonymous
December 21st, 2015 2:10am
Yes they are! I also have panic attacks, everytime I get one, I sit down and take a deep breath in and think of a happy place.