anxiety attack

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Definition

Noun: A sudden, intense, and overwhelming episode of severe anxiety and panic. It involves a rapid onset of extreme fear or discomfort, often accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, or a feeling of losing control.

Usage

This term is used to describe a discrete, acute episode of panic, often occurring without an obvious external trigger. It is a specific event with a beginning and end, though it may feel prolonged to the person experiencing it. - She had to leave the meeting after suffering an anxiety attack. - The constant stress built up until it culminated in a severe anxiety attack.

Advanced Usage
  • Clinical Context: In mental health discussions, "anxiety attack" is often used informally by the general public. In clinical settings, a similar episode might be diagnosed and referred to more specifically as a panic attack if it meets certain diagnostic criteria, though the terms are frequently used interchangeably in everyday language.
  • Descriptive Use: The term can be used metaphorically in non-clinical contexts to describe a state of extreme worry or nervousness about a specific situation, though this is an informal extension of its meaning.
    • I had a mini anxiety attack waiting for the exam results.
Variants and Related Words
  • Panic Attack (n): A sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. This is the more formal clinical term often synonymous with "anxiety attack."
  • Anxiety (n): A general feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. This is the broader, more persistent condition.
  • Panic (n): Sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing wildly unthinking behavior. This is the intense emotional state itself.
Synonyms
  • Panic attack
  • Panic episode
  • Acute anxiety episode
Related Idioms and Phrases
  • To have an attack of nerves: To suddenly feel very nervous. This is a less clinical, more general phrase.
    • He had an attack of nerves just before going on stage.
  • To be in a panic: To be in a state of sudden, overwhelming fear. This describes the state rather than naming the episode.
    • She was in a panic when she couldn't find her passport.
Noun
  1. a sudden acute episode of intense anxiety and feelings of panic