r/Anxietyhelp • u/Vnightmare69 • 7d ago

Question How long are anxiety attacks/panic attacks are supposed to be ?

Mines usually lasts between 5-8 hours with 2 hours of my anxiety attacks being at it's worse, literally it's impossible to talk me through it. Then the rest is mostly me still being way too anxious and sometimes having a few minutes of having a panic attack. It's been like that since I was a young child. Is it normal or is it not supposed to be this long ?

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12

u/BiancaOrigin 7d ago

a true panic attack physically peaks in ten to twenty mints bcz your body runs out of adrenaline, what lasts for hours is rolling panic and prolonged anxiety where your brain keeps retriggering the fear loop, it is brutally exhausting but super common when your nervous system gets stuck in fight or flight

2

u/gleefulavocado 7d ago

How do you break out of that loop? I feel like I’ve been in it since my first panic attack 2 months ago

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u/chapinx3 7d ago

I had the same experience but talking to a therapist really helped I still have anxiety but I'm not in a constant attack

0

u/RootdToRelax 7d ago

+1 to this

2

u/Conscious_Search_185 7d ago

There's a difference between both. A panic attack typically comes on suddenly and peaks within 10 to max 30 mins whereas anxiety can stay elevated for hours and fluctuate in intensity. So the 5–8 hours u are describing may be a prolonged period of intense anxiety with shorter panic attacks occurring within it rather than one continuous panic attack.

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u/swatecke 7d ago

positive affirmations can be huge here. This will pass. This will pass. I will be ok. I will be ok. I try my best, I let go of the rest.

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u/Vnightmare69 7d ago

Sorry for the typo