A panic attack is not the hand-wringing worry we all have once in a while. It’s more like an anxiety bomb. It’s swift and powerful, and it can strike out of the blue.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines a panic attack as an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort, setting off a jumble of unpleasant feelings.¹ Panic attacks can be so distressing that some people keep these episodes under wraps. They may delay care, fearing the stigma that can come with a psychiatric diagnosis, according to a 2020 review in Neuroendocrinology Letters.² Even after being diagnosed, some people make repeated visits to the ER, believing they have heart disease, per a 2022 review in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.³

The thing is, you’re not in any physical danger, explained Russell Hunter, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in private practice in Northern Virginia and author of Attacking Panic: The Power To Be Calm. According to Hunter, a panic attack is more of “a false alarm.”

Here’s how to recognize when you’re having a panic attack.