Can numbness be a symptom of a panic attack?

Answer 1

Yes, it absolutely can. Anxiety causes your breathing cycle to become rapid and short (hyperventilation) therefore causing you carbon dioxide levels in your blood stream to become imbalanced. This has all sorts of effects on your nervous system including tunnel vision, tingling of your extremities, and could potentially cause you to pass out. Nothing to fear though, as you can't possible damage yourself by experiencing this.

The easy remedy is to bring a paper-bag with you if you experience frequent panic attacks. Breath in and out of the paper bag for about a minute or so and you'll watch the symptoms disappear. The paper bag will force you to get you carbon dioxide levels back in balance. Best of all, this will reduce your anxiety about having a panic attack in the future. This is true, I suffer from anxiety and when I get an attack my extremities become numb, totally normal

Be very careful if considering using the paper bag method, as it may well be related to an increased incidence of heart attacks, possibly from improper use. At the first sign of a panic attack, employ an ANTI PANIC ATTACK breathing technique. Advice from a published psychiatrist on controlled breathing: (1.) Get a clock, or watch with a second timer. (2.) Practise for 5 minutes, 4 times daily, until proficient. (3.) Take a small breath in, and hold it, for 6 seconds. (4.) Think to yourself: "RELAX", just before breathing out. (5.) Try to feel a sense of releasing tension, as you breathe out. (6.) Breathe in for 3 seconds, then out, for 3 seconds. Try to make your breathing very smooth, and light, as you breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth, or nose. (7.) For the next minute, continue to breathe in, and out, every 3 seconds. (8.) Go back to step 3, at the end of the minute, and proceed through to step 7, doing this for 5 minutes. Use this at the very first sign of a panic attack starting, or any time you feel anxious, or tense. Similar, but simpler advice, from a clinical psychologist is to breathe in to the count of 3: (one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind, and out to the count of 3.

Note: The controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms, as do medications/herbal remedies. Address the underlying cause, which requires some form of therapy. Imagine that the cause of your panic; your anxieties, fears, your self doubts, self recriminations, all the agonizing "I'm-so-Stupids"; every painful "I-can't-do-it" are huge raging, hurtful bulls snorting and charging at you. You see them coming at you and you hold out your red matador's cape at arms length and simply let them charge right by. Every time they come at you, hold out your arm with the red cape and let them rage and snort and go right on past. Some people recommend nettle tea, with a little honey. Others use Lavender tea, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, but use no milk or cream with herbal teas, or Valerian (caution: use for 3 weeks; maximum!). Know how these affect you before driving, or doing anything dangerous, and it is far better to use the treatments, rather than relying on herbal remedies.

Answer 2

Panic attacks can cause a feeling of "mental" paralysis. That is to say, it feels as if you are paralyzed, even though you know you are physically capable of moving your limbs. You feel as if you don't have the mental energy to tell your limbs to move.

So no, panic attacks cannot literally make your arms and hands paralyzed, but it can make you feel as if you are paralyzed.

Answer 3

no it cannt not