☆ The following is a guide to writing an anxiety attack for your character. This was written by an rph on tumblr and has done research through internet sources. This guide can be helpful to anyone who isn't quite sure what to write, or would like some further information about Anxiety Attacks. This account is not from a person who has experienced Anxiety Attacks from my knowledge. I have also added a couple small notes, ideas, and additional information about anxiety attacks for your convenience.. If you have a suggestion, idea, or something you think should be added, write it down in the comments section! ☆
This guide has been taken off of tumblr from the rph thisisjovi ►http://thisisjovi.tumblr.com/post/47302671484/anxiety-attacks-are-experiences-that-can-be additional information was included by myself from the following source(s):► http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety
001 WHAT IS AN ANXIETY ATTACK?
In other words, and medical terms, it's called a panic attack, which is a symptom of an anxiety disorder. It's known to be a terrifying experience, and can occur without any precedence, or prior warnings. Another random note, some confuse it for a heart attack.
People who experience anxiety attacks can all claim different types of symptoms, but overall, the following symptoms are what they, generally, go through.
Symptoms:
Physical
+sweating
+heart racing
+rapid pulse
+feeling faint/as if you are choking
+restlessness
+fatigue
+muscular tension
+problems in concentration
Psychological
+feeling as if you are going crazy
+a (false) sense of danger
+sudden fear of surroundings
+extreme nervousness
+uneasiness
002 SO HOW DO I WRITE IT OUT?
It's definitely difficult trying to find the right words to describe everything that occurs to a person during a panic attack. I'll give you a few tips and tricks for you to correlate into your writing when anxiety strikes your character.
Tip #1 - Know the vocabulary
What do I mean by that? Well you've gotta have the right word choice in order to captivate your reader more in any circumstance. Reasonably, there are certain words in this particular situation that far more fitting that others.
For example: "she was becoming so anxious, she felt like throwing up."
That statement is not necessarily wrong, but it doesn't exactly give off the intensity of an anxiety attack, now does it? Go beyond the surface, dig deep into the mind of that character. Try to put yourself in their shoes, trembling ankles and all. See what you can come up with then.
This is what I came up with: "the level of anxiety was becoming unbearable, leaving her in an excessively paranoid state- a significant lump forming within the cavity of her throat."
Much more effective, no? Always remember, thesaurus.com is your friend. Look up different words for "anxious", but make sure you're using the correct synonyms. You know, the ones that actually fit the context.
Tip #2 - Me, myself, and my character
Be able to somehow connect with your character while they're going through this horrific sequence. If you've ever been stressed, take that and multiply it by a double-digit number and you've got yourself a panic attack. Your character is under complete distress- and you want your reader to believe it. How does it feel like when you, personally, are under pressure? Recognize your own symptoms and put it in writing- Sweaty palms? Darting eyes? What about nervous habits? It'd make sense for your character to have one as well. Also remember, you're character and yourself are different too. You may be outgoing and fun, your character may be quiet. Remember that your character may respond differently to situations but draw from your own personal experiences as well to help you as you write to go deeper.
Examples of nervous habits include:
+pulling out strands of hair/tugging at hair
+twisting hands together
+biting fingernails
+jerky motions
+dialated pupils
+shaky
The habits could be subliminal warning signs that an anxiety attack is in order, or is already beginning to occur.
Tip #3 - Dig Deeper
This is a very serious topic you're dealing with, so you're going to have to do more than scrape the surface. Anxiety attacks aren't something along the lines of the usual- they scare the pee out of some of their victims. It's true. Can you imagine having every part of your body seem to be succumbing to an unwanted reaction due to the fear that's completely fabricated by your own mind and nothing but? Look inside yourself, think about how you feel when you're stressed out- wired out, and try to apply that to the magnitude of a panic attack.
003 PANICKING IN PRINT
Now let's tackle the actual process of writing out an anxiety attack. For those who have experienced one, I can understand that this will be more difficult for you and that's exactly why I'm trying to make it easier for you. So now that you've read over the tips, it's time to start writing.
Step One - Build up to it
It does state that anxiety attacks can occur out of nowhere- but that's for people diagnosed with actual panic disorders. So unless your character has that- or even if they do have it- you've gotta help the flow of it.
Step Two - Illustrate it
Imagery. I cannot stress this enough. Imagery is a literary device in which the writer uses figurative language to evoke the senses of the reader. If you're not feeling the slightest bit what you're writing, then it's probable that your reader won't either. This isn't exactly something you can just forge your way through. It takes serious premeditation, and careful decisions as you phrase the actions. Think about it- fear is taking over your character's entire being. Really try to imagine it to the point where your mind is playing it out-as soon as that happens, put it into writing. Include the physical symptoms they're feeling, right along with the psychological symptoms. Anxiety attacks last about ten minutes or more, so obviously, one sentence won't suffice. Here's my attempt at writing a panic attack, so you compare yours to mine.Please be aware that this topic can be extremely triggering to others, so be sure to tag it with a trigger warning if necessary.
{The following, is an example of (what I perceive as) a well-written anxiety attack, but you do not have to take it seriously if you do not wish to}
~She could feel it starting at the tips of her fingers, a numbing sensation that would soon spread across her skin like wildfire, goosebumps rising along her pale skin. Every breath she took began to shallow into sharp, and desperate, gasps for air as her lungs threatened to collapse as her mind and heart raced against time— time that never stopped, that kept ticking away. The sound of the clock hand twitching over the numbers echoed in the corners of her skull, her eyes widening; but saw nothing but complete darkness. There was a certain pain overwhelming her, but it wasn’t something she could wish away— it was there, it would always be, there to haunt her, to take her from any source of happiness. She was doomed, and there was no hope, and those were the very last thoughts that she could perceive before her body succumbed to the breakdown.
You see how I stayed only in the mind of the character? That’s because the character is no longer aware of anything else but what’s going on in the depths of their head— which inevitably, is a horrible place to be. They’re trapped. Keep that in mind as you write this out.
Step Three - Read it over
As you're reading it, can you feel what your character is feeling? (are you using the word "anxiety" too much? - use thesaurus.com) If not, then you probably want to edit it accordingly because it's so much more effective and believable when you're able to picture what this character is going through. Always make sure you include the symptoms, and perhaps the trigger as to what brought on this anxiety attack- because as the writer, you know what could've set the attack off; but the character does not. Also make sure you include the trigger warning at the beginning so anyone who does not want to read it if they are uncomfortable are aware that it could be triggering towards them. off; but the character does not.
THAT'S ALL, FOLKS!
I sincerely hope this helps. Writing these types of things can be extremely challenging, and I'm well aware of it. Anxiety attacks differs from person to person- what they feel, what happens. You have to make sure you know your character well enough before you start writing something like this. It's crucial to know your character inside and out- what they believe to be their flaws; what they fear; what they typically do when they're nervous. All those little things can become a far greater thing when you tackle the process of trying to write your character experiencing a panic attack. And that's all I have for you guys, hopefully this guide helps!
☆ Have a suggestion? Is there something that should added to this guide that isn't there? Need me to clarify on something? Leave a comment on what you would like to see in this guide or what you would like to see in the future (guide, list, informational how to, informational, etc.)! ☆