What You Can Do
To get through a panic attack, try to take control of your breathing first. Find a place where you can sit or be comfortable. Concentrate on making your breath slow and even. Try to inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold it for 2 seconds, then exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds. Tell yourself that youâre not in danger and that the attack will pass.
If youâre not sure if youâre having a panic attack, itâs a good idea to go to the hospital to rule out any other health problems.
Panic disorder is one of the most treatable types of anxiety disorders. Medication and a type of talk therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy can help. See your doctor if you have panic attacks often.
Harvard Health Publications: âUnderstanding the Stress Response.â
Robertson, D. Primer on the Autonomic Nervous System, Second Edition, Elsevier Academic Press, 2004.
The BMJ: âPanic Disorder.â
Biological Psychiatry: âDo Unexpected Panic Attacks Occur Spontaneously?â âFunctional t1Ï Imaging in Panic Disorder.â
Psychological Medicine: âDistinct Phasic and Sustained Brain Responses and Connectivity of Amygdala and Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis During Threat Anticipation in Panic Disorder.â
The Journal of Neuroscience: âReduced Serotonin Type 1A Receptor Binding in Panic Disorder.â
Mayo Clinic: âPanic Attacks and Panic Disorder.â
American Academy of Family Physicians: âPanic Disorder.â
Centre for Clinical Interventions : âPanic Stations.â
Being Alone With Your Thoughts
“A lot of times, people tell me that they donât notice any specific situational trigger that caused their anxiousness,” Forshee says. “Often times, people donât realize that a trigger could simply be not having any psychological distraction, meaning, that they are alone with their own thoughts.“
So an anxiety attack can happen when you’re laying in your own bed at night trying to get some sleep. It can even happen when you’re home alone and it’s extremely quiet.
If you find yourself alone with just your thoughts and feelings, Forshee says it’s important to pay close attention to the “raw content of what your automatic thoughts are.” In other words, what are you really saying to yourself inside your own head? Are your thoughts solid facts or fears?
“When you notice the automatic thoughts that you have early on, this provides you an opportunity to start engaging in coping skills that will help slow down that hamster wheel,” she says. Turning on the TV or listening to music can be ways to cope in this situation.
What Anxiety Feels Like Vs What Stress Feels Like
All of us experience some level of what we recognize as anxiety from time to time. At low levels, this feeling is generally referred to as stress and can be a healthy and motivating response to a particular life situation. For example, feeling stress before an exam is normal and helps to motivate focus, which is typically helpful in such situations. But, sometimes our inner response is disproportionately larger than the external situation it is linked to or we feel high levels of agitation for reasons that are unclear to us. So, how do we discern stress from anxiety if they are variations on the same general feeling?
In general, you can figure this out by looking at how well the external situation matches the inner response and how much the feelings you are having are impacting your sense of wellbeing and ability to get things done. When your inner agitation is interfering in your daily life or sense of wellbeing, especially when there is no obvious reason, then you may be experiencing levels of anxiety that might be worth checking out. Stress is a physical or mental tension in response to a trigger.
If you find yourself reacting like this to stressful situations, you can learn to manage your anxiety and separate a typical stress reaction from an outsized anxious reaction.
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What Is Generalized Anxiety Disorder
With GAD, you may feel extreme and unrealistic worry and tension even if theres nothing to trigger these feelings. Most days, you may worry a lot about various topics, including health, work, school and relationships. You may feel that the worry continues from one thing to the next.
Physical symptoms of GAD can include restlessness, difficulty concentrating and sleeping problems.
Anxiety Symptoms That Might Point To A Disorder
Everyone can expect to have the occasional bout of anxietymaybe you get nervous before an interview or a first datebut sometimes, that anxiety doesn’t subside, which may indicate an anxiety disorder.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health , there are a few different types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobia-related anxiety disorders, but they all hinge on one important aspect: when overwhelming feelings of worry or fear impinge on a person’s daily life.
Researchers believe that anxiety disorders can stem from both genetic and environmental factors, and these anxiety disorders are typically treated through a variety of interventions, including psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two, according to the NIMH.
While anxiety disorders are often hard to pinpointand often benefit from a correct diagnosis from a mental health professionalthere are some signs and symptoms that are common among those with most types of anxiety disorders. Here’s what you need to know, and including when you should seek professional help.
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Practical Powerful Ways To Help Manage Anxiety
Understand why it feels the way it does.
Understanding why anxiety feels the way it does will be one of your greatest tools in managing it. Think of it like this. Imagine being in a dark room that is full of stuff. When you walk around in the dark, youre going to bump into things. Youre going to scrape, bruise and maybe drop a few choice words. Turn on the light though, and those things are still there, but now you can navigate your way around them. No more bumps. No more scrapes. And no more having to hold your tongue in front of people who can confiscate your phone. Heres what you need to know
Anxiety happens because a part of your brain thinks there might be something it needs to protect you from. When this happens, it surges your body with a mix of neurochemicals , designed to make you stronger, faster, more alert and more powerful so you can fight for your life or run for it. This is the fight or flight response. Its normal and healthy and its in everyone. In people with anxiety, its just a little quicker to activate.
The amygdala acts on impulse. Its a do-er, not a thinker all action and not a lot of thought. It just wants to keep you safe, because safe is a lovely thing to be and because thats been its job since the beginning of humans. The amygdala cant always tell the difference between something that might hurt you and something that wont and it doesnt care. All it wants to do is keep you safe.
You might feel dizzy or a bit confused.
What Causes Anxiety Disorders
Its a question that is so difficult to answer. Its not like having a cold – you cant simply wake up with an anxiety disorder because you forgot to wash your hands before picking your nose.
Anxiety disorders are forged over years of experiences. They have a genetic component, an upbringing component, an environmental component. Every experience youve ever had can craft your anxiety disorder, just as any experience youve had in life can ensure you never get one.
Anxiety may even have no real cause at all.
There are also many forms of anxiety. There are different causes of OCD, causes of panic attacks, causes of PTSD, causes of generalized anxiety disorder, causes of phobias every experience and every anxiety is unique in some way.
Still, the best way to understand what created your anxiety disorder is to break it down into the two main causes:
- Biology
- Environment
These do not account for all anxiety symptoms. In fact, anxiety can, in some ways, create itself something that we will explore near the end of the guide. But generally, the two causes of anxiety are your body, and your experiences in the world around you.
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Dont Say: Why Arent You Seeing A Therapist/on Medication
Theres nothing wrong with showing concern for a friend, but be careful it doesnt come across as accusatory. Suggesting your friend should be doing something can create a sense of shame if they arent, or make them feel like theyre being judged. If they do need to see a counselor or take medication, those are decisions they need to make on their own and at their own pace.
How You Get Tricked
* If you have Panic Disorder or Agoraphobia, you keep getting tricked into believing that you’re about to die, go crazy, or lose control of yourself.
* If you have Social Phobia,you keep getting tricked into into believing that you’re about to look so unreasonably nervous in front of people that you will be completely humiliated and be cast aside by your community.
* If you have a Specific Phobia, you keep getting tricked into believing that you’re likely to be overcome by some external object or animal, or by your fear of it.
* If you have OCD, you keep getting tricked into believing that you’ve set in motion a terrible calamity. You might fear that your neighborhood will burn because you left the stove on, or that your family will get poisoned because you mishandled the insecticide.
* If you have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, you keep getting tricked into believing that you’re about to be driven mad by constant worrying.
In each case, the episode of fear passes without the expected catastrophe. You’re none the worse for wear, except that you’re more worried about the next episode. The details seem different, but it’s the same anxiety trick.
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Some People May Develop Panic Disorders
For many people, the feelings of panic occur only occasionally during periods of stress or illness. A person who experiences recurring panic attacks is said to have panic disorder, which is a type of anxiety disorder. They generally have recurring and unexpected panic attacks and persistent fears of repeated attacks.
What Do Anxiety Attacks Feel Like
Anxiety attacks can make you feel restless, feeling wound up or on edge fatigued, or you may experience physical symptoms like muscle tension. Other symptoms may include difficulty concentrating, feeling irritable, or having trouble sleeping. An anxiety attack can be terrifying it can feel so scary that it might even make you think youre going to die. Rest assured, anxiety attacks are not dangerous and the feeling will go away.
Until it passes, you might experience some of the unsettling symptoms discussed earlier. It is important to remember that what youre feeling is temporary, know that you will get through it. Although it might be extremely uncomfortable in the moment, you will regain composure soon enough. Some coping strategies to employ during an attack include taking deep breaths through your stomach and talking out loud to yourself. They both have a calming effect on the surge of irrepressible panic and stressed breathing you might feel during an attack.
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Dont Say: Have You Tried Meditation/yoga/
Meditation and yoga and deep breathing and all of the other anti-anxiety trends that have taken pop culture by storm might be helpful for some people, maybe even your ultra-anxious friend. But they might not. Extreme anxiety can feel consuming, which means that small things like taking a few deep breaths might not be enough to counter panic in the moment. Everyone with anxiety has different relaxation techniques that work for themand some people need to do something active, like go for a run, instead of sitting and breathing. Dont offer unsolicited advice unless youve been trained to treat people with anxiety disorders or you have one yourself.
Diagnosis For Panic Attacks And Anxiety Attacks
In the past, it was more difficult to diagnose panic and anxiety attacks. The symptoms that come with them are similar to those of many other illnesses, including heart disease, thyroid disorders, and breathing disorders. If you have an attack, you should see your doctor to make sure that the cause of these symptoms is not a serious medical condition.
If you find yourself having panic or anxiety attacks, or anxiety in general, a therapist or mental health professional can help to pinpoint these causes. They may also be able to help diagnose if you have a panic or anxiety disorder that triggers the attacks.
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How People Get Tricked
People’s natural instincts to protect themselves are what lead them to get tricked. See if you recognize your responses in these examples below.
A person with Panic Disorder gets tricked into holding her breath and fleeing the store , rather than shifting to Belly Breathing. and staying there until the feelings pass.
A person with Generalized Anxiety Disorder gets tricked into trying to stop the unwanted “what if?” thoughts, rather than accepting them and taking care of present business as thoughts come and go.
A person with Social Phobia gets tricked into avoiding the party, or hiding in the corner if he attends, rather than say hello to a stranger and see what happens.
A person with OCD gets tricked into repeatedly washing his hands, or returning home to check the stove, rather than accepting the intrusive thoughts of contamination and fire and returning his energies to the present activities at hand.
A person with a dog phobia gets tricked into avoiding the feelings by avoiding all dogs, rather than spending time with a dog until the feelings pass.
What Happens In Your Brain
Scientists are still studying how panic attacks affect the brain. Itâs possible that the parts of the brain that are tied to fear become more active during an episode. One recent study found that people with panic disorder had lots of activity in a part of their brains tied to the âfight or flightâ response.
Other studies have found possible links between panic disorder and the chemicals in your brain. The condition may also be linked to an imbalance in serotonin levels, which can affect your moods.
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Have Anxiety Or Panic Youre Far From Alone
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America reports that some 40 million U.S. adults experience significant anxiety each year, with more than 28.8% of adults experiencing clinically meaningful anxiety symptoms.
Thats nearly one in three people.
Anxiety is Americas most common mental illness and can be treated effectively. However, only around one third of those with the condition seek professional help.
Anxiety disorders are hereditary, which means that if you have a relative with anxiety, you are more likely to experience it yourself.
Panic disorder, which is a type of anxiety disorder, affects about 4.7% of U.S. adults at some point in their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
Dont Say : Are You Ok
If your friend told you theyre feeling super anxious, they clearly are not OK. Constantly asking them for a status update can make them feel pressured to get better now. When we see someone we care about suffering, our instinct is often to try to fix it. But some things, including anxiety, cant be fixed by outsiders.
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Panic Attack Or Anxiety Attack How To Tell The Difference
Youre driving home after an uneventful day at work. You dont have much on your agenda for the evening just a nice, quiet dinner at home. Overall, it has been a day of very limited stress or disturbance.
Then, out of nowhere, discomforting feelings begin to overwhelm you. You dont know where the feelings are coming from or how to suppress them and, it seems theyre only intensifying by the moment. The feelings become so consuming that you need to stop driving, so you pull your car over on the side of the road.
You wonder what could be going on and how this could have happened.
Are you experiencing a panic attack? Or, is it an anxiety attack?
What is a Panic Attack?
Panic attacks and anxiety attacks differ in various ways. Lets start by examining what a panic attack is.
In the situation mentioned above, its very likely the overwhelming feeling you were experiencing while driving was a panic attack. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , a panic attack is defined as an abrupt onset of fear or discomfort. Panic attacks, according to the DSM-5, include at least four of the following symptoms:
- Palpitations, pounding heart or accelerated heart rate
- Sweating
- Feelings of unreality or feelings of being detached from oneself
- Fear of losing control
- Fear of dying
What is an Anxiety Attack?
Anxiety itself can also come on as a normal physiological response to a situation.
- Worry
- Dizziness
- Headache
Phobias And Irrational Fears
A phobia is an unrealistic or exaggerated fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that in reality presents little to no danger. Common phobias include fear of animals , fear of flying, and fear of heights. In the case of a severe phobia, you might go to extreme lengths to avoid the object of your fear. Unfortunately, avoidance only strengthens the phobia.
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Differences Between Social Anxiety And Panic Disorder
The distinction between social anxiety and panic disorder is probably the most misunderstood subject concerning the anxiety disorders. Many clinicians and therapists have not been adequately trained to understand or diagnose anxiety disorders in general — and the clear-cut distinction between these two anxiety disorders is often misunderstood.
Even normally reliable and scientific sources fail to make correct distinctions between these anxiety disorders.
These basic distinctions are imporant to make, but it is also necessary to realize some people fall in the middle of this diagnostic classification system. A person can have both panic disorder AND social anxiety disorder, but is likely that one is more dominant than the other. Both conditions can be changed.
Confusing the picture even more is that many people with any type of anxiety disorder are typically misdiagnosed as being “depressed”. This occurs because most people with an anxiety disorder, including panic disorder and social anxiety, are naturally “depressed” over their anxiety and the significant impairment it causes in their daily lives.
Technically, it may be more accurate to diagnose people with anxiety disorders as “dysthymic”. The main point, however, is that it is the anxiety that causes the depression and not the other way around. Once the anxiety shrinks and is overcome, the depression goes away with it.