How To Deal With Panic Attacks
A panic attack is a feeling of sudden and intense anxiety.
Panic attacks can also have physical symptoms, including shaking, feeling disorientated, nausea, rapid, irregular heartbeats, dry mouth, breathlessness, sweating and dizziness.
The symptoms of a panic attack are not dangerous, but can be very frightening.
They can make you feel as though you are having a heart attack, or that you are going to collapse or even die.
Most panic attacks last somewhere from five minutes to half an hour.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is 70 To 90 Percent Effective As A Treatment For Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is one of the most treatable anxiety disorders. The prevailing treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy . A new offshoot of CBT, known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy , has also been found effective in treating panic disorder. Psychologist Steven Hayes developed ACT in part as a way to treat his own panic disorder. This form of therapy uses acceptance and mindfulness techniques to change how you relate to your physical sensations of anxiety and anxiety itself.
CBT is an incredibly effective treatment for panic disorder. Seventy to ninety percent of people who undergo CBT will get better, says Gruner.
A key part of CBT in treating panic is a method called interoceptive exposure, in which the person deliberately confronts the unpleasant physical sensations that are causing anxiety. People become more sensitive to these sensations because they fear and avoid them, so facing the sensations and learning that they are not dangerous can lower anxiety sensitivity.
CBT sessions are usually conducted on a weekly basis and last for around 12 to 16 sessions. The treatment tends to show long-lasting results, and relapse is uncommon.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are also often used to treat depression and anxiety disorders, with or without CBT. These drugs can be effective, but CBT has been found to be a longer-lasting treatment than SSRIs.
I Am Anxious All The Time What Should I Do
The first thing to do is remind yourself that anxiety is a normal response to stress and stress is a daily part of our personal and professional lives.
Its OK to feel anxious. But at the same time, avoiding anxiety and distracting yourself will often make things worse.
Therefore, if you are feeling anxious all the time and you believe that it is getting in the way of your relationships, ability to perform at work, and in your quality of life, you should definitely do something about it.
Your anxiety symptoms can be alleviated with a few simple exercises/techniques. These include breathing exercises, mindfulness awareness exercises, self-safe hypnosis, and progressive muscle relaxation.
Physical exercise such as going for a walk, hitting the weights or doing high intensity interval training at the gym, and yoga and tai chi are effective ways to release repressed emotions. These forms of physical exercise has been shown to help calm your mind. Many people report that they feel as though they have gained perspective post-workout.
When symptoms of anxiety persist over a long period of time, there may be a deeper cause for your anxiety. For example, your constant feelings of anxiousness may stem from unresolved issues within your relationship, or feelings of dissatisfaction with your job or career. It is recommended that you talk to a mental health professional such as a psychologist or a qualified counsellor to help find a solution to your anxiety.
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Trying To Calm Yourself During A Panic Attack Doesn’t Work
In a state of panic, a person is frozen. When a person starts to unfreeze, any attempt to end the distress only extends it. Didn’t we learn that from Claire Weekes back in 1962 when she wrote Self Help for Your Nerves? In The Woman Who Cracked The Anxiety Code, Judith Hoare writes that Weekes found “trying to teach a patient to relax in the face of phobia or panic was not only counterproductive but an almost impossible mission.”
Yet, almost 60 years later we are being told we should breathe in a certain way. Or, we should put a paper bag over our heads. Or, we should distract ourselves by thinking about our “happy place.”
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Maybe those things would help if done before panic starts, but once panic takes control, it doesn’t matter whether the advice is from a hack writer on the web or from your therapist it is useless. It is like, “If I’m at the Grand Canyon and fall off the cliff, what should I do?” Yes indeed. Why not breathe deeply, put a bag over your head, and think about your happy place? It’s as good as anything else you could be doing while plunging to your death.
Tips To Help You Get Through A Panic Attack
Panic attacks can be physically and mentally exhausting, and they are often difficult to manage. We reached out to members of our community for suggestions on how to cope with panic attacks and anxiety. Here are some helpful ideas that you came up with.
1. Know your triggers
Increasing self-awareness and knowledge about your own mental health is always a plus. The more you KNOW your triggers and how your anxiety presents itself, the easier it will be to talk yourself through an attack. Mindy H.
2. Leave the situation
I remove myself from the situation immediately, go home, and pet my dogs its the best I can do right now. I have to take care of myself, and when my body is sending me distress signals, I have learned to respond before I have a meltdown. Cathy M.
I hide in bathrooms I feel safe in the cubicles. Jon I.
I go for a walk. Even if Im at work, a quick 10 or 15 minute walk works wonders. Melissa S.
3. Grounding techniques
I look around to find 5 things I can see, 4 things I can touch, 3 things I can hear, 2 things I can smell, and 1 thing I can taste. Its called grounding. Sam A.
Grounding techniques. Focus on whats around you, what it looks like, the smell, the texture. Gia S.
Look around you for
- 5 things you can see
- 4 things you can touch
- 3 things you can hear
- 2 things you can smell
- 1 thing you can taste
This is called grounding. It can help when you feel like you have lost control of your surroundings and/or your head. Tracy K.
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How Does A Panic Attack Differ From Anxiety
You will come across quite a few mentions of anxiety attack on the Internet. The term anxiety attack is not a medically recognised term and it can mean different things.
When it comes to your mental wellbeing, being specific helps health professionals such as a general practitioner, cognitive behavioural therapist, or clinical psychologist to diagnosis and manage your symptoms effectively.
Whilst some symptoms can be similar , panic and anxiety are two very different things.
For starters, a panic attack has a very sudden onset and the symptoms are extreme. Within seconds, you may experience chest pain, trembling, and feel disconnected from your reality. Anxiety, however, tends to gradually build up across time. You may find yourself worrying excessively and feel an intensifying amount anxiety across days and weeks. Unlike panic attacks, anxiety symptoms tend to feel less intense but the symptoms may be persistent for longer periods of time .
In summary, a panic attack is different to anxiety in their intensity of symptoms and the length of time that the symptoms present themselves.
What Happens To Our Bodies When We Are Stressed
The effects of stress on our bodies are immense. The following are examples of what can be affected by not properly managing stress.
- Immune system if we are under prolonged stress, our immune system can be compromised making us susceptible too frequent infections. Even viral illnesses like the common cold and flu will be prevalent.
- Musculoskeletal system stress affects our muscles. They tense up when we are stressed. This is the bodys way of guarding itself against injury. With taut muscles, tension-type headaches are very common.
- Respiratorysystem the heart beats faster when one is under stress. This in effect can trigger other conditions like asthma or panic attacks.
- Cardiovascular system continued levels of high stress can have adverse effects on the heart and the other organs related to it. These could lead to problems with blood pressure, having adverse effects on other organs of the body.
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Anxiety Vs Panic Attacks
The key to managing a panic attack is being sure that what you’re experiencing is a panic attack. Some people confuse panic attacks with anxiety.
Anxiety and panic attacks are both very common. They are both often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed as medical conditions.
Anxiety is characterized by ongoing worry or fear about the future. With generalized anxiety disorder , for example, anxiety symptoms are present for normal everyday experiences and can create mild-to-severe interruptions in a person’s life. With anxiety, symptoms may be present on some level all the time or during specific periods of known stressors, such as during a public presentation.
Panic attacks tend to come on suddenly and can happen from either a calm state or a state of feeling anxious. They often occur without warning or a known trigger and bring a sense of doom, intense fear, and a feeling of dying.
Similarly, both anxiety and panic attacks have physical and psychological symptoms. With panic attacks, however, the symptoms tend to come on quickly and are often only present for up to 10 minutes. With anxiety, symptoms can be present for a much longer period of time.
Low Levels Of Blood Sugar
The body releases the hormone adrenaline when blood-sugar levels fall lower than normal. This helps raise blood sugar levels back up, but can also induce the effects of anxiety. Thats why its important to keep blood sugar levels stable. Eat regular meals and keep healthy snacks at hand, such as fruit and raw nuts, to munch between meals. A diet which is based around good mood foods that give a sustained release of energy into the bloodstream, such as fish, brown rice and wholemeal bread, can also help.
Drinking coffee is like throwing petrol on your anxiety and watching it go up in flames. Stop consuming it to help stop panic attacks.
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How To Know If Youre Having A Panic Attack
Before you can stop a panic attack, you need to know for sure if that is whats happening to you.
Your first-ever panic attack is particularly terrifying.
Panic attacks usually come out of nowhere and the first one may make you think youre dying.
You may head to the hospital emergency room thinking that you are having a heart attack.
But youll be sent home after being told that you only had a panic attack.
Has Taught 1000s Worldwide
Kelvin has taught people from age 4 to 94 professional athletes, retirees, teachers, students from elementary school to postdocs, construction workers, clergy, and CEOs. He has taught 1,000s of people this easy-to-learn, non-religious technique of naturally Turning Within or learning how to let go. He often simply calls it learning how to turn on the opposite switch to the Fight or Flight response.
He has taught beginners who have never meditated before, as well as experienced meditators who have practiced every other kind of meditation technique in the world.
Kelvin has taught Buddhist monks to use his technique. They continue to use their Buddhist meditation. But, they say they get more out of their meditations after practicing Kelvins technique. So, there is no conflict with other techniques. He has also taught clergy from all religions priests, nuns, rabbis, ministers as well as Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, Hindus, and atheists.
Kelvin lives in Los Angeles, California, but travels and teaches both private sessions and group classes worldwide in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas via Videoconference, Phone, and In-person.
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Talking To A Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health
Communicating well with a health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Find tips to help prepare for and get the most out of your visit at Taking Control of Your Mental Health: Tips for Talking With Your Health Care Provider. For additional resources, including questions to ask a provider, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality website.
If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves,call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-TALK . You also can text the Crisis Text Line or use the Lifeline Chat on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.
How Is Panic Disorder Treated
If youre experiencing symptoms of panic disorder, talk to a health care provider. After discussing your history, a health care provider may conduct a physical exam to ensure that an unrelated physical problem is not causing your symptoms. A health care provider may refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or clinical social worker. The first step to effective treatment is to get a diagnosis, usually from a mental health professional.
Panic disorder is generally treated with psychotherapy , medication, or both. Speak with a health care provider about the best treatment for you.
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Stop Or Reduce Drinking Coffee
Drinking coffee is like throwing petrol on your anxiety and watching it go up in flames. Numerous studies back this up. Eliminate or cut down the amount you consume: dont forget that caffeine is also found in tea, caffeinated soft drinks and chocolate, etc, so watch those, too.
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Furthermore, the American Psychiatric Association also recognizes caffeine intoxication as a diagnosable condition, along with caffeine-induced anxiety and sleep disorder. Giving up can be hard reducing your intake gradually can help the caffeine fiends among you. Personally, I limit myself to one cup a day, two if I’m feeling naughty . Consider swapping for a calming chamomile which can reduce anxiety and also fight depression.
Cut coffee: it’s a key cause of panic
Panic Attacks I Turned My Mental Health Crisis Into A Mental Health Triumph
Although it’s taken me a long time I have learned I am a strong person who has the potential to help others.
You might find that you become scared of going out alone or to public places because you’re worried about having another panic attack. If this fear becomes very intense, it may be called agoraphobia. See our pages on types of phobia for more information.
I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I just wanted to get out, to go somewhere else, but I couldn’t because I was on a train.
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Panic Attack Treatment And Prevention
Cognitive behavioral therapy and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the first-line, evidence-based treatments for anxiety. These treatments can be used separately or in combination.
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying and addressing anxiety-related thoughts and behaviors. It often involves meeting with a therapist weekly and practicing hands-on strategies each day to manage anxious thoughts and behaviors.
SSRIs are taken daily and can help adjust levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, which can affect mood and anxiety. There are many types of SSRIs. A medication provider will determine which one is best for you and will meet with you regularly to monitor benefits and side effects.
Duval doesnt recommend avoidance strategies or using substances such as drugs or alcohol to cope with or abstain from anxious feelings or panic attacks. Incorrect use of substances, including prescriptions, can interfere with relationships and work.
It is a way to mask or avoid the anxiety were not giving ourselves ways to manage it that are going to decrease it long term, Duval says.
Instead, she suggests finding strategies to manage the attacks or reduce the anxiety around having a panic attack.
The challenge is that oftentimes the more we try to prevent something, the more it will happen, Duval says. A big part of managing anxiety and panic is finding ways to face it.
Symptoms Of A Panic Attack
Everyone experiences panic attacks a little differently, and not every panic attack is exactly like another.
There are many emotional and physical symptoms associated with panic attacks.
And, while you wont necessarily experience all of these symptoms, the emotional symptoms of panic attacks can be summed up in one word fear.
During a panic attack, youll feel terrified that you are losing control, going out of your mind, or possibly even going to die.
Some people experience feelings of unreality or depersonalization.
The American Heart Association lists these symptoms of a heart attack:
- Discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort.
- Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.
Women are more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, nausea, and back or jaw pain as heart attack symptoms.
Heart attacks are often brought on by strenuous physical exertion, anger, or extreme stress.
Panic attacks usually strike with no obvious trigger.
Symptoms of panic disorder often start in a persons late teens or early adulthood, whereas heart attacks typically occur much later in life.
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