You’re Not Going to Die – But it Sure Feels Like It
Panic attacks are a sudden onset of intense feelings of dread, fear or entrapment. Episodes can be as short as 15 minutes, but some people experience attacks that last much longer. Anxiety attacks trigger the body’s “fight or flight” mechanisms, including releasing large amounts of hormones such as adrenaline and others into the bloodstream.
The combined intensity of emotions and the powerful cocktail of chemicals suddenly released into the body creates a feedback loop where the initial symptoms of the panic attack such as rapid heartbeat and shallow breathing cause even more panic as the person often thinks they are having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown.
Misconceptions About Panic Attacks
There any many myths and misconceptions about panic attacks. These serve only to promote the dismissive attitude that many people express (including some in the medical community) toward panic attack sufferers.
“It’s all in your head” is one of the most common. Certainly, panic disorder is a psychological condition, but to suggest that you can simply will it away is ridiculous.
How Panic Attacks Affect Your Life
Panic attacks can have a profound impact on the quality of a person’s life. Fear of travelling or of having an attack in a crowd of people can make vacations and holidays things to fear. Panic attacks at night (nocturnal panic attacks) can mean many nights of lost sleep. Panic attacks can isolate sufferers from their friends and families.
Panic attacks can hurt your career or your business too. Giving presentations or engaging with others can present particular challenges for panic attack sufferers. Constantly fearing the embarrassment of a panic attack at work or in front of a client can take your mind off your work and reduce your productivity.
How to Cope with Panic Attacks
There are a few ways to try to deal with a panic attack when it happens.
Acceptance – this involves simply accepting the fact the anxiety attacks are something that you have to deal with. You try to attain a frame of mind that allows to you let the attack happen and “roll with it” rather than trying to fight it.
Slow breathing exercises – breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth. Don’t breathe too quickly as this could trigger hyperventilation and actually make the panic attack worse.
Repeating rational statements – repeat to yourself something like “A panic attack is psychological – I will be fine in a few minutes”. This helps focus your mind on something rational while the attack happens.
Talking – this is one of the most effective ways to deal with an attack. Talk to your spouse or another supportive person about what you’re experiencing. This also can help focus your mind on something other than the attack itself.
Coping Isn’t Enough
All of the methods above can help temporarily, but this isn’t enough. Practical and effective drug-free self-treatments are available that can help you get your anxiety attacks under control and reduce their frequency and severity permanently.
Visit our website to learn more about safe, natural ways to stop panic attacks and general anxiety.
Steven K. Goodwin is a health and fitness writer for Health-Summit – an online magazine for physical health and mental well-being.
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