Panic attacks are relatively common things to experience, however many people don’t know that the symptoms that they’re experiencing class as a panic attack. Instead, they assume that the negative sensations are simply a part of their everyday lives, and something that they can do nothing about – however this may not necessarily be the case. Luckily, there are things that you can do to control a panic attack when it occurs, and even prevent another from occurring in the future. The tips in this article should help you to grasp hold of a better quality of life, so read on to make the first step towards waving goodbye to your panic attacks for good.
Why do we experience panic attacks?
The “fight or flight” response is important for human beings – it’s what stops us from walking in front of cars on a busy road, and what can help us to get away from attackers if we’re in trouble. But sometimes, the response can be exaggerated, and activated in situations where it isn’t needed, and this is when a panic attack occurs. The worst aspect of it is that once an attack has been experienced, sufferers can dread another one occurring, and in turn this can increase the symptoms further – almost like a never-ending spiral. Understanding your attacks, and learning how to deal with them, can help a great deal.
What are the symptoms of a panic attack?
Because there can be such a variety of symptoms relating to anxiety and panic, it can sometimes be difficult to pin down what’s wrong. Not only this, but you may also worry that your symptoms are a sign of something other than panic attacks, meaning that you may miss making the connection between all of the things that you’re experiencing. Amongst the most common symptoms are:
Accelerated breathing
You may feel as though you’re struggling to catch your breath, or that you can’t take enough breath into your lungs when you do manage to inhale. This usually isn’t physical, and you should find that once your panic attack is over you can breathe normally again. It can be scary, and this is one of the reasons that panic attacks are so unpleasant to experience.
Getting hot and sweaty
During a panic attack, you may find that you become hot and sweaty, as though you’re in the sunshine even though you might be in a cool room. This can be uncomfortable, and can add to the overwhelming feeling of being out of control that comes with a panic attack.
Needing to use the bathroom
Panic attacks can make you want to use the bathroom, and many sufferers fear being too far away from one in case an attack strikes. For this reason, panic disorder can be debilitating, as it can cause you to change your schedule and where you feel comfortable going. Panic attacks can certainly dictate your activities to a certain extent, if you suffer from them badly.
The overwhelming need to escape
One symptom that most people talk about is just “needing to escape”. Often, sufferers cannot say where they want to escape to, or why, however they just know that they need to be away from wherever they are at that moment. Once an attack has subsided, this feeling should calm, however it can seem all-consuming at the time, meaning that people can sometimes injure themselves by trying to get out of situations that just aren’t threatening.
How to prevent and deal with panic attacks
One thing that is absolutely important first of all is that you are able to deal with any stress that might occur in your day-to-day life. Of course, you cannot ever get rid of all stress, but if you know that there are situations, or even people, that cause you to feel stressed, you may be able to avoid them or lessen your exposure to them. Ensure, though, that the situations that you’re avoiding are not every day ones – as this could decrease your quality of life.
1. Learn not to run away
If you give in to the overwhelming feeling to flee during a panic attack, this will only strengthen the thought that this is the only way to deal with it. Many people feel as though they cannot be in a confined space in case they need to get out quickly, and the logistics of sticking to this rule can heavily impact on your quality of life. Whilst you’re in the midst of a panic attack, try to force yourself to stay put for as long as possible whilst trying the coping strategies described below. Over time, you should find that your need to flee subsides.
2. Breathe deeply and calmly
There is nothing worse than being unable to breathe, but if you panic about it then this is going to make it even more difficult to take oxygen into your body. Count your breaths as you’re taking them, and don’t worry if you can’t take in as much oxygen as you might like. Remember that it is only panic, that you’ve had the feeling before, and that you have always managed to recover from it. You should find that focussing on your breathing can help you to calm down a lot, leaving you able to gradually get yourself back to normal again.
3. Think about everyday things
If you feel as though you have a panic attack on the way, you should try thinking about what you are doing later that day, or what you have done over the past couple of days. Taking your mind away from whatever it is that you’re worrying about, the thought that’s fuelling your panic, might just be able to set you right and stop it from developing into a full-blown attack.
4. Confide in close family and friends
One thing that many people don’t like the thought of is other people seeing them out of control. For this reason, you may find that you want to avoid going out with others, in case you suffer from a panic attack. In fact, it can often help to have somebody with you who knows what is happening, as they can help to calm you down and speak rationally – which can be very helpful indeed when you’re in the middle of a panic attack. That way, you’ll know that there will be somebody looking out for you no matter where you are, and this means that you know you won’t come to any harm.
5. Think about getting professional help
If you feel that your panic attacks are taking over your life, you should think about getting some professional help. Most GPs are very well trained in mental health, and treatments have improved dramatically over the course of the past decade. This means that you have a great chance of being able to recover without too much trouble, and you will be able to get the medication and therapy – where needed – to help you cope with your issues and come to terms with your condition.
Ultimately, please remember…
- You do NOT have to live with anxiety. It doesn’t need to control you, or take over your life, because there are things that you are able to do to get rid of it, or at the very least lessen the effects.
- Where you DO feel anxious, you should remember that the symptoms that you’re experiencing are not particularly dangerous, and certainly aren’t life threatening. So, although it may feel as though you need to escape, and can sometimes feel as though you’re losing all control, this isn’t the case. Anxiety is nothing but a feeling, and you can be certain that by applying coping techniques you can improve the way that you deal with the anxiety that you experience.
- For an alternative approach, please consider using the Law of Attraction. Keeping your focus on the desire to feel better and more at peace, will eventually manifest. Use meditation as a tool to help you control your thoughts, and also use our visualisation technique to imagine how your life would be if you were completely calm.
Do you know someone who experiences panic attacks? Share this post with them! You never know how helpful it might be.
Author: Vex King
I am the founder and owner of the Bon Vita lifestyle brand. I could give myself a title and call myself a lifestyle entrepreneur, personal mentor, writer, designer, innovator, CEO, or anything else I see as fitting. However no title can define me as an individual. I’m just an optimist, a visionary, a philanthropist and jack of many trades. I’m using my positive influence to redefine the creative industries using Good Vibes Only #GVO so that people can fulfil their dreams, purposefully, and enjoy The Good Life #TGL. My daily words of intent are to make people… Think, look & feel GOOD!
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