What is a panic attack?
Definition of a panic attack: A sudden feeling of acute and disabling anxiety.
A panic attack happens when your body is dealing with extreme levels of anxiety. The ‘fight or flight’ response kicks in and causes a rush of adrenaline which prepares are body for the immediate danger that is perceived. I explained the ‘fight or flight’ response in my previous post explaining anxiety. In theory, this is a good idea and our body’s way of looking after us. However, when you have a very sensitive sympathetic nervous system, it’s not so great. People who suffer from anxiety can have panic attacks even when not presented with danger.
What happens during a panic attack?
The rush of adrenaline can have many physical effects on the person enduring the attack. These symptoms differ from person to person as everyone reacts differently to it. Adrenaline works by stimulating the heart rate, contracting blood vessels, and dilating air passages, all of which work to increase blood flow to the muscles and oxygen to the lungs.
These may include:
very rapid breathing or feeling unable to breathe
very rapid heartbeat
pains in your chest
feeling faint or dizzy
sweating/Shivering
tingling or numbness in your hands and feet
hot or cold flushes
feeling nauseous
wanting to go to the toilet
feelings of absolute terror
feeling smothered
feelings of unreality, called depersonalisation and derealisation.
A panic attack can range in length from 5 to 20 minutes but sometimes they can be consecutive and last for hours.
How to try and overcome a panic attack?
Different techniques can be used to try and overcome a panic attack.
One of the ones that I find most useful is breathing. I like to breathe in for 4 counts, hold the breath for two counts and breathe out for 6 counts. This controls breathing to stop hyperventilation while also slowing your heart rate down, keeping all other symptoms under control.
I like to take myself away from the situation so whatever was triggering it is gone. This also allows me to focus on calming down not what is going on around me and not have to worry about people staring.
Your body is using the adrenaline produced by having a panic attack. It is likely to subside quicker if you use the adrenaline fuelling it up. Walking around or just moving around will aid the use of the adrenaline while also distracting you.
Other people like to use distraction techniques which I personally don’t like. Different techniques include imagining a ‘happy place’, counting or reciting the alphabet backwards.
These are only temporary fixes but if you are suffering badly with panic attacks, I would urge you to seek professional help for a long term fix.