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How to Deal with Panic Attacks

Anyone can have a panic attack at some point in his life. About 40% of the Australian population is predicted to experience this intense fear and discomfort.
A panic attack is characterized by a combination of some of these following symptoms:

• Palpitations; rapid heart rate
• Tightness, pain, or discomfort in chest
• Tremors
• Rapid breathing; shortness of breath
• Choking sensations
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Disorientation or feeling of detachment from the world
• Feeling of losing control or feeling of dying
• Feeling of impending doom
• Nervousness; anxiety
• Chills or hot flushes

Although these symptoms may seem to characterise physical ailments like a cardiovascular problem, hospital tests on a person seized with a panic attack may often show negative physical issues. Panic attacks may last anywhere between 5 minutes to half an hour.

Panic Disorder

When panic attacks become recurrent, they characterise a more serious condition called panic disorder. Because of the chronic nature of the attacks, a person with a panic disorder may sometimes find himself unable to go about his normal daily functions.

A person with a panic disorder often exhibit:

• out-of-the-blue panic attacks or attacks that are not triggered by a specific situation
• significant behavioural changes such avoiding public places for fear of getting an attack in public or avoiding exercise because it speeds up the heart rate
• worrying for long periods about the next impending attack
• excessive concern about the consequences or causes of a panic attack. For instance, some people falsely believe their attacks are caused by a medical condition. Despite repeated tests with negative results, these people are not assured that there is nothing wrong with them, physically.

Panic attacks may occur several times a day or just twice in a year. Attacks may also occur during sleep, waking the person up to scary feelings.

Unfortunately, women are more prone to acquiring panic disorder. Stemming from this, more women than men are susceptible to agoraphobia or the extreme fear of crowds and enclosed public spaces.

Coping with a Panic Attack

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

A person with a panic disorder may benefit from some form of psychiatric treatment such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT helps a person change his thinking patterns and behaviour toward understanding what is triggering and sustaining the panic attacks. The therapy allows the individual to look at his fears realistically instead of letting him get carried away with the tide of fear. For instance, when the panic hits, the person is trained to think, “What is the worst that could happen now?” Usually, the fear is more overwhelming than the real situation. Once the person knows nothing disastrous is going to happen during his attack, the panic level can drop significantly.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is designed to get a person acclimated with his fears by exposing him to trigger situations in a controlled environment. The therapy aims to arm the individual with coping mechanisms by gradually exposing him to many times to the panic sensations. This way the person begins to be less frightened of experiencing the panic sensations and starts feeling more in control during an attack.

Relaxation and Breathing Techniques

Rapid breathing can escalate the fear factor in a panic attack. The first thing to do is make a conscious effort to slow down your breathing by doing these steps:

• Make yourself comfortable. Loosen clothing that seems to restrict breathing.
• Breathe deeply into your nose and exhale through the mouth.
• Breathe steadily and gently. Regulate breathing by counting 1 to 5 on the inhale and another 1 to 5 on the exhale.
• Breathe this way for 3-5 minutes. Closing your eyes will help focus on your breathing.

Preventive Measures

There are no foolproof ways to prevent a panic attack but you can mitigate the frequency. Regular exercise especially those that are aerobic can lift moods, stimulate endorphin or “happy hormone” production, decrease stress levels, and heighten confidence. Avoidance of alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and drugs are also a must as these substances can increase the degree of panic attacks. A good balanced diet and adequate rest are also good preventative measures.

Panic support groups can also help you by providing information about how other people cope with their panic attacks. These organizations will also help you realize that you are definitely not alone in your fight to overcome irrational fear.