What do you do when you have a panic attack? Practical guide
When you suffer a panic attack, you suddenly feel terror, without any imminent or real danger. In this situation you may even think and feel that you could lose control. This is what in clinical psychology we know as an episode of acute anxiety, or anxiety attack .
What are panic attacks?
Panic attacks can occur in any situation, anywhere, without warning. A person who has suffered a panic attack will be afraid that it will happen again and this may cause them to avoid those places or situations where they had a panic attack before.
Being overwhelmed by anxiety can happen at various times in your life and for different reasons, but if you have symptoms that appear suddenly for a few seconds and then disappear, it may be related to panic attacks.
Common symptoms
The most common symptoms of a panic attack are tachycardia, shortness of breath, pulmonary hyperventilation, tremors, or dizziness. It occurs when you find yourself in a situation that you perceive as hopeless, the discomfort comes unexpectedly and produces despair or fear. The condition that causes such intense anxiety may be caused by something that is threatening to the person or their environment.
The physical signs during a panic episode are increasing rapidly , they are usually short term, the intensity of the symptoms makes the person feel that it is taking longer than the actual time of the crisis. It is a difficult situation that advises to be attended by specialists to prevent it from becoming acute in the future or becoming chronic with the appearance of a clinical picture such as panic disorder.
Panic attacks are more frequent in women than in men. They appear more often in young adults. Their onset is more common when the person is subjected to excessive stress in their life.
How can you act in the face of a panic attack?
Generally, people who suffer from panic attacks perceive the threatening situation at a more serious level, which makes the body alert and activates the parasympathetic nervous system that prepares us for dangerous situations.
When we have identified what generates our anxiety, the process of tension before that event does not necessarily begin when we are exposed to that which produces our anxiety . Sometimes we already know that we are going to face it and unconsciously our brain is preparing for the moment of tension, therefore, we are in the presence of an anticipated anxiety that can be worked on beforehand to diminish the perception of danger and panic attacks.
Step-by-Step Guide to Relieving an Anxiety Attack
If you have not yet had a consultation with a psychologist (which is recommended), and taking into account that each case must be treated individually, I can recommend that you combine two exercises: attention outside and deep breathing which will help you to better cope with the moment of panic attack.
1. Attention outside
This visualization technique consists of changing the focus of attention in the face of the stimulus that you perceive as a threat . If you are mentally connected to the stress agent it will be more difficult for the anxiety situation to be regulated.
You should try to imagine something that you like and enjoy: a meal, a sport, your favorite song or anything else that is pleasant for you, so that you divert attention from the situation that is causing you stress and your brain focuses on those positive stimuli.
2. Deep breathing
You can perform this practice that will help you to lower the activation level through three phases: Inhalation, Retention and Exhalation . It consists of taking in air through the nose for a few seconds, retaining the air for the same number of seconds, and then expelling the air in the same number of seconds that it was taken. For example: Inhale (count mentally to five), Hold (count mentally to five) and Exhale (count mentally to five), and repeat the exercise. You may not be able to keep the five seconds in the three phases the first time you do it, don’t worry, the important thing is to do the exercise several times and you will gradually feel a slowdown in your heart rate.
Remember that it is important to go to a psychology professional since deep breathing and out-of-doors attention techniques are only emergency tools that can be useful at the time of a panic attack, but they do not completely eliminate these episodes or identify their causes. The vast majority of affected people get better with psychotherapy. A psychologist can work with you to provide you with strategies and tools to learn how to regulate your anxiety and prevent it from spilling over into the future.