For anyone who has never had a panic attack – lucky you! For those that have, you have my full sympathy! They’re harmless in so much as they don’t cause any physical consequences, but my goodness, they’re unpleasant. Awful actually.
They’re unpleasant for two main reasons: a) the overwhelming physical sensations in the body that send our heart racing and make it difficult to breathe, and b) how we think when we’re in the midst of a panic attack. And of course, as any cognitive therapist will tell you – the two are inextricably linked. The way we think affects our anxiety levels which affects our physical sensations of anxiety which in turn affects our thinking. There’s that familiar vicious cycle again.
It is not uncommon that people who come to see us for panic attacks have first been to ER or their GP, thinking there is something catastrophically wrong. Often suspecting a heart attack, a lung condition or simply “going mad”, people seek medical assistance to be reassured that they are indeed physically fine. Which is great, but it doesn’t stop the panic from happening again.
Understanding that there is no physical problem underpinning the sensations and that they are instead symptoms of anxiety best explained by our sympathetic nervous system misfiring is key to gaining control over panic. Not only does this help to break the unhelpful thoughts that perpetuate panic attacks, it is also deeply reassuring.
Common symptoms of a panic attack include:
• Heart racing
• Shortness of breath
• Racing thoughts (e.g. “there is something wrong”,” I can’t breathe”, “I am going to die”)
• Feeling out of control
• Feeling dizzy and lightheaded
• Vision changing
• Sweating
You might find that panic attacks occur in specific situations, such as after an argument or in a feared situation. Many people report that panic attacks happen in the middle of the night or when they are sitting on the sofa calmly, seemingly without an obvious trigger. We will work with you to help you gain relief from panic attacks by helping you understand what is causing them, even when it isn’t immediately obvious.
Once you know what triggers panic attacks you can make changes to address the underlying cause. We will also work with you to provide coping strategies for panic attacks as they happen.
Some tips to cope with panic attacks in the moment:
• Splash very cold water on your face
• Put some ice on the insides of your wrists
• Remind yourself that you are physically fine and this anxiety attack will subside
• Do a massive sigh. Breath in and do as big a sigh as you can.
• Breathe in and out slowly, making the out breath longer than the in breath.
Panic attacks and anxiety attacks are very common. They’re really unpleasant and we’d love to work with you so you can understand why you’re having them and how to overcome them.
As Clinical Director of Vivamus, I handpick our experienced and well qualified team of psychologists and counsellors and I personally vouch for all of them.
Call us (04 4403844) or drop us an email (hello@vivamus.me) if you’d like to make an appointment to see one of our team for help with panic attacks. You can read more about anxiety and panic attacks here.
Dr. Marie Thompson
Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Director