Panic Attacks

A Panic Attack is sudden surge of overwhelming anxiety and fear. Your heart rate increases and it becomes hard, if not impossible, to breath. For some people, it may even feel as though they are dying or going crazy. Panic attacks begin abruptly and can last for hours in some cases. Panic attacks aren’t necessarily dangerous and they shouldn’t cause much harm to the person.
The causes and triggers of panic attacks aren’t completely clear but they generally run in families. If it runs within the family, it’s a problem but it’s not your fault and this is something that you were born with. Some causes of panic attacks include a transition in life, whether it be graduating from postsecondary, entering the workplace and becoming pregnant. These 3 different scenarios can cause anxiety and fear and it will cause discomfort within the person. Also, if you are dealing with severe
stress such as losing a family member or divorcing, this can simply trigger a panic attack.
Panic attacks can have many different effects on the individual having them. They can make the person so afraid of having another panic attack that they won’t leave their home because nowhere else feels safe. This constant fear and anxiety can lead to worsening or new symptoms of depression, addiction or eating disorders. The struggle to contain this fear can lead to drug use and alcoholism. This fear may also cause the individual's quality of life to diminish, taking a strong mental toll on them.
Panic attacks are easily treatable if this is what the person needs and they generally are quite effective. The 3 main types of treatment are therapy, medication and self-help treatment. The first treatment is therapy and there are 2 ways of therapy to overcome a panic attack. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the most effective therapy and it focuses on the thinking and behaviours that are triggering the panic attack. An example would be if
you had a panic attack when you were driving, and you realize that all you have to do is pull over and you will be fine. This relieves the stress and anxiety on the person. Exposure Therapy is where you are experiencing the different ways to cope with panic and keep you in a safe environment. This involves shaking your head, or holding your breath and this will allow you to be less afraid and you will feel a greater control about your panic. Medication Treatment can temporarily reduce the panic within you but it doesn’t resolve the problem completely. Medication is effective only when it used with other treatments such as therapy. Medication that is used for panic attacks are Antidepressants and Benzodiazepines. Antidepressants take weeks for it to kick in and work and Benzodiazepines are anti-anxiety drugs that work within 30 minutes and they relieve symptoms quickly. Finally, there are many self help treatments to overcome a panic attack such as learning about it. If you learn more about panic attacks, you will realize that you aren’t the only one experiencing this and that you aren’t crazy. Another self help treatment is to practice relaxation techniques. These techniques include yoga and meditation, and they provide relaxation and also increase the feeling of happiness and joy. Finally, you can avoid smoking and caffeine. Smoking and caffeine can cause panic attacks, and if you simply avoid these 2 things you are already helping yourself overcome panic attacks.