Panic Attacks

Unless you have ever experienced a panic attack yourself, it can be hard to understand exactly what they feel like. Anxiety is a normal feeling which everyone will have experienced at some point throughout their lives. The extent and causes of the anxiety can affect people in many different ways. Some people have a low threshold of anxiety and manage to stay calm by keeping things in perspective regardless of the situation and others, (like me) don’t.

Not only is it important to provide advice and information for people who feel the same way as me or those who perhaps think that they are experiencing panic attacks and anxiety but aren't quite sure, but also to provide a better understanding for people who know someone who suffers and don’t really know anything about it or what they can to do to help. 

Panic attacks can happen to anyone whether you are aware that you have anxiety or not.

Since I have being suffering I have realised how very little people do actually know what a panic attack truly is and it does make it extremely difficult to explain to people exactly how you do feel. No matter how close people are to you or how many hours you have taken just trying to explain how you feel they will never fully understand.

Although people experience a variety of symptoms and different intensities of these symptoms, there is still a generic explanation for what a panic attack is. I am going to do my best to briefly describe what panic attacks are, reflecting on how they feel through my own personal experience.

Basically, when you begin to have a panic attack you will usually get a sudden extreme feeling of dread and panic. I usually feel very claustrophobic and as though I need to get out of the space I am in at the time. It can feel like everything is closing in on you and you feel as though you are trapped. During this moment your body realises that something isn't quite right and that you are panicking and therefore begins to release a shed load of adrenalin. Our bodies, being the amazing machines they are, are programmed to release adrenalin when it feels it is at risk or in danger.

Many of you may have heard of the ‘fight or flight response’. Like I mentioned earlier, if your brain believes that your body is in danger it naturally releases adrenalin. This is in preparation for you to make the decision of staying strong and ‘fighting’ or running away from a situation.

As soon as the adrenalin is released it causes your heart to beat much faster than usual and people start to worry that there is actually something wrong with their heart. When my anxiety was very bad I went to the doctors because I thought that I had something wrong with my breathing. If you have anxiety and panic attacks you try to breathe in more oxygen than your body needs which causes your chest muscles to feel tight and it can be painful. If someone is breathing more heavily or quickly than normal it can be a sign they are having a panic attack. 

During a panic attack the combined overload of adrenalin, heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat can make feel very weak and lethargic, after your panic attack you will usually feel exhausted. All your senses become heightened, with me in particular it is as though everything becomes louder than normal and I am aware of every little sound around me, this makes me want to get out of the situation even more. Other symptoms I have had include, shivering, sweating, feeling sick, needing the toilet, feeling dizzy, ringing in your ears, having extreme emotions.

One symptom of a panic attack I have found particularly scary is the feeling of depersonalisation, this is when it is as though the thoughts and feelings you are experiencing aren't reality and you are looking down onto somebody else. It is an extreme feeling of not being in control of the situation which in itself can make you panic.

Panic attacks can come on very quickly and can last for a specific amount of time. I find that once I have had a panic attack I can feel anxious for the rest of that day.

People can have a panic attack once and then never have another again in their life. They can be caused by high levels of stress/anxiety or traumas in your life.  The problem with having an anxiety disorder or being an anxious person in general is that it is likely that the experience of having a panic attack will become stored in your memory. Therefore whenever you are in similar situations which previously triggered your panic attack your body learns to respond in the same way as before. You begin to feel afraid of how you felt whilst having a panic attack that you avoid any situations which reminds you of having them. 

There isn't much advice available for people about how to help someone who is having a panic attack or suffers from them regularly. This makes it harder to understand how that person is feeling and to know what to do in those situations. My initial advice is to be patient at all times, I know it can be frustrating because you feel helpless but getting irritated or freaking out at the same time as someone is panicking themselves will not help one bit. Stay positive and reassure them that everything will be OK, tell them what they are experiencing are just thoughts and feeling about a situation and it will not last forever. People who do suffer panic attacks and anxiety feel angry and disappointed with themselves after they have panicked  because they feel like they didn't manage to remain calm and in control of the situation. Therefore it is very important that you do not show any annoyance when they fail to do something which may seem like a simple task to other people.   

I have discussed in my first blog post some of the situations which  triggered my panic attacks. However, I don’t feel comfortable discussing all the ins and outs to every panic attack I have ever had on my blog.  So, I hope it has been helpful to provide a brief overview of panic attacks and what they can be like.

I have written another post which I will be sharing soon about how I have moved forward and will be writing another post about the different techniques and methods I use, which have helped me control my anxiety.