What is a panic attack and how to overcome it? Instructions for mental balance

Clinical psychologist, Gestalt therapist, supervisor

Each of us occasionally finds ourselves in a state of stress – the sensation is not a pleasant one. However, a panic attack is not just a moment of anxiety. It is an unforeseen attack of fear, panic that escalates into a sense of impending death or loss of judgment. Of the most common symptoms: choking, tremors, sweating, lethargy, low blood pressure, arrhythmia, and dizziness. The duration of this condition is up to half an hour.

What is the cause?

Panic attack occurs when we are afraid of a worsening of our condition, for example, start to worry, become frightened or become paralyzed from fear. Often the cause of such an ailment can be not psychological, but physiological factors, if, for example, you drink a lot of coffee and suddenly feel palpitations “without any reason”.

Emotional background also affects: worries, past negative experiences, burnout as a click can cause a painful panic attack in the middle of nowhere. In this case, the trigger will be disproportionate to the response. The fact is that the brain is always on guard and tries to anticipate an unpleasant situation or at least be ready for it.

What are the specific causes:

• tragedy in the family, health problems of relatives;
• traumas in childhood (violence, traffic accidents, relationships with parents);
• sudden and drastic changes in life;
• bad habits;
• psychological problems.

What are the symptoms?

In addition to those listed, the nature of manifestations can be as follows:

• clouded judgment;
• blurred vision;
• loss of reality;
• body aches;
• frequent urination;
• tingling;
• a feeling of elevated temperature.

With such an unpleasant set, the expectation of death or impending disaster seems logical, because pain and arrhythmia can indeed be confused with a heart attack, and a clouded mind with a stroke or fainting spell.

How a panic attack manifests itself

A distorted perception of the physical response to anxiety leads to a catastrophic fear of anxiety itself. Feeling short of breath, the person thinks he or she is about to suffocate. A rapid heartbeat leads to the fear of a heart attack, which will begin any minute now. And finally the very fact of losing control over one’s own body is startling.

By trying to maintain control instead of relaxing, the panic attack sufferer makes their reaction even more acute.

During an attack, thoughts such as:

• “I’m going to faint! Fainting!”
• “I can’t breathe! “I can’t breathe!”
• “My heart can’t take it!”
• “I’m about to vomit in public.”
• “I can’t make it to the bathroom.”
• “I’m helpless, I can’t help myself, I’m losing control of my physical condition.”
• “I am not responsible for myself, unable to control my behavior. I’m about to do something completely unpredictable.”
• “My condition is obvious to everyone. People will think I’m sick, insane.”
• “I’ll go crazy and end up in a clinic.”

What to do?

The most common reaction to what happens in a panic attack is to fight. People seek to regain control of their body and escape from the terrifying condition, to find refuge or someone to hold their hand and go through it with them.

This is the wrong approach. The first thing to do is to reduce the growing tension, to abstract and relax, to weather the storm. You can turn to breathing practices or concentrate on looking for specific objects. As soon as the panic attack passes, you need to think about making an appointment for a session with a therapist, cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist.

After a number of studies, the specialist will determine whether you do not have a dangerous disease, and will refer further to a psychologist or psychotherapist who will help to get rid of the attack, recommend a healthy sleep and, perhaps, prescribe medication.

If the attack takes you by surprise

Ask yourself: what is happening to me right now? Don’t forget: if you have overcome one panic attack, you will overcome the next one. Nothing scary is happening to you. It’s important to know: no one has ever died from it, you’ll get back to normal.

Try to think less about your condition and focus on distracting topics. For example, find five blue objects around you. Breathing practices can also help you.

One of them:

• breathe slowly and slowly;
• inhale for 1-2-3-4 and exhale after mentally counting to six;
• and continue until your condition normalizes;
• observe yourself as if from the outside.

In moments of an attack, remind yourself: your body is just defending itself. It’s not a heart attack, it’s not unconsciousness, and it’s not a mental breakdown.

Don’t push it. Fear will pass faster if you do not fight it with all the despair. The main thing is to be patient and learn to just get through the panic attack.