How To Cope With A Panic Attack

Panic attacks suck. When I am experiencing a panic attack, I cant function. I get really hot, my brain becomes frantic and full of static and I start hyperventilating. I think about every possible terrible thought that ever existed. It's impossible for me to calm myself down. Usually, I get really scared and I sob uncontrollably.

Eventually, I remember that I am prescribed Xanax for this exact reason, and that if I take one, everything will stop. After I take just one .25 mg Xanax I feel better within minutes. It's like magic. My panic attacks are always a surprise, always very intense and always super scary.

Panic attacks are the sudden onset of extreme fear or anxiety. Symptoms can include, chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath and fear of dying. Usually, the symptoms come on suddenly and then resolve within ten minutes. There isn't usually a trigger for panic attacks. They tend to happen out of the blue.

Roughly 28.3% of Americans will have a panic attack in their lifetime. Some of those people will go on to develop panic disorder. Panic disorder is when people live in fear of having a panic attack, and change their behaviors to avoid having one.

Managing panic attacks is possible with the right tools. A panic attack is an over-activation of the body's sympathetic nervous system, which triggers your fight or flight response. During an attack, you will need to calm your sympathetic nervous system and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which encourages you to relax.

A good example of this is taking deep, slow breaths. This stimulates the vagus nerve which in turn activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Steady, stable breathing is the best way out of a panic attack. Slow breathing will help you to lower your heart rate during an attack.

It is also important to confront the negative thoughts that are associated with the panic attack. Remind yourself that panic attacks are unpleasant but not physically harmful. You will get through it.

Therapy and medication can help to manage panic attacks. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can be very effective interventions for panic attacks and panic disorder. Through CBT, patients can regain control over their thought processes and learn how to intervene when they feel an attack coming on.

Medications can help to control and manage the anxiety that triggers panic attacks. Benzodiazepines like Xanax are the most commonly prescribed. They work by depressing the body's nervous system which is over-activated during a panic attack.

Treatments for panic disorder can be very effective. But if left untreated, panic disorder can lead to conditions like agoraphobia or a fear of being in certain places, especially in public.

Reach out to your healthcare provider to come up with a treatment plan that works for you.

Always remember that you aren't alone. A lot of people, including myself, suffer from anxiety these days. The more comfortable you are at sharing how you feel, the more resources will become available to you. Help is out there, you just have to find it.

For more information about anxiety, check out the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.