How to Survive a Panic Attack

Panic attacks come in all forms, all of which suck tremendously. They can be brought on by specific triggers or seemingly come out of nowhere with no rhyme or reason. They can vary from feeling like you're dying to getting the shakes to anything in between. How are you to deal with these potentially debilitating moments when time seems to freeze, the world disappears around you, and all you know is the all-encompassing feeling of your panic?

From personal experiences to research I've explored during my own navigation through panic hell, I'm going to share with you some tips I've learned along the way in coping with panic. Attacks have surprised me with aching chest pains that hurt so much I thought I was having a heart attack, (which, of course, doesn't help the panic), shortness of breath, shakiness, faintness, dizziness, chills, hot flashes, nausea, gut pain, and sometimes sobbing uncontrollably while gasping for air. In such moments, there are a few techniques that I resort to in order to relieve the consuming symptoms. Here we go:

1. Stop. I definitely have to sit down or step away. Sometimes, if the situation allows, I rush outside to get a breath of fresh air. 

2. This brings me to a hugely beneficial coping technique and that is breathing. Ever heard of belly breathing? It's when you put one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart. Breathe in for four seconds, filling your belly so that it expands outward like a baby's belly does, hold it for two seconds, then breathe out deeply emptying your belly and chest of air. Repeat. I usually have to close my eyes to do this in an attempt to shut out the external stimuli.

3. Being mindful of your breathing is another mode of calming down. What this means is only to focus on your breath: Where is it coming in? How does it feel? What does it sound like? Where does it flow to in your body? How does it feel as it exits your body?

4. When I feel a panic attack approaching, I admittedly do reach for the occasional Xanax; however, when I want to avoid relying on the medicine, (because eventually it loses its potency if we take it too often), I resort to essential oils. Aromatherapy is another form of breathing, really, except now you have something pretty to smell. I've noticed that peppermint and lavender are incredibly helpful when I need to calm down. These can be purchased at most health food stores or vitamin shops and aren't very expensive. There's another company I like to use for my essential oils called doTERRA, which can be found at http://do-essential-oils.com/. They are quite expensive, but their essential oil blends are so amazingly relaxing. I use their PastTense Tension Blend and ClaryCalm, and they help tremendously in taking the edge off.

5. Water is another natural substance we can use in helping calm the rush of nerves. Drinking cool water, splashing water on your face, or making a wet, cold compress to lay on the back of your neck or forehead can soothe the mind and body. 

6. You wouldn't think movement would help when your heart rate is already elevated, but in many cases, taking a walk can calm the anxiety and clear your mind.

7. Progressive muscle relaxation is another suggestion. You start with your toes, contract them, hold for 5 seconds, then release. You do this with each isolated muscle group as you move up your body.

8. Preparation or having "safety blankets" provides a sense of security that can greatly aid you in the midst of panic. For me, my sense of security involves me always having a bottle of water handy, mints or hard candy to calm me, along with my appropriate medication. Simply knowing that I have my "safety blankets" helps to alleviate the onset of an impending attack or alleviate the attack itself.

Mind you, these tips are coping mechanisms to use in those desperate moments of a panic attack, but there are things we can do to prevent these attacks from happening in the first place. Practicing meditation, mindfulness, and yoga are instrumental in developing a sense of inner peace. Therapy and medication if needed and prescribed your physician helps in managing the anxiety. Exercise and eating healthy keeps your body and thus your mind strong. Most importantly, self-care needs to be a priority. Taking care of yourself is not selfish; it is self-preservation and is absolutely necessary. These practices probably won't dissolve your anxiety completely, nor will they make all of your panic disappear overnight; however, if you make a habit of finding what works for you and using it, the better you can manage and alleviate your anxiety and panic.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/maria-senise/panic-attack-how-to-cope_b_5519446.html

Panic Disorder Symptoms

People with panic disorder have feelings of terror that strike suddenly and repeatedly, most often with no warning. They usually can’t predict when an attack will occur, and many develop intense anxiety between episodes, worrying when and where the next one will strike. In between times there is a persistent, lingering worry that another attack could come any minute.

When a panic attack strikes, most likely your heart pounds and you may feel sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. Your hands may tingle or feel numb, and you might feel flushed or chilled. You may have chest pain or smothering sensations, a sense of unreality, or fear of impending doom or loss of control. You may genuinely believe you’re having a heart attack or stroke, losing your mind, or on the verge of death. Attacks can occur any time, even during nondream sleep. In the United States, this type of panic attack has been estimated to occur at least one time in roughly one-quarter to one-third of individuals with panic disorder, of whom the majority also have daytime panic attacks. While most attacks average a couple of minutes, occasionally they can go on for up to 10 minutes. In rare cases, they may last an hour or more.

Panic disorder strikes between 3 and 6 million Americans, and is twice as common in women as in men. It can appear at any age–in children or in the elderly–but most often it begins in young adults. Not everyone who experiences panic attacks will develop panic disorder– for example, many people have one attack but never have another. For those who do have panic disorder, though, it’s important to seek treatment. Untreated, the disorder can become very disabling.

In the United States and Europe, approximately one-half of individuals with panic disorder have expected panic attacks as well as unexpected panic attacks. Thus, as a recent change made to the criteria in the 2013 DSM-5, presence of expected panic attacks no longer prevents the diagnosis of panic disorder. This change acknowledges that oftentimes a panic attack arises out of an already-anxious state (e.g., the person is worried about having a panic attack in a store and low-and-behold has one). Clinicians now make the decision whether a person’s expected panic attacks will count towards their client’s panic disorder diagnosis. Now, they will usually classify expected panic attacks under panic disorder as long as the person’s concerns accompanying their panic attacks are centered around fears of the panic sensations themselves, their consequences (e.g., “I could have died or gone crazy”), and of having them again in the future (e.g., the person makes special efforts to avoid returning to the place where that attack occurred).

Panic disorder is often accompanied by other conditions such as depression or alcohol/drug use to cope with or prevent symptoms, and may spawn phobias, which can develop in places or situations where panic attacks have occurred. For example, if a panic attack strikes while you’re riding an elevator, you may develop a fear of elevators and perhaps start avoiding them.

Some people’s lives become greatly restricted — they avoid normal, everyday activities such as grocery shopping, driving, or in some cases even leaving the house. Or, they may be able to confront a feared situation only if accompanied by a spouse or other trusted person. Basically, they avoid any situation they fear would make them feel helpless if a panic attack occurs. When people’s lives become so restricted by the disorder, as happens in about one-third of all people with panic disorder, the condition is called agoraphobia. A tendency toward panic disorder and agoraphobia runs in families. Nevertheless, early treatment of panic disorder can often stop the progression to agoraphobia.

Specific Symptoms of Panic Disorder:

A person with panic disorder experiences recurrent either expected or unexpected Panic Attacks and at least one of the attacks has been followed by 1 month (or more) of one or more of the following:

• Persistent concern about about the implications of the attack, such as its consequences (e.g., losing control, having a heart attack, “going crazy”) or fears of having additional attacks
• A significant change in behavior related to the attacks (e.g., avoid exercise or unfamiliar situations)

The Panic Attacks may not be due to the direct physiological effects of use or abuse of a substance (alcohol, drugs, medications) or a general medical condition (e.g., hyperthyroidism).

Though panic attacks can occur in other mental disorders (most often anxiety-related disorders), the panic attacks in Panic Disorder itself cannot occur exclusive to symptoms in another disorder. In other words, attacks in Panic Disorder cannot be better accounted for by another mental disorder, such as Social Phobia (e.g., occurring on exposure to feared social situations),Specific Phobia (e.g., on exposure to a specific phobic situation), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g., on exposure to dirt in someone with an obsession about contamination),Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (e.g., in response to stimuli associated with a severe stressor), or Separation Anxiety Disorder (e.g., in response to being away from home or close relatives).

Panic disorder is associated with high levels of social, occupational, and physical disability; considerable economic costs; and the highest number of medical visits among the anxiety disorders, although the effects are strongest with the presence of agoraphobia. Though Agoraphobia may also be present, it isn’t required in order to diagnose panic disorder.

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/panic-disorder-symptoms/