Panic attacks

All of a sudden out of nowhere your chest tightens and your heart starts to race so fast that it feels like it's going to come out of your chest. You can't catch your breath and no matter what you do it won't slow down, it feels like your whole world is coming crashing down. Before you even have a chance to try to do anything about it the panic attack has taken over and just have to ride it out. Panic attacks create the most silently painful experiences that make no sense, suffering for an unknown reason, with no way of stopping it.

A panic attack is one of those most petrifying experiences and as crazy as it may sound when you're having a panic attack, it feels like you're about to die. Breathing speeds up so much and your chest becomes so tight it feels like it's closing up.

I have experienced quite a few panic attacks in my life as I'm sure many of us have. The best way to describe them is that it feels like your throat is shutting, your heart is going to burst and the world is sucking you up into it. It's a very traumatic and nerve-racking feeling to be unable to catch your breath, which takes some time to recover from.

Anyone who has endured a panic attack knows that the symptoms are sudden, frightening, and difficult to manage. One of the most difficult parts of panic attacks is that they typically occur without any warning. They can swoop in from out of nowhere, with no oncoming symptoms. This makes them difficult because it can be happening and those around you won't understand, but this is all part of mental health, a lot of the time it is unexplained. The frustrating thing is you know that you have no real reason to be getting stressed or worked up and you feel silly for doing so but cannot do anything to change it.

Panic attacks are sudden and include a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms, this makes them feel overwhelmed and those suffering can appear perfectly 'normal' just moments before the attack will happen. Panic attacks can also happen to absolutely anyone, so no one should be categorized as 'not the type who would have them. 

The best way to cope with a panic attack is to break it down with helpful strategies like these: 

1. Deep breathing. The one thing that feels like the most impossible thing to do but it's a lifesaver in this situation. Focus on slowing your breath down, it will automatically make you calmer. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, exhale breath for 8 seconds and repeat. This causes an autonomic shift from a sympathetic state (fight or flight reaction) to a parasympathetic response.

2. Coping statements. Talking back to the irrational thoughts that panic attacks bring can help to rationalize. Saying to yourself " I'm not about to die, I'm just feeling anxious and this will pass" to fight against those negative thoughts and bring some calm.

3. Find something to focus on. Distracting the mind can help to slow down breathing and relieve some of the symptoms of panic attacks. Keeping your mind busy and away from the panicking breath will hopefully bring the end to the attack a lot quicker. 

4. Ride it out. Sometimes there isn't anything we can do to stop a panic attack or reduce its severity and all we can do is just go with it, knowing that at some point it will end. If this is the case, remember you are safe and this is your body's way of protecting you, once it's over you can refer back to normal.

For those who suffer from panic attacks please remember that no matter how long it takes, keep taking deep breaths and the attack will eventually pass. I know it may feel like a lifetime but it will go and you will start to feel better. Unfortunately, there isn't a great deal that we can do to prevent panic attacks other than trying to keep stress levels low. I would advise doing regular meditation to settle the constant racing thoughts and calm the mind, meditation is proven to improve mental health and general anxiety so it's definitely worth trying out.