Keep calm - a brief guide to coping with panic attacks
Text: Franja Eden
Illustrations: Anni Hakkarainen
My heart is racing, I’m trembling, I can’t breathe, my arms are tingling and so is my scalp. I feel nauseous, can’t see clearly, I’m scared, and I don’t know why. What is happening to me?
Five hours and several heart and blood tests, a conversation with a psychologist and two more seizures later, the doctor in the emergency room told me: ”We suspect you had a panic attack. Your life is not in danger, and you can be discharged.
I was immensely relieved and at the same time my head began to rattle: What are panic attacks exactly? Is this happening to me more often now? What are the triggers? What can I do about it?
Many people feel the same way I do. Around one third of the world’s population experiences a panic attack at some point in their lives. However, there is far too little education and hardly anyone knows what it is, how to deal with it and how to help a person who is experiencing a panic attack.
What is a panic attack?
Panic attacks are a strong physical and emotional reaction of the body to certain triggers. However, these triggers can be very individual. Strokes of fate, problems in the family or at work, too much prolonged stress, phobias, but also diseases such as depression or hypothyroidism can trigger panic attacks. The symptoms can also vary and can differ from person to person as well as from attack to attack. In addition to the symptoms I have described, many people report chest pains, fainting, stomachache, sweating, feelings of derealization, racing thoughts, fear of death, hot flushes or chills. An attack can build up over several hours or even days, but it only lasts a few minutes.
People who suffer from panic attacks have no long-term physical damage, but fear of the next panic attack can build up, which can become long-term anxiety disorder and lead to further panic attacks. A vicious circle.
What helps against panic attacks?
If you experience panic attacks more often, you develop a feeling for them over time, can act early and know what helps you in such situations. If you or someone you are travelling with is having a panic attack, the following tips can help.
- Stay calm and take a breath
When we panic, we automatically breathe shallowly and quicker – this creates the feeling of not being able to breathe. A method called 4-7-8 breathing helps you calm down during a panic attack: Breathe in slowly through your nose, counting to four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale forcefully through the mouth, counting to eight. Repeat the exercise until you have calmed down a little. Apps like ”Breathe Ball” can help.
- Focus on something else
Ask someone to tell you about their day, listen to a podcast or observe something. Try this: name five things you see, four things you hear, three things you feel, two things you smell and one thing you taste.
- Allow the fear
It’s hard but suppressing the feelings you feel will only make them stronger. Realize that you are having a panic attack and that your life is not in danger. The body does not manage to feel such extreme emotions for more than 20 minutes. After that, the symptoms will automatically subside.
- Stay where you are
It is not easy but try to resist the flight reflex. Concentrate on grounding yourself and keep both feet firmly on the ground. Be aware that you can leave at any time, but you may also be able to endure the situation until you regain your wits. If you escape the situation, your body will feel that the situation is dangerous. This can make it easier for an anxiety disorder to develop and for you to consciously avoid more and more situations, which can severely limit life.
- Talk about it
Take a panic attack seriously. It is a signal from your body that something is wrong, and you need to change that. Talk about it with friends or family or seek therapy. With a therapist you get professional help with how to manage panic attacks in the future, what the triggers are and how to work through them.
Anxiety disorders are an intense topic. But don’t panic: Panic attacks can be treated well, and it is possible to live an anxiety-free life. Remember: pay attention to your body, take time out and take your body’s signals seriously.
