A Panic attack is an episode of extreme fear and worry, where people experience intense physical symptoms. Panic attacks are sudden, and cause long-lasting effects on the psyche.
Introduction
Shruti was a 25-year-old working individual. She works as an IT consultant in a multinational firm. One day after getting back from work, while she was working on her presentation, she started to experience shortness of breath. Her chest begins to ache, her body starts to tremble, she feels weak and dizzy. Her mind becomes crippled with worry, and she is unable to think. To her, it feels like a heart attack, and as if she is moments away from her death. Her mother rushes to her side, and recognizes that what Shruti was experiencing was not a heart attack. However seeing her in pain worried her mother, and they visited the doctor after she helped Shruti calm down.
After getting all her tests done, it is confirmed that Shruti had not suffered a heart attack, but rather a panic attack.
So what is a panic attack, and what caused Shruti to experience it?
A Panic attack is an episode of extreme fear and worry, where people experience intense physical symptoms. Panic attacks are sudden, and cause long-lasting effects on the psyche.
Symptoms
Aforementioned, some symptoms of a panic attack are-
Sweating
Dizziness
Heart Palpitations
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Nausea
Trembling
Numbness
Sudden feelings of fear and anxiousness
Chills
Headaches
Loss of control
Out of body experience (detachment)
A person may not experience all the symptoms while having a panic attack. Unlike heart attacks, the symptoms last about 20-25 minutes before subsiding. The symptoms of heart attacks and panic attacks mirror each other, but differ based on the root cause.
Causes
People of any age group can have panic attacks, although women are more likely than men to develop a panic disorder. The primary cause of a panic attack is our body’s stress hormone (Cortisol) triggers the fight or flight response, which in turn causes physical symptoms.
Comorbidities
People already suffering from anxiety issues, depression, and other mental disorders are vulnerable to experiencing a panic attack.
Genetics
Mental disorders can often be inherited through heredity. If a person frequently experiences panic attacks, it is likely to get passed down to their offspring.
Constant Stress
Being in a constant state of stress or anxiety can also increase the likelihood of a panic attack. Exposure to traumatic events, such as the death of a loved one, financial crises, etc, can also act as a trigger for panic attacks.
Other Disorder
Panic attacks can also occur as a symptom of other disorders. People with social anxiety may experience panic attacks in social situations and people with phobias can get panic attacks as a part of their phobia.
Substance Addiction
Drug and alcohol overuse can also increase the likelihood of suffering from a panic attack.
Difference between Panic disorder and Panic attacks
A diagnosis of panic disorder is given when people experience recurrent panic attacks, and are in constant fear of experiencing another panic attack. People who experience a panic attack without the disorder experience a panic attack only during stressful situations, without recurring, and constant fear of having another panic attack. The Diagnosing is done according to the diagnostic manual, and by a psychiatrist or a psychologist.
Difference between Anxiety Attacks and Panic Attacks
Anxiety attacks are also episodes of intense fear, and panic and they share a lot of physical symptoms with panic attacks, some may use them interchangeably to describe each other, but they are not the same thing. Anxiety attacks are often preceded by stressors, an event or object that makes one stressed or anxious. However, panic attacks are not caused due to a specific reason, and can occur without any warning signs. Panic attacks are more severe than anxiety attacks, and are accompanied by physical markers.
Treatment
Mindfulness can help with developing deep breathing. While experiencing a panic attack, deep breathing makes sure that oxygen reaches your lungs, and reduces heart palpitation. Once your heart rate is back to normal, other symptoms will also subside.
Avoid caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and other drugs, as it can increase the risk of a panic attack.
Find ways of managing stress in your life, engage in healthy recreational activities.
Regular exercises and a healthy diet will keep your mind and body fit.
The 5-4-3-2-1 method helps with the feelings of detachment during a panic attack. Looking at five different objects, hearing four different sounds, touching three separate things, recognizing two different smells and one thing you can taste. This exercise works as a grounding exercise, and helps establish reality.
Psychoeducation can play a vital role in helping with panic attacks. Understanding what panic attacks are, and how they occur can help people be less fearful when they experience one.
Medication
Mental Health practitioners may prescribe antidepressants such as-
SSRIs (selective reuptake inhibitors)
SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors)
TCAs ( tricyclic antidepressants), to help manage panic attacks.
Anti-anxiety medication such as Benzodiazepines can also be used to prevent panic attacks.
Medications are to be taken only when prescribed by a psychiatrist, and one should refrain from self-medication.
Therapy
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: This therapy deals with how that affects resultant behavior. The therapist helps the client to examine anxiety-inducing thoughts, cognitive distortions and identify triggers. The client learns to deal with the fear associated with panic attacks and rational ways of responding to them.
Exposure Therapy: This therapy is practiced when the client is gradually exposed to fear or panic-inducing situations. The client learns techniques of calming, and reacting to fearful situations.
Relaxation Therapy: This type of therapy constitutes breathing practices and muscle relaxation. Help clients in learning to relax their mind and body under stressful situations.
References
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4451-panic-disorder
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376027
https://www.healthline.com/health/panic-attack-vs-anxiety-attack#home-remedies
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/panic-attacks-and-panic-disorders.htm
Very informative! 👍