Is This a Panic Attack? But it’s So Scary!
Rachel Sykes | I Work with Stressed Out Professional Women | Licensed in Massachusetts
Rachel C. Sykes, LMHC, LLC
Rachel@rachelcsykes.com
rachelcsykes.com
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is pretty scary – it can be described as an intense feeling of fear or discomfort that arises usually within minutes and is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, accelerated heart rate, trembling, a sensation of being smothered, chest pain, and light—headedness. Some of the common cognitive symptoms are racing thoughts, fear of dying or of “going crazy”, a sense of disconnectedness and/or unreal-ness. Pretty miserable, right?
Sometimes a panic attack is prompted by exposure to a particular stimulus, such as when a person who survived a horrific car crash travels past the scene of the accident, or it can apparently come out of nowhere, with no obvious cause.
Many people experience a panic attack at some point during their lives. Sometimes, people have an attack at a stressful time in their lives, and then, fortunately, never have one again. However, others have these frightening experiences more frequently and unexpectedly (with no apparent cause), which may rise to a clinical level called panic disorder. It is not uncommon for people with panic disorder to also experience other conditions such as depression and anxiety. Sometimes panic attacks may occur as a symptom of another condition such as social anxiety, phobias, a response to medication or other substances, or possibly psychosis.
Given some of the symptoms such as chest pain, a fear of dying, and trouble breathing, panic attacks are often thought to be heart attacks, and sufferers wind up in the emergency room of their local hospital. When such patients are informed it is not a life-threatening problem and are diagnosed with panic, they are sometimes embarrassed, as if they were somehow making it up. In my experience, panic attacks are truly awful, not your fault, and treatable.
What should I do when I have an attack?
Well, I would suggest you err on the side of caution. If there is a chance that you are experiencing a heart attack or other life threatening medical condition, you should seek emergency treatment. Reading this article does not constitute medical treatment. 😊
However, if a person suffers from such attacks regularly, they likely grow to recognize their symptoms. I have met some amazing folks who have dealt with panic attacks very regularly over years and while that sounds discouraging, I was actually really impressed at how their mindset has made these experiences fairly manageable. For example, a person who knows with certainty that they are not having a heart attack but rather a panic attack may also be able to remind themselves that, while they are unpleasant, they also go away. Every single time. Sometimes, this knowledge can help a person tolerate the unpleasant symptoms until they have passed. Such a person may also know that certain coping behaviors help the experience pass on more quickly, so they get right to the coping. While it can be a challenge to get to this level of calm during a panic attack, having the confidence that they will be okay can really help.
What coping mechanisms are you talking about?
I will offer you a couple suggestions for your consideration but regular readers of my blogs may notice that I often suggest the same coping techniques. I talk about the ones that work for me personally when I am stressed or that I have seen work for others. However, the list of possible ways to cope is virtually limitless.
Breathing exercises:
breathe please
This one is my personal favorite, as it can be done discreetly even in the company of others, you don’t need any special tools or things that cost money, and it really works for many. Okay, some of the breathing exercises may not be discreet, such as lion’s breath or kappalahbahti breathing but a basic box breath exercise can be done when on a conference call or in your car with family. Here is an article with some good additional suggestions: https://www.verywellmind.com/abdominal-breathing-2584115
The Five Senses Exercise:
I had heard of this exercise before I studied counseling and I think it’s still pretty popular. This technque can be used to interrupt racing thoughts and otherwise calm your symptoms. The idea is to simply stop your activity, sit down and take a few moments to observe the things around you. Name the first:
5 things you see
4 things you feel
3 things you hear
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste
The gist as I see it is that by engaging your senses actively, it takes you mentally out of your negative thought pattern and distracts you from your symptoms. Here is an article that walks you through it in more detail.
If you try this method, you may find that one particular sense is more effective at arresting your distress, and perhaps you can focus on that one piece of the exercise. I actually use my own version of this exercise to clear my head between clients or to help me refocus. I have a small jar of essential oils in my office(s) that I open and take a deep whiff. I find it powerful and effective.
Chanting
chanting monk figurines
Okay, I imagine some readers may think chanting is just one step too far from their comfort zone. However… I chant and find it very clearing and calming. If you feel a little self-conscious chanting where other might hear or see you, try it in your car (but please don’t close your eyes 😊). Rather than provide you a written description, I will share a link to a chant that I like to do myself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgHId_MP7gY
Additional techniques
This article on PositivePsychology.com actually lists out both good and bad coping techniques, and I think many of us can relate to sometimes using an unhealthy method to get through something difficult (over-analyzing, excessive busyness, smoking, etc.). https://positivepsychology.com/coping/
How can I reduce the chances of having more attacks?
Well, let’s be honest, most people that struggle with ongoing panic attacks may benefit from more in-depth help than learning a few simple coping techniques. There’s no quick way to sum up what might arise from an effective therapeutic dialogue but I believe that there is likely some underlying issue that requires attention. Therapy really can help sort this out. While I am not a prescriber of medication, I don’t rule out possible benefits of consulting a trained medical professional to see if there are pharmacological treatments as well.
Questions?
Check out my website, request an appointment or call/email to ask for a free 15-minute consultation.
email: Rachel@rachelcsykes.com
phone: 617.804.6471
I am licensed to work in Massachusetts
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Written by Julie Marks, Medically reviewed by Karin Gepp, PsyD. Grounding Exercises: Using Your 5 Senses for Anxiety Relief, PsychCentral.com. Updated on October 8, 2021. https://psychcentral.com/anxiety/using-the-five-senses-for-anxiety-relief#5-4-3-2-1-technique
Written By Emily Cronkleton, Edited By Alina Sharon, Copy Edited By Naomi Farr, Medically Reviewed By Cheryl Crumpler, PhD. 10 Breathing Techniques for Stress Relief and More, HealthLine.com, March 24, 2023. https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercise#lions-breath
Written By Tiffany Sauber Millacci, Ph.D. Scientifically reviewed by Gabriella Lancia, Ph.D. Healthy Coping: 24 Mechanisms & Skills For Positive Coping, Positive Psychology.com, October 28 2017. https://positivepsychology.com/coping/