Panic attacks
Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear or extreme anxiety. They occur when the “fright, fight or flight” response is triggered, although there is no sign of danger.
The “fright, fight or flight” response is a survival system that your body uses – it means that when your brain thinks it’s in danger, your body gets ready to fight or run away. If you’re experiencing a panic attack, the body will react like you are in a dangerous situation even though you’re not.
Panic attacks can happen without any warning. The attack could last for a few minutes or up to half an hour. After the attack, it might take some time to start to feel ok again.
It’s not unusual to experience a panic attack – one in five people will have at least one in their lifetime. After experiencing one panic attack,it’s also normal to worry about having another. You might even start avoiding situations or activities that you think might trigger an attack, like lecture halls, shopping centres, public transport, airplanes, lifts or being alone. If you notice that you’re doing that, it might be a good idea to consider talking to someone about how you’re feeling, and getting some support to manage it. Check out face-to-face help.
What are the effects of panic attacks?
The effects of a panic attack vary from person to person. Some effects may include:
- sweating
- feeling short of breath, like you can’t get enough air
- pounding heart
- chest pains
- feeling unsteady
- feeling like you’re choking
- dry mouth
- hot or cold flushes
- tingling
- feeling faint
- trembling
- nausea or diarrhoea
- feeling like you’re losing control or you can’t escape.
What causes panic attacks?
The causes of panic attacks are still being researched. However, there is evidence that different types of stress such as ongoing stress or a one-off stressful event is associated with panic attacks. The stress alters the chemicals in your body that influence the fight or flight response.
There are some illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, or inner ear complaints that have similar symptoms to panic attacks so it is a good idea to check with your doctor to see if the symptoms are due to the illness.
Depression, anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have also been associated with panic attacks.
How can I manage panic attacks?
Self-talk – remind yourself that this is only an uncomfortable feeling and it will pass. To help it do so, try and distract yourself by thinking about something different, like counting backwards in threes from 100 or sing the lines of your favourite song. See if you can concentrate on your breathing, focusing your attention on something else.
Diet- be aware that stimulants, like coffee, coke, anything else with caffeine in it (for example, energy drinks), drugs, alcohol, and smoking can all act as triggers for a panic attack.
Exercise - when you start panicking, a lot of hormones, like adrenaline, start pumping. They keep you feeling panicky. A way to help get rid of those hormones is to exercise, especially doing something that raises your heart rate. Regular exercise uses up naturally produced adrenaline and so can help lessen panic attacks.
Relax – relaxation techniques can be really effective. If you’re having a lot of panic attacks, it can help to get a relaxation CD. Listen to it for however long you like, every day. This can help to reduce your overall stress.Other forms of relaxation are also useful, such as yoga, Tai Chi, pilates, meditation, swimming and even going for a walk.
Breathing – try to practise some slow, controlled breathing while you’re not having an attack and when you get good at it, try to use it while panicking to slow your breathing down:
- hold your breath and count to ten, then breathe out
- breathe in through your nose for the count of three, then out through your mouth for the count of three – continue this for one minute
- hold your breath again for the count of ten
- do this for about 20 minutes a day (and you could break it up, like doing four five-minute sessions), and any time you’re feeling panicky
FInd help – if you are having a lot of attacks, or if they are getting in the way of your life, it’s possible you are suffering from a panic disorder. It can help to see a psychologist, especially one that specialises in anxiety disorders. Check out face-to-face help for loads of information on the different types of help available, how it works and how to get it.
Cognitive behavioural therapy, and in some cases medication, can both help ease panic attacks. Panic attacks can be frightening experiences, but if dealt with properly, can be overcome. The important thing is that you look after yourself and seek help to avoid future panic attacks.
Hi Lauren
We're glad you got in touch with us and we hope we can point you in the right direction of support to help you feel better. It does sound like you're feeling very anxious so you need to try and find out the reasons you're feeling this way. As you say yourself it may that it's just a normal teenage thing and that it will pass and even if you're friends don't say that they're feeling worried it's not always easy to know what's really going on for other people.
But, the way you're feeling is interfering with school and your social life so do keep reaching out for support. It's probably best at this stage if you could tell your GP how you're feeling as he or she will be able to figure out a way through this - but if you do talk to your GP make sure you feel confident and happy that you've told your story clearly and, just as importantly, make sure you understand what your doctor is saying to you. It's really positive that you've started talking to your Mam about how you're feeling so do keep up that conversation with her and ask for her help in getting you support. It may be that you are getting panic attacks but there could be a number of reasons for that so to give you piece of mind it would be really important that you get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. And what you say makes perfect sense, when you wondered could worrying about how you're feeling bring on the feelings of panic.
If you're unsure about going to a GP you could try talking to someone at school first. Maybe you have a guidance counsellor there or a teacher that you get on well with? You could also look at this about visiting a GP which might make you feel better about going to talk to one. And do keep talk to your Mam, that's very important. I know it might be difficult but it could really help if there is a close friend you could talk to - they would want to know how you're feeling and would want to support you through this,
Do please take the next step Lauren and find out where these feelings are coming from and why it's been so tough for you lately,
Take care
Derek
Hi,
I don't know if im having panic attacks or not, whatever it is it happens a lot. It happens when I am on my own usually but sometimes when I am with other people too. I judt start shaking a bit and sweating and suddenly get really cold I usually go to the bathroom when this happens. I almost fainted in school three days ago and I was feeling like this at the time. Another time, I couldn't find my friends at lunch and felt so anxious that I thought I was going to get sick so I ran to the bathroom and sat there trembling and sweating and crying and felt really dizzy, I know that this was a total over reaction but it was horrible. I constantly have a knot in my stomach d sometimes can't eat because it is so bad. When I talk to my friends I always have a feeling that they don't like me and don't want to twlk to me. I have pulled a lot of sick days because I can't face going to school and feeling like this and I am afraid I'll have one of these attacks. I have had four of these attacks in the past week and feel like I am giving myself them by worrying about having them if that makes sense? I have talked to my mam about this but I didn't tell her everythin. She said I am just going through teenage hormones things and that they'll go away but none iof y friends seem to be going through this. I constantly feel scared that something bad is going to happen usually that someone I love is going to die it reaoly scares me. I am fourteen and I really think there's something wrong with me, I feel. I haven't gone to r all the time and snap at my family and sometimes my friends but I admit that this IIIcould be a teenage thing. I know you probably can't diagnose me with what's wrong but a bit of advice would be nice I haven't talked to anybody except my mam because I was embarrassed and I actually didn't tell her about these attacks sorry about the long comment but thanks for reading it I really appreciate it. members
Hi Martha,
I really am sorry to hear about everything you have been going through. Feeling anxious and like you are going to be sick or faint in work must be really scary.
Worrying all the time, not sleeping and not being able to enjoy your friend’s birthday party must be really hard on you. It sounds like this anxiety is really affecting your life and stopping you from doing things you would like to do. If this is the case you need to talk to somebody about it.
A trusted family member or friend can be a good place to start. It can be really hard to open up and tell someone that you are feeling depressed or anxious but it will be worth it. Your doctor can’t help you if they don’t know what you are really going through so it’s important that you tell them the truth
If you are finding it hard to talk about then it might be easier to write down what you are feeling and hand it to someone like a trusted friend, family member or your doctor. You could even print out or show them the message you have printed out here.
I know you said counseling didn’t help you before but there are heaps of different types of therapy so it could be worth another try. Talking to a professional will be help you identify why you are experiencing anxiety in these situations and come up with strategy’s to manage it.
There are lots of other things like eating and sleeping right to exercise and meditation that have been known to help manage anxiety. You can read up on these in the minding your mental health section of the site.
Getting through anxiety can be really hard finding the right person to reach out to will make all the difference.
Keep reaching out
Roisin
I think I've developed an anxiety disorder. I've always had issues at home, there's been times in my life when I've had depression, usually due to my ongoing issues. I used to Go to councelling for depression and seld esteem years ago at 14, but found it wasnt for me. I've been to the doctors plenty of times about this, theyve asked me if ive been stressed or depressed and I lie to them. I don't know why. It all started over a month ago when I was in work at the checkouts, I had a bit of a mood swing the night before but I doubt that's caused it. All of a sudden, I started getting these head rushes, thinking I was about to faint, and my heart started palpitating and I got dizzier and dizzier. I tried to avoid it and focus on my job, stopped, got a drink, it happened again and I was sent home. I was suffering from a few little headaches, aches and pains and stuff too. But it lessened in a couple of days resting, a bit. Then, a few days later, (I hadn't left my house since) I went out to a restaurant for a birthday. All of a sudden, the dizziness began again, I couldn't hold a conversation with anybody and it was really hard to focus on conversations to distract myself, so I went outside for sme fresh air and it didn't get much better. I went home, laying on the.couch with a friend but it continued to happen, not half as severe though, just the dizziness, as if I was about to faint. So the next day I went to the doctors, they told me I had a virus, I lied and said I hadn't been depressed, and at this stage, I'm not too sure I even had been, any more than usual. So I've been off work ever since. I went out last week for a family event, and it happened again, people were telling stories and I was just trying to focus on stop being dizzy, stop being lightheaded and stop my heart racing. I couldn't stop it, and had to go home. When I'm in my house, laying in my bed, watching Telly, I feel fine, im stressed due to worrying if it happens again and will I ever be back to normal. I just worry about work SO much. I hadnt worried once before this happened, but now i justworry about will i ever be able to return? Will they understand if it is anxiety? Will it keep happening? But none of th physical effects are happening when I'm at home.I've tried to go back to work twice and got sent home both times after twenty minutes at the checkout because I physically couldn't do my job. PLEASE HELP ME! Lately I've been struggling to sleep at night, waking up in the middle of the night, having nightmares, having horrible thoughts before sleeping at night (but ive always had them, they're just all the time now) like imagining bad things happening to the people I love. When people leave the house , I think they're gonna be killed. I heard a bang the other day. And thought my pet was being murdered. It's just an automatic thought. I don't know what to do. I've gotten 'Bach rescue remedy' and it does calm me a little, every day at home. I haven't used it during an attack yet though. Please give your opinion!!! Thank you. And I'm only 18. I can't help thinking WHY is it happening now all of a sudden, and will I ever live a normal life again?