How To Treat Anxiety And Panic Attacks

When I decided to make a hub on panic disorder, I decided to approach a good friend of mine who suffered from panic attacks for years. This is his introduction:

When I say to a new friend from University that I appreciate the offer, but that I don't want to go snorkeling with him at his parents beach house that weekend, he fixes me with a quizzical look. Its the look that says 'what sort of crazy person wouldn't want to spend a gorgeous day out on the reef with the sun on their back and an ocean panorama at their feet?'

I'm not crazy. Sometimes I just feel that way.

The thought of being in all that water, having it compress in on me from all sides and stopping me from breathing, is too much to bare. The prospect of actually doing it is terrifying. In fact, any sort of situation which even hints at suffocation is out for me. You could cram me in a cave with good air flow and I'd be a happy little camper. Stick me in a box with no hole and I'll freak out. Hot trams cause me troubles from time to time, and there's only so many occasions I can make up excuses for being late when the real reason was I had to get off before I broke out into a cold sweat. Even something as seemingly harmless as throwing a blanket over my head is usually enough to get me going.

Want a real hoot? Bind and gag me. I'll pitch a fit like nothing you've ever seen before, right up to the point where i vomit and pass out.

It's difficult to pinpoint when I developed panic disorder, but looking back I was dimly aware that situations where I felt I had restricted air flow caused me some pretty significant discomfort. It became more pronounced when on a couple of occasions I felt out of breath during exercise. I started to hyperventilate, even though I was physically fit and had never suffered from asthma. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was afraid of suffocation. It wasn't long before the idea became a fear, and the fear developed into a phobia.

A growing trepidation, leading to dizzy spells, tingling sensations in the body, nausea, and a sensation of having lost control. The distinct absence of rational thought. These are the classic symptoms of a panic attack, and I've felt them all.

A panic attack is a brief, intense and often disorienting episode of intense anxiety which can manifest itself as feelings of fear, terror and deep foreboding. They can often occur without warning, can be triggered by different situations, and tend to be objectively unrelated to any real physical threat.

Panic attacks are tied into the 'fight or flight' response. In situations where the human body is faced with life threatening or immediate danger, it initiates a response which induces chemicals and hormones, such as adrenaline, into the blood stream. The physiological changes created by this response include increased heart rate, accelerated breathing, and increased blood flow to muscles (to either oppose the threat - fight- or to run like crazy - flight).

A panic attack may trigger the response notwithstanding that there is no imminent threat, and leaves the body in a heightened state with no means to diminish it.

Symptoms of a panic attack include the following:

• Increased vigilance for perceived danger and hypersensitivity to onset of symptoms;
• The presence of feelings of foreboding or dread in non threatening situations;
• A fear of losing control;
• Feeling dizzy or nauseous;
• Tingling in body extremities such as the fingers and feet;
• Hot flushes or cold sweats;
• Increased anxiousness;
• A shortness of breath;
• Accelerated heart rate;
• Chest pain or a feeling of being constricted;
• A dry mouth;
• A sense of unreality and disorientation.
  

Panic attacks can be triggered by a range of factors, including phobias, high stress, or reactions to illness or surgery. Not all panic attacks are indicative of a panic disorder, however if left untreated they can develop into a debilitating affliction.

Many people come to associate their panic attacks with specific situations or stimulus. This in turn can result in the situation, or mere anticipation of being in that situation, giving rise to a panic attack. This anticipatory anxiety can lead to longer term depression, which can lead to heightened anxiety and a panic attack...and so the cycle continues.

Most successful methods of permanently preventing panic attacks seek to interrupt the cycle, but if left unabated it can have significant consequences in terms of the sufferers mental health and general well being.

There are a range of treatments for panic attacks. Some involve drug therapy and if you are concerned that you are not likely or unable to naturally prevent a panic attack, then you shouldn't hesitate in seeking professional assistance.

Other alternatives rely heavily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT seeks to change the thought processes giving rise to the anxiety cycle and to break the behavioral chain that results in panic attacks. It has proven to be a successful technique in the treatment of panic attacks.

One of the main focuses of CBT is to remove the emphasis on the situations or stimuli causing a panic attack, or the symptoms, so as to realize that neither are life threatening. It provides a means of dealing with base level stress to prevent it from escalating, whilst at the same time provides techniques to overcome the usual response to the onset of symptoms of a panic attack.

For example, being able to acknowledge that the symptoms of a panic attack are uncomfortable, but not life threatening, is one form of reassurance which can be practiced in a safe and comfortable environment and implemented if an attack occurs.

Similarly, learning to focus on factors outside your own body can detract from becoming fixated on the symptoms of an oncoming attack. This could be something as simple as reciting the lyrics of your favorite song, or saying the alphabet backwards. The goal here is not to internalize the experience and exacerbate the symptoms by focusing in on them. If instead you are telling yourself not to panic, and it doesn't work...guess what you'll be doing...panicking!

Whatever you do, try not to resort to removing yourself from the situation unless things get really bad. Doing this will simply reinforce in your own mind the perception that you simply cannot bare the situation and symptoms, and is a precursor to future attacks being triggered by the same stimuli.

Whether you chose medical or natural therapy for panic attacks and anxiety, be sure to at least make the decision to seek assistance. Most panic attacks can be prevented. Imagine how great life could be without the burden of panic and anxiety.

To find out more, check out these step-by-step techniques to prevent panic attacks and anxiety.

Good luck on your journey to being anxiety free!