Panic Crises: Learn To Stop Them

Also known as “Panic Disorder,” it is a type of Anxiety.

It is a sudden and frightening experience that can feel like a heart attack or loss of control.

Many adults experience only one or two crises in their lives, but others have recurrent seizures, which can be symptoms of an underlying condition called panic disorder.

Panic attacks are sudden appearances of intense fear for no apparent reason, accompanied by genuine physical changes, such as a rapid heart rate and palpitations, sweating, and rapid breathing.

You can take steps to stop a panic attack.

Obtaining immediate help

Recognize the physical symptoms. During a panic attack, your body enters a natural fight or flight response, just as if you were in a genuinely terrifying and dangerous situation.

Commonly experienced symptoms include:

 

  • Chest pain or discomfort.
  • Dizziness or fainting
  • The fear of death.
  • The fear of losing control or imminent death.
  • Drowning sensation
  • The sensation of detachment.
  • Feeling of unreality
  • Nausea or upset stomach
  • Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or face.
  • Palpitations, rapid heartbeat, or throbbing heart.
  • Sweating, chills, or hot flashes.
  • Tremors or shaking.

Methods to control the panic crisis

Control your breathing

Most panic attacks cause rapid and shallow breathing that feeds the attack.

By controlling your breathing, you can help return your heart rate to normal, lower blood pressure, decrease sweating, and restore a sense of control.

One method to reduce your breathing is to take a deep breath and hold it for as long as possible.

This balances oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and reduces the feeling that you can not breathe.

After holding your breath, then start deep, diaphragmatic breathing. Inhale slowly and deeply, then exhale slowly.

Take prescribed medications

One of the most effective ways to stop a panic attack is to take oral drugs classified as anti-anxiety medications, usually benzodiazepines, never self-medicate, and always consult a doctor.

Common medications used to treat panic attacks classified as benzodiazepines include alprazolam, lorazepam, and diazepam.

These agents have a reasonably rapid onset and can help relieve symptoms in 10 to 30 minutes.

Other prescribed agents in the benzodiazepine group start working a little slower but remain in the bloodstream longer.

Examples of these agents include clonazepam, chlordiazepoxide, and oxazepam.

These agents are often prescribed in low doses to be taken regularly until panic attacks become more manageable through other types of medications, such as selective serotonin inhibitors or cognitive behavioral therapy.

Continue your daily activity.

As much as possible, usually continue with your current activity and daily routine to avoid panic.

Keep talking, move and keep your thoughts centered. You are sending messages to your brain and your panic that there is no danger, no alarm, and there is no reason to be in a state of struggle or flight.