Conquering Anxiety: Panic Attacks and How to Tackle Them
Hey everyone,
I’m excited to join the Conquering Anxiety series with a discussion on panic attacks. These attacks can be scary and feel overwhelming, but there are ways to manage them.
What is a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes. Physical symptoms like shortness of breath, chest tightness, heart palpitations, dizziness, or numbness can accompany it. These symptoms can be really frightening, but it's important to remember that they're not dangerous and will pass.
How are Panic Attacks Different from Anxiety?
Anxiety is a general feeling of worry or unease, often about future events. Panic attacks, on the other hand, are sudden and intense episodes of fear that come on strong and fast. People with anxiety disorders may experience panic attacks, but not everyone who has a panic attack has an anxiety disorder.
Strategies for Managing Panic Attacks
In the Moment:
Deep Breathing: Shallow breathing is common during panic attacks, but deep, slow breaths from your belly can help slow your heart rate and calm your body. Try inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds.
Focus on Your Senses: Ground yourself in the present moment by focusing on what you see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. Notice five blue things in the room, count the sounds you can hear, or sip some cool water and describe the taste.
Positive Self-Talk: Remind yourself that this is a panic attack, it's temporary, and you'll get through it. Some people enjoy writing their own affirmations in advance.
Relaxation Techniques: Progressive muscle relaxation involves tensing and releasing different muscle groups, which can help ease tension. Practicing PMR regularly during calm periods can be very helpful for managing general anxiety and reducing muscle tension. This lower baseline tension can make you less susceptible to panic attacks. It is not recommended that you practice/apply PMR during periods of panic attacks or long-term anxiety as the body is already in a heightened state of arousal/tension during such states.
General Strategies:
Learn Your Triggers: Identifying situations or thoughts that trigger your panic attacks can help you avoid them or prepare for them. A panic attack journal can help you look for common patterns that may be triggering. Some common triggers are stressful situations, social situations, or negative thoughts.
Challenge Negative Thoughts: When anxious thoughts arise, challenge them with evidence-based reasoning. For example, if you're worried about passing out in public, remind yourself that panic attacks, while uncomfortable, are not dangerous. Try evaluating the evidence that supports and is against the thoughts you are having.
Seek professional help: A therapist can teach you coping mechanisms and help you understand your anxiety.
Actionable Activities:
Create a "Calm Kit": Assemble a collection of items that help you feel grounded and relaxed during a panic attack. This could include calming scents like lavender, a stress ball, pictures of loved ones, or a playlist of soothing music. Having this kit readily available can be a helpful reminder that you have tools to manage your anxiety.
Practice Visualization: Imagine yourself in a calm and peaceful place during times of low anxiety. This can create a mental refuge during a panic attack.
Develop Your Personal Panic Attack Plan: Personalize what you will do during a panic attack according to your needs.
Discussion Questions:
Members:
1. What are some of your experiences with panic attacks?
2. What coping mechanisms have worked well for you?
Listeners:
1. Are there any resources you'd recommend for people who struggle with panic attacks?
2. How can you best support someone who is dealing with a panic attack?
Remember, you're not alone in this. There is help available, and you can learn to manage your panic attacks.
This post is part of the Conquering Anxiety series, you can find all posts of the series here.
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Note: We are looking for people who have worked on their anxiety management (progress counts, it's okay if your anxiety is not all the way managed yet) who are willing to share their experience to help others. Please message @Hope directly to contribute to a post in the series.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
Conquering Anxiety: Cycle of Anxiety - 7 Cups Forum
Understanding the cycle can help manage anxiety. The cycle of anxiety can involve:
1. Feeling anxious and wanting to deal with it.
2. Attempt to avoid the situation.
3. Feeling temporary relief.
4. Returning to heightened anxiety.
Breaking the cycle of anxiety can be a transformative process. Acknowledging the fear and choosing to face it, rather than avoiding the situation. By exposing yourself to anxiety-inducing scenarios, like a work presentation, your body experiences the symptoms and learns to become manageable. Engaging in coping strategies, such as deep breathing, visualization, or positive self-talk, can reduce the intensity of anxiety and increase confidence over time.
1. I actually haven't had a panic attack in awhile but they got really bad at the beginning of the school year.
2. Deep breathing, sitting on the ground with my knees to my chest, and having someone there to talk me through that.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
1. What are some of your experiences with panic attacks?
I have experienced panic attacks since the birth of my daughter in October of 2020, with varying frequency. My symptoms include dizziness, racing heartbeat, visual auras and disturbances, shortness of breath, tingling in my extremities, inability to speak. There are a variety of triggers and the length and severity vary.
2. What coping mechanisms have worked well for you?
I am on medication, which helps lessen the frequency and severity of my anxiety. I also have been using an indoor walking app to get more exercise, which I need to get back into and use with better consistency. I have been a yoga practitioner for many years and find that it's a great way to start my day to get grounded and activate a lot of calm, peaceful, good feelings in my body and mind.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
The most successful thing for me was just acknowledging. "I am panicking" or "I'm afraid".
And then to validate it. "It's OK to panic" or "it's valid to be afraid of that".
And then. "It will pass". I'd try to think about the previous ones and how long they lasted. All came to an end eventually. So I'd tell myself that I only had to find ways to cope for however long the others had been. Which would give me the motivation to try something that might help me wait for that time to pass.
Sometimes this stuff didn't, or doesn't work. But often it helped, even if just a bit, and the panics are gradually getting less frequent and less intense, which is the main thing for me.
I hope everyone who suffers from anxiety finds what works for them.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
1. What are some of your experiences with panic attacks?
I've had panic attacks in class, i think of them as the worst ones because you have to stay in your seat quietly and try to avoid attention from classmates which would just make things worse.
2. What coping mechanisms have worked well for you?
Breathing techniques and the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique specifically works wonders for me.
@SoulfullyAButterfly Great guide, very helpful especially for those that have not experience anxiety attacks. I personally have found that the deep breathing helps alot.
@SoulfullyAButterfly
I'm still not 100% sure what it means to be able to know panic isn't dangerous when it's happening because it's so all-encompassing.
I'm also in a state of near-chronic stress so I'm concerned; how would I practice PMR when I'm pretty much always in a heightened state?
Discussion Questions:
Members:
1. What are some of your experiences with panic attacks?
They happen in the morning after waking up for me, because that's when cortisol is at its highest. Actions like movement can dissipate this cortisol. I 'overthink' into 'analysis paralysis'. Grief and loss and the pandemic had a profound impact on me as well.
2. What coping mechanisms have worked well for you?
- Focusing on and writing down the positive
- grounding exercise
- time management
- exposure therapy
- CBT
- DBT
- Gratitude
- goal setting
- Affirmations
- a soothe drawer
- Solo artist dates
- Self help books and workbooks
- journaling, notebooks, scratch pads
- oracle
- tarot
- working with stones
- Hydrotherapy
- Numerology
- Medication
- Self medication
- peer support groups
- good food
- Enough sleep
- Consistent hygiene
- Water
- spending time with positive people
- goalsetting
- coaching
- Asking for help
- Craniosacral therapy
- resource gathering
- the 4Ds
- c.a.r.E.
- The Four Agreements
- acupuncture
- Noise cancelling headphones
- brown organic noise
- shelters
- talking to others or smiling at them, or acknowledging them
- making mistakes with the focus on learning
- arts and crafts
- music
- learning about forgiveness and letting go
- practicing releasing emotions
- speaking up for myself
- being gentle, loving and patient with myself and others
- Skincare, nail care, hair care
- self massage
- decluttering
- Feng Shui
- Alexander method
- Ayurveda
- Qi gong
- Karate
- Spetznaz
- hobbies and interests (doing whatever with whatever I have around whether it's walks or writing or colouring or asking people what their hobbies and interests are and trying/exploring them for a week), etc..
- RAIN by Tara Brach
- Improving/practicing delegation
- The Work by BK (www.thework.com)
- Mindful Self Compassion workbook by Christopher Germer and Kristin Neff
- Louise Hay workbook and books, talks and meditations
- Green and white DBT workbook
- In The Rooms recovery app and website
- Finch app
- 5 Minute Journal, app or hardcover
- Any Gratitude journal
- A weekly planner
- The Time Management growth path on here or any time management courses
- Studying the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" or if a teen, the one for teens
- Any free local resources such as peer support groups, workshops, churches, non-profits that could provide clothes, hygiene items or food, a library, counseling
- Learning more about nutrition (vitamin supplements and sprouting)
- If struggle with blood sugar levels The Glucose Goddess on YouTube for healing
- If indigenous resources specific to them such as status, citizenship, helplines and friendship centres.
- About being present: Eckhart Tolle, YouTube channel, website, books
- About major depression: Douglas Bloch, YouTube channel and website, books
- Life teacher: Abraham/Ester Hicks.
- A bullet journal
- A morning, noon and night routine
- Arts
- Crafts
- Non-Violent Communication by Michael Rosenberg
- Micheal Singer
- Stoicism
- Being more or less polite (fight-flight-freeze-fawn fear response)
- Astrology
- Metaphysics
- Good humour
- Networking
- Vision or inspiration boards
- Dressing for your body type/style
- Finances/wealth management
- Gender and sexuality resources and information
Listeners:
1. Are there any resources you'd recommend for people who struggle with panic attacks?
See above.
2. How can you best support someone who is dealing with a panic attack?
Listen, put myself in their shoes, suggest any relevant tools, resources and support, maintain appropriate boundaries (not too open, not too closed), be engaging, authentic and trustworthy, make sure my cup stays full.
@SoulfullyAButterfly . Are there any resources you'd recommend for people who struggle with panic attacks? This is a great question because I'm sure there are resources on this site to guide people to, I just haven't found them yet.
2. How can you best support someone who is dealing with a panic attack?I have walked a few people through panic attacks - although I was in person with them. I asked them to breathe with me - and to hold my hands - or something tangible - A pillow, a crystal...I reassured them that this would pass. When they got to the point where they could talk, I asked them - "what is real?" Because although feelings are real, they are not fact - and often there is one thing masking another - so it helps to get clear. It would be trickier in a chat - but I would reassure them that I'm here, I'm not leaving, it will pass, try to take deep breaths and hold on to something. - Do the 54321 exercise etc.
@SoulfullyAButterfly ALSO I love the idea of a Calm Kit. I have a Depression bag - which is very similar. I also really like the Panic Attack Plan - These are both things I would suggest - not in the moment - but in a subsequent chat if there were one.