Quite often, many of us are covered by such moments when it becomes scary for an inexplicable reason, there is a panic, a feeling of anxiety. Such a state can have a different duration: for some it passes in a few minutes, and for some it does not let go for several hours. This is nothing more than a panic attack. What to do in such a situation, we will understand in our article.
Panic attack concept
If you listen to the explanation of doctors, then such attacks are the body's response to stress, to aggressive manifestations of the external environment. Such attacks are most often subjected to people who have a weak nervous system. They are very sensitive to all negativity. For a while, I still manage to restrain myself, but there comes a moment when it is simply impossible to hide from a panic attack. Moreover, according to doctors, anything can become a trigger.
Quite often, such attacks begin, it would seem, for no apparent reason. In this they resemble vegetovascular dystonia. Let's figure out how a panic attack manifests itself, what to do inmoment of attack?
Manifestations of a panic attack
To say with 100% certainty that a person is suffering from panic attacks, several factors must be present. When an attack begins, the following symptoms can be observed:
- Heart starts beating faster.
- Pulse speeds up.
- Sweats appear.
- It feels like there is not enough air.
- Inside a feeling of incomprehensible anxiety and fear.
- Trembling limbs.
- Chills appear.
- There may be chest pain.
- Some are afraid of death.
- Nausea and dizziness appear.
- May even pass out.
- You feel like you're going crazy.
- May have numbness in arms and legs.
- Heat and cold run through the body.
- Some people get stomach ache at this time.
- Visual or hearing impaired.
- Convulsions.
- Disturbed gait.
If a person has several of the listed symptoms at once during an attack, then it can be argued that he has panic attacks. The question arises: why do they appear?
Reasons for the development of panic attacks
Modern medicine is sometimes unable to explain the manifestations of the human psyche. Our brain is still a mystery in many of its manifestations. To know how to cope with panic attacks, you need to find out their cause. There are several of them:
- Quite often a person is in constant tension from the inability to solve some problem. She gnaws at him and pursues, panic appears that it is impossible to solve it - and now one step before a panic attack.
- If there is some not very pleasant event that frightens a person, and if once the body has experienced fear, then such a reaction is remembered and reproduced in a convenient case.
- Reluctance to face someone or something can also result in a panic attack.
It is often enough to understand what unbalances and worries you, try to neutralize this factor, and panic attacks stop occurring.
First aid for a panic attack
If you often began to visit such situations, then you should know what to do with a panic attack. We must learn to deal with it. Here's what you can do right away:
- If there is a feeling of lack of air, then take any bag and take a few exhalations and inhalations into it. Try to do it calmly.
- Smiling through strength can also improve the situation.
- Try to focus only on your breathing, count whether the inhale is longer or the exhale.
- Try not to focus on your feelings, shift your gaze to the objects around you, start counting steps or cars passing by.
- If you are indoors surroundedpeople, situations that provoked a panic, then get up and just leave.
- Talk to your doctor, maybe you should take a course of sedatives.
- You can visit a psychologist who will teach you what to do with a panic attack.
- You need to try to convince yourself that in such situations do not die.
- Find an activity for yourself that will distract from negative thoughts and help to relax the nervous system.
Ways to get rid of panic attacks
Many believe that if they started to have severe panic attacks, what to do, they do not understand, then they have a direct path to the psychotherapist's office. But there are several psychological techniques that will help, if not completely get rid of this problem, then significantly reduce it. They can be used not only at the moment of an attack, but also in advance, if, for example, you know that in an elevator you always have fear and panic begins.
Let's take a closer look at what these techniques are that will help you get your nerves in order.
First aid is relaxation
Our emotions directly affect our physiological state. If fear appears, then it immediately fetters our muscles, they seem to be paralyzed by it. If you already anticipate the onset of a panic attack, then you need to reduce muscle tension, which will reduce the likelihood of a panic attack. You just need to relax them, but not everyone can do this skill, you need to learn this. Many of us, oddly enough, do not even notice that their muscles are in constant tension.
You can learn special relaxation techniques, yoga classes, auto-training are a good help in this.
All of these techniques require advance preparation and should be practiced regularly if you often succumb to panic and fear. Only then will you be able to cope with the situation at the right time.
Correct breathing in the fight against panic
At rest and in a balanced state of the nervous system, a person's breathing is even and shallow. When panic sets in, it either becomes intermittent and speeded up, or it may even freeze. At this moment, a large amount of blood with oxygen and nutrients flows to the muscle fibers, as if preparing them to attack or flee.
But often rapid breathing provokes weakness in the body, noise or ringing in the ears, dizziness, and these symptoms themselves can provoke a panic attack. If you control your breathing, then such consequences can be avoided. If you are overtaken by a panic, you must:
- Take more air into the lungs.
- Try to breathe not with your chest, but with your stomach.
- Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
- Inhale for four counts and exhale for 6.
- Repeat like this until breathing is completely normal.
Without much practice, it will be difficult the first time, but over time, training will give its results, and it will become easier for you to cope with your out of breath.
Distraction as a way to get rid of a panic attack
Ifpanic sets in, then the person begins to listen to his condition, and this further aggravates the situation. He controls his breathing, it seems to him that he is suffocating, that his heart is beating wrong. Worrying about your condition only makes the attack even more pronounced, and a vicious circle is formed.
To prevent this, we must try to switch our attention to the world around us from our sensations. You can simply look at the surrounding objects or try to describe in detail what you see. This will help to distract from yourself and gradually the panic will recede. This applies to absolutely any place and time of the onset of a panic attack.
Panic on the plane
There are quite a few people who are so afraid of nothing as flying in an airplane. Of course, if it is possible to travel by train or bus instead, then fine, but if the flight cannot be avoided, then what to do? First of all, we can advise you to pre-prepare for the flight:
- Do not look ahead of the road frightening reports of disasters and accidents.
- Take with you something like a talisman, a thing or object that you think brings you good luck.
- Eat well before the road.
- You can talk to the flight attendant before takeoff, she will help you overcome your fear.
- Think positive.
- For distraction, you can take a book or a player with you to listen to music.
But what to do with a panic attack if all the measures have not helped?
- Controlling your breath can help a lot. This has already been discussed above.
- In advance, write melodies for relaxation on the player or on the phone, in a moment of panic they will come in handy.
- Caught a panic attack on the plane - what to do? Freewriting technique will help. To do this, stock up on a pen and a notebook and write down all your thoughts. It helps to calm down.
If you think through everything in advance, you can avoid panic or survive it with less loss to your nervous system.
Panic attacks during pregnancy
What to do in such situations and how to cope, future mothers do not always know. If, even before an interesting situation, a woman was subjected to panic attacks, then during pregnancy it happens that they do not bother her, since her head is completely occupied with something else - thoughts about the unborn baby.
But everyone knows that the state of pregnancy makes many of the fair sex even more anxious, which means that there is a risk that panic attacks will become frequent guests.
Doctors advise mothers-to-be to visit a psychologist or psychotherapist in advance in order to prepare in advance for such situations and know how to behave. We must not forget about the ways that will help to cope with the situation:
- Breathing exercises.
- Relaxation.
- Distraction from your feelings.
It is undesirable to take medication while carrying a child, so it is better to refrain from taking tranquilizers, especially withoutdoctor's recommendation.
From the information it becomes clear that all categories of people, regardless of gender and social status, can be subjected to attacks of anxiety and fear. What to do during a panic attack, we discussed above, the proposed techniques and methods are suitable for absolutely everyone, not just pregnant women. If the expectant mother during this difficult period for her will be surrounded by caring and loving people, then there will be much less reasons for panic attacks.
How to prevent panic?
Since the causes and mechanism of panic attacks have not yet been fully elucidated, there are no specific recommendations for their prevention, although doctors may advise the following:
- Keep an active lifestyle: it has already been proven that the lack of endorphins, which are produced by this, is a common cause of an attack.
- Try to remain calm under any circumstances, learn relaxation techniques, learn to control yourself and cope with emotions.
- Strong tea or coffee can lead to heart palpitations, so it's best to cut back.
- Exclude alcohol from your life, taking it can provoke completely unexpected reactions of the body, including fear.
If no methods of coping with panic help you, then it is better to visit a specialist so as not to aggravate the situation even more.
Of course, in our time it is difficult to remain calm and balanced, but each of us should strive for this, then you will not have to think about what to do with a panic attack, you will not give a chance to fear andanxiety overwhelm you. Stay he althy and stay safe.
