Panic Attack. Psychologist Online
Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense anxiety and fear that are accompanied by dizziness, sweating, chest pain, shortness of breath and a fast heart rate. In extreme cases, the person may feel as if they are losing consciousness, or they may actually lose consciousness.
Diagnosis
Once a proper diagnosis and evaluation of the symptoms are made and the possibility of a pathological cause such as a heart problem is ruled out, psychotherapy is essential because it can help the person identify the source of their panic and then train them how to properly manage their symptoms until they are eliminated. If any concurrent medication is needed, it will be given in collaboration with a psychiatrist for a short period of time. Panic attacks can trigger intense physical reactions causing even greater stress for those experiencing them.
Management techniques
Individuals who try to manage these situations experiment with various techniques, many of which may prove effective.
Some of these include:
- Breathing techniques that can significantly help reduce a panic attack especially when it occurs outside the safety of our home. We find a quiet place and slowly fill our lungs with air thereby slowing down our heart rate.
- Muscle relaxation can also be an effective technique.
- We limit external stimuli. When we feel a panic attack coming on it’s a good idea to seek a quiet place where we can be alone to apply relaxation techniques. If this is not feasible we can focus on a thought or repeat a phrase to ourselves that may provide us a calming effect.
- It is beneficial to write down our negative thoughts because when we read them we can demystify them.
- We need to moderate or even completely avoid caffeine consumption.
