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 this may actually happen.
Diagnosis
Once a proper diagnosis and evaluation of the symptoms is made and the possibility of a pathological cause such as a heart problem is ruled out, psychotherapy is necessary because it can help the person identify the source of their panic and then train them how to properly manage his symptoms until they are gone. If any parallel 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 more stress to the people experiencing them.
Management techniques
People trying to manage these conditions try various techniques, several of which may prove effective.
Some of them are the following:
- Breathing techniques that can significantly help reduce a panic attack especially when it happens outside the safety of our home. We find a quiet place and slowly fill our lungs with air thus slowing our heart rate.
- Muscle relaxation can also be an effective technique.
- We limit external stimuli. When we feel a crisis coming on it’s a good idea to find a quiet place to be alone to practice relaxation techniques. If this is not possible we can focus on a thought or repeat a phrase to ourselves that can work reassuringly.
- It is good 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.
