Controlling Panic Attacks: You Can Do It!
Panic attacks are nothing to take lightly – they can
make you feel like you’re having a heart attack and many folks find
themselves in the emergency department thinking that’s exactly what’s
happening to them. The Mayo
Clinic reports that panic attacks were once dismissed as stress or nerves,
but have now been accepted by the medical community as a real illness, so
it’s really not all in your head.
Having one panic attack can lead to anxiety about having more, which
can actually bring on another attack – it’s a vicious cycle that seems
almost impossible to break. Take
heart, however, there are proven methods for controlling panic attacks, and
you, too, can cast off those demons and live free from worry that another
attack is on its way.
Recognizing Panic Attacks
Before you can control the symptoms of panic attacks, you must first determine whether or not you are really having an attack, and that there is not something else going on. This can be more easily said than done, though, as symptoms of a panic attack can resemble many other issues. If you’ve never had one before, you might think something else entirely is going on. Panic attacks can cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded; make your throat tight and cause you to have shortness of breath. An attack can give you chills or hot flashes; make you vomit or have diarrhea; increase your heart rate or give you a headache. They can even make you feel like you’re about to die. While they can last up to thirty minutes or so, some attacks last only seconds. So, if you believe you may have experienced your first attack, seek medical attention before trying to treat them yourself, otherwise you might miss a different medical issue altogether.
Click to find the Key to being Panic Attack Free!
To find out if your issue has, indeed, been caused by a panic attack, your medical provider will most likely give you a physical examination to rule out other medical problems, run some laboratory tests, including blood work to test your thyroid. Finally, you will probably be referred to a psychiatrist or psychologist to determine whether there is something that can be easily pinpointed as the cause of your attacks. While there is still a certain amount of stigma attached with seeing a mental health professional, this is a very important part of figuring out how to keep you from having a repeat of the attack. It does not mean that you’re crazy or that you are having mental health issues. Keep in mind that there are over six million Americans who suffer from panic disorder, and that it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. (Think of it this way -- would you be ashamed of having a heart attack?)
Understanding Why You Have Panic Attacks
The first step in controlling panic attacks is to try to get a handle on why you have them. While sometimes there are obvious triggers (airplane flights, public speaking, certain medical tests, etc.), quite often the triggers are not so easily discerned. Some studies have found that passive personalities suffer from panic attacks more often, so the theory is that if you learn to be more assertive, you will have fewer instances of attacks.
Click to find the Key to being Panic Attack Free!
While there are currently doctors, in states in which medicinal marijuana is legal, who are prescribing it for anxiety sufferers, it is worth noting that the use of marijuana and other drugs such as psilocybin (from mushrooms), can actually cause a panic attack, so staying away from illicit drugs is a really good idea if you are prone to such attacks.
Other factors that are not so well known can also contribute to one’s predisposition to panic attacks. Tapeworms, for example, can actually cause attacks, as can a lack of enough Vitamin B in your system. Of course, the more well-recognized triggers can be different types of phobias or illnesses, or even relationship issues or breakups. Keeping a journal that chronicles your attacks can help you to figure out what is causing them.
