“What is happening to me? Is this a Panic Attack?”
- I am terrified
- I am trembling
- I am sweating
- My heart is palpitating
- I feel short of breath
- I feel faint
- I feel dizzy
- I feel weak
- I am chilled
- I am flush
- I am sick to my stomach
- I can’t breathe
- My fingers are numb
- I feel like a tiny little person in the middle of a huge arena
- I am hearing the world as if I was inside of a barrel
- I don’t feel like my surroundings are real
- I don’t feel like I am attached to my body
Does any of this sound familiar to you? If so, and if you have already been cleared medically by your physician (it is always better to err on the side of caution), chances are…
You are having a Panic Attack!
Panic attacks usually come on very suddenly and the height of the symptoms occur about 10 minutes after they begins. Panic attacks can happen anywhere, and at any time. Some people even have panic attacks at night while they are sleeping.
Panic attacks can be situationally bound. That is, perhaps you only get these attacks when you are driving, or when you are in the supermarket. Most people, however, experience panic attacks that occur out of the blue. These surprise attacks are so unsettling and the symptoms are so disturbing that worrying about the next panic attack can take over your conscious thoughts and affect every area of your life.
Part of learning how to manage your panic attacks, is understanding what is happening to you.
After all, a whole lot happens just before and during a panic attack. Some things happen at a conscious level and others happen at an unconscious level.
Here is an example of the underlying process of a typical panic attack…
- You walk into the grocery store, where you have had panic attacks in the past
- You are hypersensitive, due to the previous attacks
- Stress and anxiety are building
- Your mind senses “danger” and reacts
- You are entering “fight or flight” mode for protection
- The terror starts to build and you unconsciously prepare yourself for the fight
- Your body releases protective hormones, including adrenaline
- Your blood pressure goes up and your breathing speeds up to prepare you for battle
- Blood is pumped away from the stomach; muscles are tense; fists are clenched
- Your pupils dilate so you can better assess the battleground
- Believe it or not… You are now in survival mode!
If you put these two descriptions side by side you will see that a panic attack is your body’s physical and psychological response to a perceived threat. In this example it was being in the supermarket.
You can react in this way as a result of an increased sensitivity to feeing anxious, or as an over reaction to a skipped heartbeat. Because these processes can be unconscious, it is often difficult to make sense of what you are experiencing.
Suffice it to say that understanding the physiology of a panic attack won’t miraculously cure you. However, increased understanding and insight along with other helpful strategies can help you to minimize the effects and hopefully decrease the incidence of panic attacks.
