What is panic disorder?
Feeling of constant stress and anxiety and thinking about previous or next panic attacks could imply that you have panic disorder. Everyone in their lifetime experience feeling of pain, fear, or panic at a certain level. And it is a natural response to stressful and dangerous situations. But someone who is suffering from panic disorder has feelings of anxiety, fear, panic, and stress all the time in regular situations and for no reason.
What is a panic attack?
It’s a sudden feeling of anxiety where we feel intense fear which in fact could have a physical effect on our bodies. Panic attacks are not dangerous but it may feel like you have a heart attack. And other symptoms could include shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea, shaking, and feeling disoriented.
It could also make you feel like you might faint or could actually even die. It lasts somewhere from five to thirty minutes. During a panic attack, you get a rush of intense mental and physical symptoms. It can be very frightening. It could occur several times a week, a few in a month, or once or twice a year, depending on your situation and condition. Even though panic attacks don’t physically harm you or put you on a hospital bed, they could very well indirectly affect your physical health. It also affects your social life as you might start to avoid certain situations because you fear they’ll trigger another attack. It significantly affects your quality of life.
What to do during a panic attack?
- There are a few things that you could do on your own such as:
- Don’t give in.
- Fight till it passes.
- Make yourselves believe that it will pass.
- Try to stay where you are.
- Deep and slow breaths in from your nose and out from your mouth.
- Focus and think of a relaxing or peaceful image or memory.
- Remind yourself it’s not life-threatening.
- Control the attack and don’t let it control you.
- Have someone with you to talk to you and calm you down and ride it with you.
- Close your eyes and focus on breathing.
How to prevent panic attacks?
- Regular physical exercises.
- Breathing exercise routine.
- Proper and regular balanced diet to have stable vitals.
- Work on the stress that you have built up.
- Do not restrict yourself from social activities.
- Read and learn about anxieties and panic disorders.
- Complementary therapies.
- Share your feelings and thoughts with someone.
- Avoid unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking.
Support:
Your mental health is as important as your physical health and if you need help, please find help and support from a mental health professional or someone you know. Remember telling even one person might help as saying it out loud will only help you to accept it too. It can be helpful to talk to someone who is also going through the same and understands you better.
Panic Disorder Information Hotline: 1-800-64-PANIC (72642)
Crisis Support Services (https://cssnv.org/) offers a hotline (1-800-273-8255)
Mumal Singh (PGSM2237)
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