As part of Her Campus Exeter’s Mental & Physical Health Awareness Campaign we will be exploring the dangers of Panic Attacks. This campaign hopes to raise awareness of mental & physical illnesses within the student population and break the misconception that if you can’t see it then it’s not there.
A racing heartbeat, inability to breathe, and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness – this is the triumvirate of panic attacks for me. Panic attacks are, for me, a fact of life and can seriously impact on everyday activities, but they are also part of a stigma which makes me feel ashamed about my situation. This article aims to shed some light on panic attacks, some of their causes and how I cope with mine.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and have no medical expertise in the area. The opinions, symptoms, and treatments below are based on my personal experiences. These are not applicable to all situations.
So what are panic attacks?
Panic attacks are characterised by increased heart rate, light-headedness, sweating, panic, lack of control, nausea, an inability to breathe, shakiness, and disassociation. It is the body going into overdrive when subjected to fear or stress, and it is impossible to separate the physical and mental symptoms, causes and effects.
For me personally, the heartbeat is never the giveaway for an approaching attack – with the amount of caffeine I consume, an irregular or fast heart rate is quite often linked to one too many coffees! For me, the spiral starts with the increasing hopeless feeling and the sense that I have no control over anything, which is when the tight chest and dizziness appear. At this point I usually excuse myself from whatever situation I am in, find a secluded area and try to calm myself down. If I start shaking, past the caffeine-tremors in my hands, it’s a sign that it’s going to be a longer journey back to any form of control.
What causes them?
Panic attacks can be caused by a variety of factors, including stress, fear, and a lack of control, and can have debilitating effects. Whilst on average mine last for less than ten minutes, it has sometimes taken nearly half an hour to regain my senses and calm myself down, a common variation in severity which is usually linked to the situation precipitating the attack. Was I overwhelmed by the amount of people? Did I do something which I perceived as a social faux pas? Did something happen which I felt deeply uncomfortable with?
My panic attacks, which have been a fact of life since I started secondary school, are linked to a deep-seated social anxiety. As I have always been socially awkward and shy, this anxiety has led to some serious attacks, most of which have happened at school and university. Luckily for me, academic pressure has never been the main contributing factor to my anxiety, and so rarely causes panic attacks, but there have been notable exceptions when studying has compounded on the social anxiety and caused attacks. Several times I have missed lectures, too afraid to step into the room alone, which I can acknowledge is an irrational fear, but one which has governed my life nonetheless.
How can I stop a panic attack?
Proactive
If you can tell when a panic attack is approaching, and after nearly ten years of suffering through them I’ve become pretty good at reading the signs, then the easiest way to try to head off an attack is to remove the situation or the ‘stressor’. If you find your panic attacks are triggered by overwhelming academic stress, simply remove yourself from the studying, the seminar room or the library, or even just walk away from your desk at home. Find somewhere which your mind recognises as safe – it could be your bed, your best friend or even just an end toilet – and sit. Try to inhale deeply, hold it and exhale slowly, to head off the exaggerated fear response. Counting to four as you breathe in, holding for two and exhaling for four is a good trick, because the main thing is making sure you are not worsening the situation by depriving yourself of oxygen, which stimulates the fear and anxiety further.
When I feel a panic attack approaching, there is a small chance that I can stop it by sitting alone, listening to music (at the moment Coldplay’s Hymn for the Weekend is my favourite song) and distracting myself. Sometimes, all I can do is make myself comfortable and ride it out, which is where the next section comes into play.
Reactive
Panic attacks can sometimes come without warning and you may feel like you are going to faint, you have no control or, in some cases, feel like you might be dying. When this happens, it is so important that you find a safe place. Find a seat somewhere, sit and close your eyes. Count to ten, and remember the breathing techniques above. It is probable that you cannot really do anything, but if you can, contact a friend and let them know what’s happening. Try to accept your body’s reaction to the situation, and reassure yourself the attacks do pass. In the middle of a panic attack it feels like there is nothing but you and your panic, but if you’ve had them before you know that they stop, eventually. Once it has abated, drink some water (nothing fizzy or with caffeine, trust me), have a healthy snack if you can, and sit until you feel better. A trick to making them feel more manageable is to write down what causes each attack, and that way you can work on those situations and your reaction to them.
What can I do if my friend is having a panic attack?
I have been told that watching a panic attack is really scary, and do you know what? It is!
Do not feel bad if you do not immediately know exactly what to do if you are witnessing someone have a panic attack. You may feel just as helpless as the sufferer, because you cannot tell what’s going on in their mind and they probably won’t be in a place to tell you what is happening to them. By reading this article, you are already more informed about their situation, so you are in a better position already.
1. Ask them if it’s okay to stay with you. I, due to the social causes of my anxiety, hate being around people when I am having an attack because it is prolonging the perceived problem, but I have been caught out once or twice. The best thing to do is to ask them “is it alright if I stay with you, or would you like to be alone?” This gives them control, and makes sure you are part of the solution, not the problem.
2. Remind them gently to breathe. The panic attack will cause the body to believe it is under threat, usually because of the lack of oxygen, so encouraging deep and slow breathing is a good way to stop the cycle of panic. Another way of doing this is to slowly breathe yourself, and ask them to copy you, anchoring them to you and out of their mind.
3. Ask them what they need. Gentle questions such as “would you like some water?” and “what can I do to help?” once again put the decisions in their hands, and means there are no assumptions as to their situation.
4. Be a good friend. The worst thing to say to someone in the middle of a panic attack is “Calm down!” – if we could suddenly calm down, we would! By offering your support and presence, or space, you’re displaying empathy. Reminding them that panic attacks do pass, that their reaction isn’t shameful, wrong or embarrassing and that there won’t be drastic consequences as a result of their attack are all ways to reduce the stress on the sufferer.
If you would like to find out more about panic attacks please visit these sites:
- Anxiety UK
- Mind: Anxiety & Panic Attacks
- NHS: Panic Disorder – Self Help
- Anxieties
- The Guardian: Living with Anxiety