I'm having a panic attack - what can I do?

You then end up ordering an ambulance and only then do you already know that it was a panic attack and not a real threat to life. The whole event is very unpleasant, and often afterwards we are "afraid to be afraid" because we fear the arrival of another panic attack.

It also happens that a panic attack is a direct reaction to a highly stressful event at work, such as a public speech or a difficult meeting.

Those of us who have already experienced a panic attack know that you then have the feeling that you are dying. Your hands tremble, your heart pounds, it's hard to catch your breath, you think you're having a heart attack and on top of that it comes on suddenly, without warning and usually for no apparent reason.

You then end up ordering an ambulance and only then do you already know that it was a panic attack and not a real threat to life. The whole event is very unpleasant, and often afterwards we are "afraid to be afraid" because we fear the arrival of another panic attack.

Some people experience such a "panic attack with limited symptoms," that is, something very similar, but experienced with less intensity because there are fewer symptoms.

In both cases, it's useful to know what to do, and when a panic attack is coming, to have the tools already prepared in advance to deal with them.

Here are some ways for you:

✅ Bet on breathing:

When you feel a panic attack coming on, breathe deeply and slowly.

This will calm your nervous system.

Use the 4-7-8 method, which is recommended by Andrew Well, founder and director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. She is very effective because it activates the action of your parasympathetic nervous system, the one responsible for the resting mode. Inhale through your nose counting to 4, hold your breath for 7 seconds and then exhale loudly through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this 4 times.

Or you can simply concentrate on slowing down your breathing, remembering to make your inhalation twice as short as your exhalation so, for example, you can do your inhalation at 4 and your exhalation at 8. It's important to breathe slowly, counting your inhalations and exhalations and thus avoid hyperventilating.

✅ Progressively relax your muscles:

Try progressive muscle relaxation and tightening i.e. starting with the feet, press them firmly against the floor and then relax, tighten the foot muscles and relax, then similarly relax and tighten each muscle group in turn from the calves through the thighs, buttocks, abdomen, back, hands, arms, neck, and facial muscles.

✅ Wait through the most difficult moment:

However unpleasant a panic attack is, it will pass. Instead of fighting your emotions, let them fester. Wait, observe, paradoxically accept that you feel bad. The panic attack will pass, although we may sometimes find it hard to believe, especially when experiencing it for the first time.

✅ Support each other with words:

Prepare a phrase that reassures you. Have them "always with you."

Although you feel very bad at the time of the panic attack, he is not dangerous to your health (of course, if you think otherwise, make an appointment to consult a doctor, do tests, check everything very carefully).

Here is a sample sentence that can be reassuring:

I am safe, -a, it is a panic attack that will pass.

✅ Distract:

You can try to distract yourself from your anxiety by focusing on objects in your surroundings. Look for the following around you: a tree, a chair, a lamp, a car, something red, something green, something paper and plastic, or start counting by subtracting one by one from 200 for example 6 and again 6 i.e. 200-6=194, 194-6-... etc.

By focusing on something else, you won't let catastrophic thoughts screw you up.

If such panic attacks persist and you feel you need support, seek psychotherapy.

author: Halina Piasecka, psychologist

Sources:

Panic Disorder: When Fear Overwhelms https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms

https://stowarzyszenieanimo.pl/atak-paniki/

Panic Disorder: Answers to your most important questions

https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/panic-disorder

Panic attack- symptoms. How to calm down and what to do at the time of a panic attack?

https://totylkostrach.pl/atak-paniki--co-robic-6-sprawdzonych-porad-co-robic-w-chwili-ataku-paniki

What are anxiety and depression

https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/panic-disorder-agoraphobia/symptoms

4-7-8 Breathing: How itd works, How to do it and more

https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/4-7-8-breathing/

J.Bemis, A.Barrada Tame the Anxiety. How to deal with anxiety and panic attacks? GWP

Make an appointment for a consultation with a psychologist at CPP Professional Assistance Center!

How to make an appointment for a consultation with a psychologist in Warsaw?

➡️ Take advantage of the years of experience of our doctors and contact us by phone - at +48 22 24 12 444 or by email - via e-mail: kontakt@cpp.pl to schedule an appointment with a sexologist.

You can alsoschedule an appointment online.

➡️ Fill out the necessary documents - registration card and consent to data processing, and provide your contact phone number and send everything to: kontakt@cpp.pl.

You can find a template of the card and consent to data processing in the DOWNLOAD FILES section of our contact page: https://cpp.pl/kontakt/.

➡️ Pay your appointment at least 24 hours in advance. You can use a quick transfer or make a traditional bank transfer. Don't forget to include your information, the name of the chosen specialist and the date of the consultation in the description of the transfer.

Our transfer details:

CPP Professional Assistance Center al. Jana Pawła II 80 lok. 129 (floor XXI) or lok. 21 (floor IX) 00-175 Warsaw

account no: 27 1140 2004 0000 3902 7629 4721

📌 If you have any questions, please contact our secretariat at +48 22 24 12 444. We are at your service from Monday to Friday, 10:00-20:30.