Panic Attacks & Anxiety

Firstly, it’s important to know that there is a difference between having a panic attack, and having panic disorder.

So, what exactly are Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks are a fear response, they are an exaggeration to your bodies natural response to fear and danger. A panic attack will usually have a trigger, something that set off your bodies fear response. It won’t always be something big or even scary, it could be something as small as a particular scent.

Whereas Panic Disorder is a little different. People with panic disorder experience panic attacks at a higher rate to the average person, some people can have them a few times a month, and some even having them multiple times a day. They also experience heightened anxiety which can often feel constant. The anxiety and panic attacks that come with panic disorder do not usually have a certain trigger and seemingly happen randomly and without a cause.
Some people with panic disorder can even develop agoraphobia, making it extremely difficult for them to leave the house.
Constantly living with anxiety and in fear that you will have a panic attack, can actually lead to even more panic attacks, as our bodies begin to believe that there is an element of danger around. Another common thing amongst panic attacks and panic disorder are anxiety attacks, there are often mistaken for panic attacks, but have a lot of differences.

What are the symptoms of a panic attack?

• A racing heartbeat

• shortness of breath or feeling unable to take a deep breath in

• feeling faint

• sweating

• nausea

• chest pain

• trembling

• muscle spasms

• shaky limbs

• feeling of choking

• dizziness

• pins and needles in your hands / feet / limbs

• dry mouth

• feeling of impending doom or as if something awful is going to happen

• an overwhelming fear of dying

• disassociation

• an urge to use the toilet

Panic attacks usually last around 20 minutes, they tend to happen suddenly, and start to peak then come back down again. You can have multiple panic attacks in a row, but your body can only panic at its peak for a couple of minutes, so you will feel as though it starts to ease off before suddenly peaking again, and this can happen for varied amounts of time.
An anxiety attack, although may have some similar symptoms, they tend to build up gradually over time instead of happening suddenly.

What are the symptoms of an anxiety attack?

• Feeling generally unwell, upset stomach

• Diarrhoea

• feeling on edge or nervous

• shaky limbs

• headache

• chest thumping / irregular heartbeat

• shortness of breath

• tightness in chest

• feeling suddenly very hot

• hot and red ears

• feeling irritable and snappy

The biggest difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack is how they begin. An anxiety attack will usually start small and begin with a worry and slowly build up, whereas a panic attack will happen suddenly and without warning.

Both anxiety and panic attacks can feel different person to person, and your brain can often manifest symptoms you may not see listed. This can cause further panic as you begin to doubt what you are experiencing is in fact a panic/anxiety attack, and is something more sinister.

Here is a list of anxiety symptoms that you may or may not know about

• Excessive burping

• Excessive yawning or a feeling of needing to yawn

• Hot flushes, feeling red faced or as if you are burning up

• Breathing difficulties

• Chest pain

• Chest tightness

• Feeling pressure on your chest

• Chills

• Shivers

• Difficulty with concentration

• Constipation

• Diarrhoea

• Nausea

• Coughing or an urge to cough

• Depersonalisation

• Derealisation

• Tiredness

• Fatigue

• Difficulty swallowing

• Sweating

• Trembling

• Shaking uncontrollably

• Feeling nervous or on edge

• Sore muscles

• Headaches

• Eye strain

• Lightheaded

• Insomnia

• Hyperventilating

• Heart palpatations

• Feeling as though you are about to faint

• Difficulty speaking

• Muscle twitching / aching / stiffness

• Feeling suddenly very cold / hot

• Fever chills

• Joint pain

• Body odour

• Pins and Needles

• Restlessnesses

• Blurred vision

• Runny nose

• Dry mouth

• Mouth ulcers

• Teeth chattering

• Vertigo

• Ringing in ears

• Rashes

• Sore throat

• Rib pain

• Wheezing

• Abdominal pain

• Excessive gas

• Excessive need to urinate

• Back pain

• Lumps under armpits

• Swollen lymph nodes

• Bloating

• Decreased libido

• Tingling feet

• Legs feeling shaky as though you have been exercising

• Lethargic

• Feeling itchy

• Feeling weak or tired

• Overwhelming feeling of impending doom

• Feeling irritable or easily annoyed

• Mind going blank

• Vivid dreams

I hope that the list above is somewhat helpful, it isn’t every single symptom of anxiety but it is a lot of them.

There are so many ways that you can help yourself when you are having a panic attack, and there is no right or wrong way, whatever works for you, works. Here are a few tips, alter them to suit your needs, and remember, what works for one person may not work for you.

From personal experience, the things that have helped me;

• Sucking ice cubes

• Putting my head out of the window and taking a deep breath in

• Putting a cold flannel over my face

• Throwing coins on the floor and counting them as I picked them up

• Painting / colouring / drawing

• Weighted blankets

• Jumping jacks

• Breathing in time with someone else

• Cold shower

• Running cold water on my wrists

Other things than can be helpful and useful when you are having anxiety or panic attacks;

• The 5 4 3 2 1 method, which is where you list

5 things you can see

4 things you can hear

3 things you can touch

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

• The corner to corner method, you take a nice big breath in whilst looking at one corner of the room, then slowly release it as you look to another corner, repeat this for as long as you need.

• Have a sudden change in temperature

• Tell yourself the feelings will pass, and sit with them. The more you are able to do this, the less intense they will be in the future.

• Dance and jump around, it will help regulate your breathing and ground you

• Close your eyes and focus on your breathing

• Distract yourself with something that can keep your brain focused on something else

The days following a panic attack can be very difficult, you will feel both physically and mentally exhausted. Make sure the next few days you are prioritising self care.

You may feel weak, tired and lethargic, you may have a headache and feel generally low and run down. That is totally normal, having a panic attack really takes its toll on you.

The days following please make sure you

• Stay hydrated, drink plenty of water

• Get plenty rest, take it easy

• Eat enough, you burn a lot of energy when having panic attacks and your body will need extra food to help restore itself.

Remember, although they are terrifying, unpleasant and cause significant distress, they are not actually harmful, and nothing bad is going to happen to you.
You are doing okay, you got this, and I am so proud of you.

Have a super good day

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