Everything is going fine when all of a sudden you experience a panic attack while you’re driving to the office. There’s really nothing in particular to cause this sudden spike in anxiety, yet you’re stricken with sheer terror and you can’t seem to calm down.
Your palms begin to sweat, you feel your heartbeat going out of control and you may even begin to feel faint. You’re dizzy and feel like you might have a heart attack – which only makes things worse. You then need to pull over because you fear that you might black out and lose control of your car.
You may call 911 fearing that you’re really having a heart attack or that something else is about to happen. You might even end up in the emergency room, with doctors and nurses standing by to assist you with a defibrillator just in case. Even the doctors think you’re about to have a heart attack or are actually having one; but once some tests are performed, it will be apparent that you’ve just had a panic attack. All of this might happen in the space of an hour but of course it feels much longer and you finally head home, embarrassed, stressed and tired.
Panic disorders tend to arise when you’re in your late teens to early twenties and the first attack may be triggered by a stressful or traumatic situation like getting into a car accident. However, for a large percentage of the roughly 2.4 million people in the US who suffer from this condition, there is no obvious reason for their panic. Whether you’re aware of what triggered your disorder or not, you probably feel powerless over your fear.
In order to cope with your disorder, you first need to acknowledge that what you have is a genuine mental health issue, regardless of what other people might tell you. You then need to discuss your disorder with your physician. They may be able to recommend counseling, hypnotherapy or prescription medications to manage your panic disorder.
You should also talk about your panic with someone close to you as long as you know they will keep things in confidence. Panic attacks are unpredictable and can be debilitating, so any support you can get from the people around you will help your treatment to be more effective.
You can learn to use visualization and relaxation techniques, redirected self-talk and breathing exercises to calm yourself before or during a panic attack. With time, you will begin to find it easier and easier to manage your condition and be able to live your life without fearing the disruption that panic attacks can cause.
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