What are the symptoms of panic attacks? How to Treat Panic Attacks?

Panic attack is a disorder characterized by sudden onset of intense fear and anxiety and manifested by physiological and psychological symptoms. These attacks, which usually occur unexpectedly and without an obvious trigger, cause an intense stress response in individuals that is perceived as if they are experiencing a life-threatening situation. In addition to physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating and dizziness, mental symptoms such as loss of control or fear of dying are typical features of a panic attack.

What is Panic Attack?

A panic attack, which begins suddenly and unexpectedly, is a short-term situation in which intense fear and anxiety are felt. This condition usually manifests itself with physical and mental symptoms. The patient experiences as if he feels in real danger. During a panic attack, the individual perceives the changes in his body as dangerous. For example, physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, or chest tightness can make you feel as if you are having a heart attack. Panic attacks sometimes occur suddenly without a specific trigger. This unexpected situation causes the individual to feel a great loss of control and intense anxiety.

Those who experience panic attacks may experience restrictions in their daily lives due to frequently recurring attacks. The unexpected occurrence of attacks and the feeling of loss of control may cause individuals to avoid going out, participating in social events, or being in stressful environments. Panic disorder, when panic attacks are uncontrolled agoraphobic It can turn into more serious anxiety disorders such as: The treatment process of panic attacks is supported by psychotherapy and, when necessary, medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps the individual understand the thoughts and behaviors that lead to panic attacks, while allowing the individual to improve coping skills with symptoms.

What are the symptoms of panic attacks?

It manifests itself as a combination of many different physical and mental symptoms. The intense fear and anxiety experienced with these symptoms reaches its highest level in a short time. People who have a panic attack usually experience symptoms such as heart palpitations or chest tightness, sudden and rapid breathing, and feeling like they are suffocating. Physical symptoms such as sweating, shaking, nausea, or dizziness are also common during an attack. Panic attack symptoms can be listed as follows:

• Heart palpitations or feeling of pressure in the chest: During a panic attack, most people notice their heart beating rapidly or feeling tightness in their chest. This increases the level of fear.
• Shortness of breath and feeling of suffocation: The patient feels like he cannot breathe enough and needs to take deep breaths. This may increase panic during the attack.
• Sweating and tremors: Symptoms such as sudden onset of sweating and uncontrollable shaking in the body are common symptoms of a panic attack.
• dizziness and nausea: The patient may feel dizzy or about to lose balance. Nausea and dizziness reinforce these feelings.
• Fear of loss of control or death: During a panic attack, people experience intense fear, thinking that they will not be able to control themselves or that they will die.
• Derealization and depersonalization: Patients who may experience a feeling of “unreality” towards the environment or themselves may perceive the people around them or their own body as if they were in a different or foreign environment.

What Causes Panic Attacks?

Although its causes are not fully understood, it is thought to play a role in the development of panic attacks. A number of factors, such as genetic predisposition, biochemical processes, psychological states and environmental factors, can affect the occurrence of panic attacks. To understand the causes of panic attacks, how biological, psychological and environmental factors interact is examined. Often, a complex picture emerges where multiple factors coexist.

How to Treat Panic Attacks?

Attacks can be controlled by manageable methods. During a panic attack, people may find themselves in a state of rapidly increasing fear and anxiety. In this case, some methods applied consciously may help the attack pass more quickly.

During a panic attack, breathing accelerates. This situation further increases physical reactions. Breathing slowly and deeply helps reduce the body’s “fight or flight” response. An individual can calm himself down by taking a deep breath through his nose, holding it for a few seconds, and then slowly exhaling through his mouth. This simple method helps reduce heart palpitations and makes the person feel safer by balancing blood pressure. Additionally, the following methods can help manage attacks more easily:

• Focus on Reality: During a panic attack, the patient may feel like he is in an unreal situation. In this case, it may be useful to focus on the physical facts of the environment. For example, the patient can count the objects around him, feel different surfaces by touching his skin, or immerse himself in the moment by listening to sounds. With this method, known as the “5-4-3-2-1 technique”, the patient mentally returns to the present moment by identifying five things around him that he can see, four sounds he can hear, three objects he can touch, two things he can smell and one thing he can taste.
• Questioning Negative Thoughts: The thoughts that trigger a panic attack often stem from unrealistic or overly anxious thoughts. During a panic attack, suggestions such as “This will pass” or “This is not a health problem, it is a fear reaction” can relieve the individual’s mental anxiety. Constantly reminding oneself that these thoughts are unreal helps reduce the level of fear.
• Physical Movement or Distraction: Doing light exercises during a panic attack can reduce tension by balancing the energy in the body. For example, walking for a few minutes or performing a simple physical movement can help reduce the physical symptoms that occur during an attack by reducing the level of adrenaline in the body.

Getting professional support in dealing with panic attacks offers long-term solutions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps the individual understand the thoughts and behaviors that trigger panic attacks and develop methods to cope with them. CBT aims to restructure negative thought patterns, especially regarding panic attacks, and to enable the patient to cope with these thoughts in a healthier way. In some cases, drug treatment deemed appropriate by a psychiatrist may also be applied.

Panic Attack Treatment

It consists of various therapies and treatment methods that aim to help the patient manage attacks better, reduce their frequency, and improve their quality of life. The panic attack treatment process is determined by a personalized approach. It usually includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, and lifestyle changes.

One of the most common and effective methods of treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT helps the individual recognize the thought patterns that trigger panic attacks, understand the source of these thoughts, and restructure them. During this therapy process, the individual learns how to control the negative thoughts and physical reactions he experiences during the attack. Lifestyle changes also have an important place in the treatment of panic attacks. Relaxation techniques, especially practices aimed at reducing stress levels, are effective in reducing the frequency of panic attacks. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation and yoga enable the individual to better cope with stress. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and avoiding stressful situations provide important support in coping with panic attacks.