Anxiety Attacks and Panic Disorder
While anxiety and panic might be common for everyone at some point in their lives, approximately six million people experience Panic Disorder each year.
Panic Disorder often begins in adolescence or early adulthood, with women being twice as likely as men to suffer. Panic attacks can occur spontaneously, in specific triggering situations, or sometimes during sleep. They typically include unsettling physical symptoms in addition to the mental distress.
Panic Disorder involves experiencing severe panic attacks (also known as anxiety attacks) with a significant fear of its re-occurrence. How long do panic attacks last? The panicking can range from a few minutes to an hour, though the exhaustion/stress from them can go on for hours. See more info farther down this page. If you’re now wondering, “What does a panic attack feel like?”, see the signs of a panic attack below.
Signs of Panic Disorder
There is a wide variety of signs & symptoms of anxiety attacks:
- Fear of “Going Crazy” or “Losing Control”
- Fear of Dying or having a Heart Attack
- Heart Racing and Palpitations
- Shortness of Breath, Difficulty Breathing, and Chest Pain
- Trembling and Shaking
- Sweating, Over-Heating, or Cold Chills
- Nausea, Stomach Distress, and Possible Vomiting
- Dizziness, Light-headedness, and Incidences of Fainting
- Fear of Choking
- Paresthesia (numbness or tingling sensations)
- Derealization (experience of your surroundings being “not real”)
- Depersonalization (experience of being detached from oneself or of having lost one’s identity)
Because of the severity of anxiety and panic attack symptoms, people will often go to great lengths to avoid having to experience panic again.
Compulsive Behaviors
- Avoid locations they previously had an attack (elevators, airplanes, malls, cinemas, sports arenas, etc).
- Ask for reassurance from family members to confirm that they will not panic.
- Avoid events where they previously had a panic attack (large gatherings, public speaking, interviews, intimate dates, etc).
- Ask or demand family members and friends to stay with them, in case they have a panic attack.
- Mentally plan out future events to avoid possible chances of panic.
- Repetitively call/visit doctors/medical professionals to be sure they won’t die or something is not “wrong” with them.
- Go to the emergency room when experiencing an attack.
- Ruminate on what the panic’s meaning could be
It is important to note that this disorder often occurs concurrently with other physical illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, substance abuse, and other anxiety disorders such as social phobia, generalized anxiety and depression. Having some of these illnesses does not automatically qualify you as having a Panic Disorder diagnosis. Please see a qualified Mental Health Professional or Medical Doctor for assessment.
If you have some or all of these symptoms and you feel that the above information describes you, see a qualified mental health professional for assessment. Use the form below to contact Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT.
What is Agoraphobia?
As mentioned above, in some cases, people with anxiety attack symptoms avoid returning to situations or places where they previously experienced a panic attack. In severe cases, this is called Agoraphobia and can sometimes become so severe, people are unable to leave their home and engage in their normal daily functioning.
What Causes Anxiety Attacks?
We still aren't 100% sure why we experience anxiety attacks, but we do have lots of research showing that those with anxiety attacks can resume back to their lives and take back their lives from anxiety attacks.
How long do anxiety attacks last?
It is common for these experiences to last between minutes to 30 minutes. Commonly, anxiety will peak at around 10 minutes. However, this is different for each person. How to help a panic attack? We try to encourage our patients to not put an emphasis on how long they last, but instead focus on using their tools to manage and allow the discomfort they feel. This helps them to learn that they can, in fact, tolerate the discomfort of anxiety. This can be incredibly empowering!
Panic Attack and Panic Disorder Treatment
Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia are successfully treated using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness. Treatment involves first, to identify the distorted thoughts and restructure them more reasonably and rationally, commonly called Cognitive Therapy.
Secondly, panic attack treatment involves learning how to manage symptoms of panic. Much to your surprise, this does not involve solving how to stop a panic attack, but instead, how to ride the wave of anxiety without running away from it or letting it make your decisions. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a component of Behavioral Therapy where the client will slowly expose themselves to the things that trigger and learn mindfulness tools (Read more about Mindfulness here), self-compassion and breathing exercises (such as deep breathing or loving-kindness breathing exercises) to manage their symptoms and learn how to deal with anxiety attacks.
Is there a Panic Attack Medication? Are there Side Effects?
There are medications that can offer anxiety attack help. However, in therapy, we put our focus on teaching you all the skills and tools you will need to ride the wave of anxiety and uncertainty that arise when you are triggered. We are not licensed to provide medication care. However, we are happy to consult with your psychiatrist or give you referrals for trusted psychiatrists to help you explore medication options, if you prefer. Your referred medical professional can address the pros and cons to medication and the possible side effects.
If you have some or all of these symptoms and resonate with the above information, see a qualified mental health professional for an assessment. Use the form below to contact Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT.
kimberley@kimberleyquinlan-lmft.com
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