Anxiety attacks, or panic attacks, can be common and recurrent for people of all profiles, regardless of personality, beliefs, race, or other cultural and sociodemographic aspects. To have an anxiety attack, you just need to be human!
Because they appear unexpectedly and can mimic a heart attack, anxiety attacks are among the most prevalent diagnoses in emergency services.
About 40% of people who receive a panic disorder diagnosis have their first treatment in the emergency room, with 15% arriving at the hospital by ambulance. As we've seen, people with panic disorder, in particular, are the ones who fear a new attack the most.
Even for those who have "gotten used to" the attacks, the symptoms are frightening and, in many cases, debilitating. It's hard to think clearly at a moment when your mind and body seem certain that something very bad is happening.
This article contains some strategies that can help you in a moment like this.
Recognize the crisis
The sensation of having a heart attack is one of the most frequent reports among those who experience anxiety attacks, regardless of the type. The thing is, it's not pretending!
It's very common for others to doubt, but those having an attack truly believe it's a heart attack because they actually feel the symptoms in their own body. The rapid heartbeat is real and frightening!
Tachycardia and other symptoms, combined with momentary lack of mental clarity, can indeed cause a short circuit and internal chaos, confusing everything. It's hard to trust people, and sometimes, when there are many people around, everything can get even worse.
So, the first thing you need to know is: a panic attack or anxiety attack reaches its peak after 10 to 20 minutes. Although it may seem like a lifetime when you're in crisis, symptoms generally begin to disappear after the peak. For most people, this means approximately 15 minutes. The primary formula is: you just need to hold on for a few minutes.
I know, it's easy to say! But by recognizing that you're having a panic/anxiety attack, you can commit to doing an exercise, visualizing that it's temporary, it will pass, and most likely you'll be fine.
Remember: it will pass
Fear cannot hurt you, but holding onto it will increase the panic. Thinking this way, you can push away the fear that you might be dying or that imminent doom is approaching—both symptoms of the crisis. This can allow you to focus on other techniques to reduce your symptoms.
Close your eyes
Some attacks are triggered or worsened by external triggers. For example, if you're in a busy environment with many visual stimuli, this can fuel your crisis.
To reduce these stimuli, simply close your eyes during the crisis. This will block those extra triggers and help you focus on your breathing.
If the environment is very noisy, try walking to a calmer place. In case of an attack while you're driving, pull over immediately so you can calm down.
Focus on your breathing
Remember the deep breathing technique we learned on this journey? It can be very useful here because crisis symptoms worsen if you maintain rapid or shallow breathing for a long period.
Try to gently bring your attention to your breathing and aim to take slower inhalations and exhalations. Observe how the air enters and leaves your lungs.
In practice:
- Place one hand on your chest and the other hand on your belly
- Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air move toward your belly. The hand on your chest stays practically still and only the hand on your belly will rise
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth, emptying your belly. The hand on it will return to its original position
- Repeat the breathing from step 2 until you calm down
Pay attention
Crises can give you the sensation of detaching from reality, which generates that fear of going crazy or losing control. Something that can help in this case is focusing on something you know is part of reality. For example, the texture of your clothing in your hands.
Concentrating on these physical sensations within your reach can anchor you back to reality and serve as an important distraction at this moment.
And any object works here, okay? The way your feet are touching the ground, a water bottle within your reach, or even your phone in your hands. Choose something from the present moment and observe everything possible about that object: its texture, temperature, shape, size, etc.
Be gentle with yourself
What would you do if you saw someone you love having an anxiety attack?
We can bet you wouldn't attack the person with phrases like: "You're overreacting" or "You're going crazy." You would probably try to calm the person down as much as possible, right? So why not do the same for yourself?
Talk to yourself gently, seeking to rationalize the intrusive thoughts that can flood your mind at a moment like this.
Repeating a mantra internally can be relaxing and give you something to hold onto during a crisis. Whether it's a simple "This will pass" or a phrase that speaks to you personally, repeat it on loop in your head until you feel the crisis subside.
Seek help from a healthcare professional
There are many medication options that can help you cope with anxiety and manage a crisis or panic attack when they occur with some frequency.
Among the options, there are those that were developed specifically for these crises, having an immediate effect on your body and potentially bringing you back in a matter of seconds. Never use any medication for your anxiety without the supervision of a psychiatrist. This type of medication has side effects that are dangerous to your health and can even worsen your condition.
In the short term, medication can help you because it acts directly on the crisis symptoms, but it's worth mentioning that 50% of people have a relapse when they stop using medications. Therefore, for the long term, a psychologist can help you, as they deal with the origin of the problem rather than the symptom. Find a professional who makes you feel comfortable, attend therapy sessions as frequently as they suggest, and follow all the guidance they provide.