Describing a Panic Attack and One Key To Stopping Them

Before we discuss how to stop a panic attack, let’s get into what a panic attack is. You may have felt one before and if you have then it’s hard to mistake it. A panic attack is a sudden wave of intense anxiety and fear. According to the DSM, in order to be diagnosed with panic disorder you must have more than one panic attack that recurs without any warning and at least four of the symptoms below:

· Pounding heart

· Sweating

· Trembling or shaking

· Shortness of breath

· Feeling of choking

· Chest pain

· Nausea and abdominal pain

· Dizziness or feeling light headed

· Chills or hot flashes

· Numbness

· Feeling unreal or disconnected

· Fear you are “going crazy”

· Fear of dying

In addition, after a sudden panic attack, you must have at least one month of one or both of:

· Constant worry about having another attack and fear of what will happen .

· Significant change in your behavior to avoid having another attack such as avoiding going to certain places because you may have a panic attack there.

If you have a panic attack in relation to a particular event or fear, then you wouldn’t necessarily have a panic disorder. For example, if you always have panic attacks before giving a speech or after going in elevators, then you probably have a specific phobia, rather than a panic disorder.

Panic attacks can feel very uncomfortable. They send many people to the emergency room every year. However, they can be treated.

A key tool that can be helpful when having a panic attack is to stay in the present moment. Your panic attack will want you to focus on how you’re feeling, how uncomfortable you are, and the slew of thoughts racing through your brain like, “I’m dying, I’m going crazy, I’ll never make it through this.” Reducing your focus on your emotions, thoughts, and physical feelings takes you out of the panic spiral.

Try counting the number of green things in your environment, try counting backwards in your head by 3’s. Focus on what is going on around you, not within you. Count the number of men, women, dogs, cats, tile’s, lamps, clouds, birds, freckles, lines, anything you see in your external environment. What do you smell? Focus on that. Can you hear cars, dogs, wind, an air conditioner, lawnmowers, music? Hone in on what is going on around you. This will take practice and you may have to talk yourself through it such as, “Okay, I feel like I might have a panic attack. Let me begin counting things I see. It’s not a big deal. I can get through this.”

Learning the tools necessary to reduce the intensity and frequency of your panic attacks is essential in limiting them and opening your life back up again to all the things you want to do.

I hope this article has helped shed some light on what panic attacks are and one tool to dealing with them. Please keep in mind this article is not intended as professional therapy or clinical advice. If you need help with a mental health issue you are facing, please contact a licensed mental health clinician.

I wish you well.

-Dr. Zaleski

Dr. Katrina Zaleski is a licensed clinical psychologist providing therapy in the state of California. One of her specialties is treating anxiety and panic attacks. Learn more about Dr. Zaleski’s services for Anxiety Counseling.