If you have ever had a panic attack, you will be able to relate to the sheer dread and fear that overwhelms you when your nervous system is hijacked. You feel out of control, engulfed in fear and a victim of your hijacked mind. You can gain mastery over the panic, and I can help!
What is a panic attack?
Panic attacks can be triggered by specific external situations (like with phobias) or can be less obvious, like when you are triggered due to PTSD. An unhelpful belief or thoughts sets off a vicious cycle of overwhelming feelings and sensations as your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) goes into overdrive to help you survive the perceived danger. I write about how our autonomic nervous system works (the SNS & PNS) here.
Panic attacks are not something a person has control over, and this is what makes them so disturbing. Regardless of what triggers the panic, the symptoms can feel unbearable and life-threatening. Here are some examples of symptoms:
Photo from Calmerry in an great article about panic attacks written by Iryna Horkovska.
How to help others:
Anxiety & panic attacks are very unpleasant but fundamentally harmless.
If someone you care about becomes overwhelmed by anxiety or a panic attack, sit down next to them at their eye level and tell them quietly and calmly that you are there for them. Telling them to snap out of it or stop panicking does not help, and will likely increase their panic. Imagine telling someone having a seizure to stop seizing, get up and act normal. They can't because their brain is temporarily hijacked by an electrical storm that causes their body to respond in a way that the person has no control over. Panic attacks are less dangerous than a seizure but the person having the panic attack will feel just as out of control as the person having a seizure.
Stay calm and help them feel safe. If possible, create as much privacy as possible for them. Let them know that you are there, that they are not alone.
You can offer to hold their hand or in some other way physically comfort them, but don't be hurt if they cannot accept physical comfort in the moment.
Remind them that these horrible feelings and sensations will pass. It always does. Assure them that you will stick with them through it.
Deep breaths: Guide them to start taking long, deep breaths through their nose, allowing the breath to expand into their belly. Looking at you will help them externalise their attention, and deep belly breaths can help move out of the high alert mode of the SNS and shift into parasympathetic nervous system mode of rest and repair. Deep breaths send the message to our brain that we are safe . The brain then sends the message to the body to reduce tension and relieve stress, decreasing our heart rate and blood pressure, allowing us to regain access to our thinking mind. Box Breathing is a simple and very effecting breathing technique proven to lower anxiety: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEmt1Znux58
5 things: Once they are able to pay attention to you, ask them to point out 5 things they can see, 4 things they can touch, 3 things they can hear, 2 things they can smell and one thing they can taste. If you don't remember the whole list, just get them to name things they see and can touch around them. This will help turn their attention to the world around them and away from the feelings of panic inside of them.
How to help yourself:
If you are struggling with anxiety and panic, I can help. Together we can build your capacity to overcome anxiety and panic using clinically proven methods of Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, Breathwork and Mindfulness. You do not need to remain stuck in anxiety and panic. Thanks to our amazing brains and neuro-plasticity, you can change how you respond to triggers and you can learn to stop being swept away by anxiety and panic. Working together, you can learn how to recognise your unhelpful thoughts & beliefs and replace them with new, helpful ones. You can learn how to manage the strong emotions rather than being a victim to them, empowering yourself.
It's time to break free! To start on your journey to freedom from anxiety and panic attacks, click on the link below & fill out the initial consultation form. I am ready to help you.
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