What To Do If You Have A Panic Attack?

During a panic attack, it is difficult, both as a victim and as an outsider, to act properly. Learn more about the panic attack!

In a panic attack, relatives often stand a little helpless next to the person concerned and cannot understand the reaction. Those affected also know that a panic attack has little to do with reality, but few know what can be done.

How do you recognize a panic attack?

A panic attack manifests itself in a variety of symptoms, some of which are also associated with a heart attack. If you are having a panic attack, don’t be surprised if outsiders want or want to take you to the emergency room. They only mean well to you if you have the following panic attack symptoms :

• Tremble
• Sweats
• Shortness of breath, shortness of breath, feeling of suffocation
• dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Numbness
• Tingling of fingers, mouth or lips and skin
• Tightness or tightness in the throat or chest,
• Chest pain

• nausea
• Fear of dying
• exhaustion
• stomach pain
• Blurred vision
• Racing heart / palpitations
• Hot flashes
• Dry mouth
• difficulties swallowing
• Gag reflex
• “Feel like behind a cotton wool wall”
• Fear of “going crazy”

In particular, the fear of “going crazy” is very characteristic of a panic attack or anxiety disorder.

What helps those affected?

If you experience a person in your immediate vicinity having a panic attack, you can help the person. To be on the safe side, in order not to confuse a panic attack with a heart attack, you should call the emergency doctor. Better safe than sorry!

You should know that the first ten minutes of a panic attack are particularly bad, but then the symptoms slowly subside and the person concerned usually calms down within half an hour.

It is particularly important that you talk to the person concerned calmly and that you do not transfer your own tension. Then offer something to drink to provide refreshment and distraction. Chewing gum or cookies also help, because chewing relieves fear.

Try to walk a few steps with the person, encourage them to move, talk to the person in a calming way and try to create a distraction. You will see that it gets better, even if the person concerned won’t notice it.

How To Deal With A Panic Attack?

If you know that you occasionally suffer from panic attacks, you basically know yourself that only therapy can help you to get out of this cycle of eternal avoidance strategies.

But until the therapy is successful, further attacks can occur. Then, if you choose the right strategy, you will get along better with it. However, any strategy should never be a substitute for therapy! You can’t avoid that!

In a panic attack, try the following:

• Accept the fear and talk to it.
• Make sure you breathe calmly and regularly.
• Have a drink or chew gum.
• Walk around and let the surroundings distract you.
• Focus on your senses:  do you hear the birds? Do the flowers smell?
• Call someone to calm you down and support you.

• Sum a song or a melody.

The background to these tips: If you move, the stress hormones released by the panic attack are broken down more quickly due to the muscle activity. Exercise also raises blood pressure, which often falls during an attack and makes you dizzy.

Therapy is the solution

The tips on how to cope better with a panic attack are by no means a substitute for therapy, because you can only avoid panic attacks in the future if you face the cause and work through it.

Sometimes the cause of such attacks is not a psychological disorder at all, but a side effect of a drug, a symptom of a heart problem, vitamin or mineral deficiency, hormone disorder, liver disease or derailed blood pressure or blood sugar.

So if this is the first time you’ve had an attack like this, see a doctor and get a thorough examination to find the cause. Only when the doctor has ruled out all possible causes is it time for therapy. Do not delay this any longer, but accept the referral from your doctor as soon as possible.

Prevent panic attacks

There is something you can do to prevent such conditions! Like so many things, this can also be prevented with simple behaviors:

• Eat a healthy diet.
• Make sure your vitamin and mineral needs are met.
• Learn relaxation techniques.
• Get enough sleep.
• Exercise regularly.
• Get outdoors regularly.
• Reduce stress.

With these strategies you prevent many other impairments and negative effects on your health. So it’s worth it in many ways!