Panic Attacks and
Panic Disorder Counselling
Panic Attacks / Anxiety Attacks
Panic attacks, also known as anxiety attacks are episodes of intense panic or fear. Often they can occur suddenly and without warning. At other times there are obvious triggers to a panic attack like giving a big speech or exposure to a social situation. During a panic attack the terror can be so severe that you feel like you could die, go crazy or totally lose control. The physical symptoms can be so frightening that many people think they are having a heart attack and seek medical help. After an anxiety attack is over, you may be worried about having another one, particularly in a public place or somewhere where you feel you can't escape.
Overwhelming anxiety
We all know what anxiety feels like. Our heart may pound before a big presentation or tough exam. Or we may get butterflies in our stomach fretting over a difficult conversation we need to have. It's normal to worry and feel tense or scared when under pressure or facing a stressful situation. But when anxiety becomes overwhelming and turns into a panic attack it has crossed the line between normal anxiety and has entered the territory of anxiety disorders. It may have started to interfere with your relationships and activities and has become more of a constant in your life.
Symptoms of Panic Attacks:
Panic Attacks are usually a discrete period of intense fear or panic that develop abruptly and rarely last more than an hour. Symptoms are different for each person but would include some of the below.
- Feeling of losing control or going crazy
- Fear of dying
- Heart palpitations or chest pain
- Feeling dizzy, lightheaded or faint
- Nausea or stomach cramps
- Trouble breathing or choking sensation
- Fear you're going to pass out
- Trembling or shaking
- Sweating
- Hot flushes or chills
- Feeling detached or unreal
- Numbness or tingling sensations
Panic attack triggers
As described above, panic attacks can be a response to a specific situation or be spontaneous (come out of the blue). Common examples of situational panic attacks are when driving (often on the motorway or over the harbour bridge), being in social situations or crowds, being in enclosed places, being far away from home, public speaking, going to doctors or dentists, sitting exams, airplane travel, confronting someone, or stimuli that reminds you of a past trauma. However if there are no obvious triggers to your panic attacks and they are more spontaneous, you may be suffering from panic disorder.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is described as recurrent unexpected panic attacks with the attacks being followed by one month (or more) of one (or more) of the following:
- Persistent concern about having additional attacks
- Worry about the implications of the attack or its consequences (e.g. losing control, having a heart attack, fainting or going crazy)
- A significant change in behaviour related to the attacks (e.g restricting your activities, avoiding people or situations).
Treatment
The good news is that whether your panic attacks are situational or not, they typically respond well to treatment with psychotherapy. The treatment will need to be tailored to the type of panic attacks you have but will usually involve learning ways of managing the panic attacks, learning relaxation techniques, identifying and challenging negative thinking patterns and irrational beliefs, and confronting your fears gradually in a safe and controlled manner.
Benefits of therapy
Over time you will learn that the situations or emotions you have feared can be faced without harm and your anxiety will decrease. It is usually beneficial to also look at what underlying issues may be driving your panic attacks. This may involve looking in more detail at relationship patterns or uncovering difficult emotions and fears you may not have been aware of. Ultimately, good treatment will not only resolve your panic attacks but give you a greater sense of wellbeing, an increased knowledge of yourself and increased control over your life.
The next step
If you think you may be suffering from panic attacks or panic disorder it helps to talk to a professional trained in working with these problems. They can help you identify exactly what it is you are struggling with and explain how to start the recovery process.
Find a Therapist
Blair Schulze (Grey Lynn & Ellerslie) has a particular interest in working with panic attacks and panic disorder.