“Like always , Mr Adam’s usual tired eyes were glued to the screen of his laptop with the signature scowl that contorted his face” Juliet had narrated “ Nothing seem to be different, it was the usual morning but not for long . Mr Adam suddenly started gasping for breath as he kept sweating profusely with his right hand clutching his chest and his once focused eyes closed in pain. His partner, Maria, called for help and proceeded to speak to him in a calm voice, making short and simple sentences as she helped slow his breathing with him NY counting from one to ten” . It was the first time Juliet ever witnessed a panic attack.
A panic attack is a sudden extreme rush of anxiety, fear or panic. They are quite acute and overwhelming as it hits a person suddenly and last for as long as one hour. They have physical obvious indicators to alert individuals who are suspected to have regular attacks.
This indicators vary slightly from person to person and from attacks to attacks and it includes heart pounding, sweating, short breath, feeling nauseous, feeling frozen, having a desire to urinate or defecate, fear of having a mental issue and having a strong huge to run or escape. It is mostly caused by severe stress, great loss of loved ones or treasured assets or possessions, sudden endangering circumstances and medical conditions. But looking away from these briefly, just like every feeling responded to by the body, panic is initiated by the activation of neural circuit structured by genetic code. The circuit is essential for survival hence panic can be regarded as a survival strategy as it serves as a signal needed to prevent one from making a quick rash decision when life is being endangered because of the presence of a predator. This survival strategy played out when a 12-year-old schoolgirl went to the school toilet. Right before she settled on the water cistern, she caught the sight of a snake crawling from an opening across the slightly opened door. She freezes, which is indeed a biological defence against predators, as she watched the snake crawl out the door and into the overgrown bush around the school.
Due to sudden situations which most times lead to a gentle running start for the heart in other to prepare one from running from sensed danger? There are certain temporary symptoms that will be felt, like the urge to pee, vomit or defecate. This defense reaction is to enable the body to become lighter as the brains seek to flee from complicating situations; this is seen in a deer that poops while running from sensed danger. Panic attack should not be confused with heart attack. When attack surfaces, there are techniques you could use:
Focus on deep breathing
Always tell yourself that you are having a panic attack and not a heart attack and it is just for a little while.
Ignore fear of possible death as it’s a mirage
Close your eyes and focus on your breathing to block extra stimuli
Imagine your happy place
Deliberately relax one muscle at a time, from your fingers to other body parts and engage in light exercises like walking, jogging and swimming.
Other steps you can take:
SUMMARY
A lot of panic attacks are can suddenly shock and overpower you at times. They usually affect anyone and could definitely cause unpleasant symptoms such as anxiety, panic disorder, or depression. It is very important to accept the fact that any attack you would experience is usually short-timed. As a brief, as it is, it could cause concentrated anxiety during a very short duration as it will still end. It causes physical emotional symptoms which can occur whenever an attack happens. Some example of physical symptoms that will experience during a sudden attack may include sweating, rapid breathing, nausea, and a racing heartbeat. Emotional symptoms may also include feelings of fear and being worried repetitively. Looking at the tips shown above, there are always ways to stop a panic attack and drastically reduce the risk whenever it occurs. It is necessary you stay focused and make a quick second decision whenever you are faced with any issue that might warrant you to make decisions.
