Tips to overcome a panic attack: what to do, in 5 keys

The panic attack can become a psychological alteration that seriously compromises the quality of life of those who suffer it.

In this article we will see what this phenomenon consists of, and we will expose several tips to overcome a panic attack taking into account all the scientific knowledge that has been generated about it.

• Related article: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack, also known as a panic attack, is the sudden onset of a psychological state characterized by hyperarousal and a feeling of fear and general malaise. The person who experiences it lives in their own flesh for a relatively brief period, lasting a few minutes, and which usually reaches its peak of intensity around 10 minutes after the onset.

It is an alteration that causes psychological and physiological symptoms, that is, it produces changes in the way of thinking and feeling, but also in more basic biological processes, such as blood pressure.

In fact, during panic attacks the heart rate increases a lot, and tremors and cold sweats usually appear, at the same time that catastrophic thoughts arise (that is, assumes that the worst will happen or even that our lives are in danger) and we enter a state of hypervigilance and extreme sensitivity to stimuli, as well as difficulty breathing good.

Of course, these symptoms do not correspond to what is happening objectively, and in fact the attacks of Panic can occur in virtually any context: in line at the supermarket, sunbathing, etc

There is no apparent reason that alone justifies the triggering of this intense discomfort. What can happen is that you have been suffering the cumulative effect of several worries that keep us anxious for a long time. a period, and that a certain harmless or little problematic event facilitates the expression of the panic attack with all its symptoms typical.

All these symptoms tell us about the nature of the panic attack, which is part of a set of psychological disorders known as anxiety disorders, in which we also find, for example, the phobias.

• You may be interested in: "What is anxiety: how to recognize it and what to do"

How to overcome a panic attack?

These are useful tips to know how to overcome a panic attack.

1. Go to the psychologist

The first piece of advice has to do with prevention and with carrying out a psychological intervention.. This first step makes it easier for us to deal with panic attacks and, at the same time, to help them manifest less frequently, eventually disappearing.

In addition, in the psychologist's office you will also be able to solve your doubts about what is happening to you and you will receive training to know exactly what to do in each case. The tips for managing a panic attack that you will see below should be seen as a parallel help to this psychological intervention.

2. Learn to recognize the symptoms

The moment you see that the anxiety attack is manifesting itself through its symptoms, focus on the task of writing down how you feel, emotionally, cognitively and physiologically. Go writing down the order in which these changes occur, the content of your thoughts, the way you experience your emotions, etc.

When the panic attack is over, try to continue completing that mini-report as soon as possible, without letting you forget relevant information.

These self-records can help you a lot to recognize right away when a panic attack is about to arise., so that in the future you have a better preparation, and they will also be very useful for psychologists who follow up on what is happening to you.

3. Find a place where there is calm

When you notice an anxiety attack starting to occur, find a relatively calm place where you can be. It is important to emphasize the "relatively": do not be obsessed with finding the most quiet and lonely neighborhood, because the feeling of urgency would further fuel the disorder of anxiety.

If you are with more people, you should not try to keep that area away from those people if that is going to make us run or frantically search. There is nothing wrong with being vulnerable in a moment of panic attack, a phenomenon that on the other hand is very frequent and It has happened to a lot of people at some point in their lives, so they may even understand you. perfectly.

4. Do not pretend that the problem is not there

Trying to act as if we were not going to have an anxiety attack is not the solution, and in fact it will only make us feel more vulnerable to the symptoms of this disorder. You have to assume that certain measures must be taken to manage this discomfort, interrupting everything we were doing before the first symptoms appeared.

Therefore, once you are in the calm zone, forget about your responsibilities or social interactions during this brief period of minutes, and if you feel that you prefer to be alone, communicate it to whoever is with you without worrying about what they may think; they will understand.

5. Focus your attention on your breath

Panic attacks cause your focus to act erratically, overreacting to any stimulus, memory or mental image that has a certain component capable of generating anxiety. For example, a car alarm suddenly going off in the distance, a painful childhood memory, etc.

Something that can help you not feed these sources of fear is to focus on something very concrete and simple: your breathing. To do this, nothing better than learning controlled breathing techniques, something that probably you will practice in psychotherapy sessions and that is also included in some exercises of relaxation.

When you focus on breathing properly, you not only contribute to oxygenating your body; you also soften the blow of the panic attack.