Aug

29

Panic attacks: symptoms, causes and treatment

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We understand why panic attacks occur and what to do with them – and we also explain why VSD is not a diagnosis.

How to recognize a panic attack

An outbreak of severe anxiety, heart pounding, unable to breathe – this is how a panic attack is most often described. This can happen anywhere: on the way to work, in the supermarket, on a walk, at a party.

Panic attack (PA) symptoms are divided into physiological and psychological.

Physiological:

  • cardiopalmus;
  • shiver;
  • dizziness;
  • nausea;
  • feeling of “wadded” limbs;
  • suffocation;
  • tinnitus;
  • chest pain;
  • increased pressure, hypertensive crisis.

Psychological:

  • fear of losing control of yourself;
  • unexplained anxiety or panic;
  • leaps of thoughts, impaired thinking;
  • difficulty concentrating;
  • fear of death.

At the same time, there may be no psychological aspect: for example, with the so-called “PA without fear,” a person experiences exclusively somatic manifestations. However, after a short analysis, it turns out that he has recently experienced tension and anxiety, or has moved away from emotional turmoil.

Typically, PA reaches its peak within 10 minutes. Less often, the attack lasts longer than half an hour.

Derealization and depersonalization

During panic attacks, many people report states of derealization and depresonalization. These are painful sensations of the unreality of what is happening. During derealization, the world around and people seem to be strangers and strangers. Even when a person realizes that he is in a familiar environment (for example, at home), he does not leave the feeling that “everything is alien here.”

Depersonalization – a feeling as if you are observing yourself from the side, “detachment” from the body.

These symptoms are worth paying special attention to, as they are often found in depression.

Panic disorder

If a panic attack is not an isolated case, attacks recur regularly and occur unexpectedly – we are talking about panic disorder. This is a serious condition, with which you need to consult a specialist as soon as possible.

A person who has ever experienced a panic attack is constantly afraid of another attack. In this case, he can develop avoidance behavior: to exclude any possibility of a recurrence of the attack. This means not using public transport, not going to shopping centers, avoiding crowded places, and ultimately not going out. Panic disorder can sooner or later transform into agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) and depression.

Panic attacks, VSD and NDC

Often, those who experienced panic attacks, especially PA without fear, were confronted with a diagnosis of vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD). Strictly speaking, VSD is not a diagnosis, but a symptom complex. VSD is absent in ICD-10, and there is no official treatment for it. It is placed when the examination did not show any diseases or somatic disorders.

The similarity of VSD with panic attacks is in physiological symptoms: weakness, dizziness, pressure surges, sleep disturbances.

Less often, with such complaints, NCD is given – neurocirculatory dystonia. NCD has a psychogenic character and is more symptomatic of a panic attack. Yet she describes rather physiological (autonomic) manifestations with an emphasis on the cardiovascular system, ignoring the emotional component.

The recommendations of doctors in both cases are usually rather vague: eat right, adhere to a regime, spend time in the fresh air. With panic attacks (and even more so with panic disorder), this lifestyle will not hurt, but it will not solve the problem. Therefore, after all serious medical reasons have been ruled out, it is best to seek psychotherapy.

It seems to cover. What to do?

Don’t dive headlong into fear. The first thing to know is that you don’t die or go crazy. Physiological symptoms resemble light-headedness, and additional fear of fainting may occur. This is extremely unlikely: during PA, the evolutionary system “fight or flight” is launched – a reaction to an external threat that activates all the body’s resources and will not allow you to shut down.

If you have ever experienced a panic attack, it is worth contacting a specialist. However, there are techniques to help you deal with PA on your own:

1. Concentration on an external object

In order not to concentrate on your condition, select an external object and shift the focus of attention to it. Pay attention to color, texture, volume. Contemplation will help you enter a meditative state and relax.

2. Breathing

During a panic attack, hyperventilation can begin: due to the illusion of a lack of oxygen, a person begins to breathe too intensely and deeply, oversaturation of the brain with oxygen. Hyperventilation, in turn, increases dizziness and an unpleasant feeling of “lightness” in the body. To avoid this, control your breathing. A deep, measured inhalation through the nose – a sharp exhalation through the mouth. Repeat until breathing is normal.

If all else fails, and you feel signs of hyperventilation, find a bag, press it firmly to your mouth and breathe into it. The pack helps to limit the amount of oxygen you breathe and you will bounce back quickly.

3. Muscle relaxation

Adrenaline and norepinephrine are now elevated in the blood, which means that the whole body is tense and ready for the “fight or flight” scenario. Your task is to take back control. Relax the muscles in your body alternately, starting with your fingers and jaw. This will convince the brain that there is no danger – and help reduce anxiety.

4. Having a plan

If you know you are susceptible to panic attacks, develop and write down an action plan ahead of time. Set aside 10-20 minutes in a calm, familiar environment where no one will distract you. Take a small notebook that you can always carry with you. Write down, point by point, what you will do in the event of a panic attack. Write down in detail the strategy of behavior and what helps you: perhaps there will be items “call your best friend” or “get your headphones and turn on the meditation application.” During PA, thinking becomes confused and it is difficult to remember how to proceed. Not only does a plan help you act consistently, it is calming in itself.

Why me?

Chronic stress or untreated emotional trauma can lead to panic attacks. An unhealthy lifestyle, stress, alcohol abuse, the too fast pace of a big city is a common background for PA. They can also be triggered by a genetic factor.

However, this does not mean that nothing can be done. Psychotherapy and supportive drug therapy have successfully dealt with this problem.

Who to contact

As we wrote above, the first step is to exclude the medical reasons for your well-being. Experts advise first of all to check the work of the adrenal glands: they are responsible for the production of adrenaline. If there is no dysfunction, you need to work with a psychotherapist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best treatment for panic attacks. In therapy, you will create a plan for dealing with stressful situations, learn relaxation techniques, and work to increase your awareness. In some cases, the therapist may refer to a psychiatrist or psychoneurogol for prescribing drug therapy. Research shows that the combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy provides the most rapid and lasting effect.

Category: Panic attacks

About the Author ()

I’ve hurt myself while trying to help myself more than you can imagine, that’s why I want to scientifically analyze every popular self-help technique and ‘method’ there is.