Charlotte was on her way to an interview when she suddenly felt a surge of fear. Her heart was pounding rapidly, she could barely breathe, her head started spinning, and she thought she was having a heart attack. Some 15 minutes later, the symptoms disappeared and she felt at ease.
Charlotte figured that she must be suffering from a heart or other medical condition, so she went to get some tests done. All the tests came back negative but her ‘mysterious illness’ continued. It was only after her friend recommended her to see a mental health professional that she was diagnosed with panic disorder. Those sudden instances of fear and anxiety were panic attacks.
After a couple of sessions of EMDR therapy, her panic attacks became less and less frequent as she learned how to recognize and cope with them better.
What Is a Panic Attack?
A panic attack is an episode of intense fear and anxiety that happens without any warning and in the absence of real danger or threat. Because a panic attack is sudden and often accompanied by chest pain and shortness of breath, people may wrongly assume that they are having a heart attack. This is exactly what happened with Charlotte. However, a panic attack is not life-threatening while a heart attack is.
Some other symptoms of a panic attack are:
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Feeling dizzy
- Feeling of impending doom
- Nausea
- Stomach ache
- Headaches
- A tingling sensation or numbness
- Blurred vision
While what I’ve mentioned above are physical symptoms, you may also experience mental symptoms such as racing thoughts, excessive worrying, and not feeling in control.
When it happens, it feels like a lifetime. But the truth is, it only lasts for a couple of minutes and then fades away. A panic attack is physically taxing and it can leave you feeling exhausted. Thus, it’s important to pay attention to your body’s needs afterwards and take rest to recuperate.
We don’t know the exact reasons why a panic attack happens but research suggests that it may run in families, be influenced by environmental factors, occur during a highly stressful time, or be a result of past trauma.
However terrifying a panic attack might feel, there are ways you can learn to cope with it and take some of its power away. Let’s explore how you can deal with a panic attack when it does happen.
How to Cope With a Panic Attack
Panic attacks are frightening, unexpected, and downright debilitating. Someone who suffers from a panic disorder can become socially withdrawn and isolated due to the fear of the next attack.
They feel unable to control their responses and live their life fully. The dread of the panic attack and resulting isolation slowly seeps into their personal and professional life.
At a point like this, one may feel hopeless and despair that nothing can be done.
Well, the good news is, you can do something about it.
You can learn to manage your thoughts and behaviours, and with enough practice, you will be able to reduce the severity and intensity of the panic attack.
Here are a few strategies you can implement:
- Start by conquering the fear of the fear
You had a panic attack once, but now you can’t stop feeling anxious over when the next one may come on. It’s not the present moment, but the future uncertainty that’s causing fear and anxiety. You can relieve this fear by practising mindfulness meditation. Try positive affirmations such as telling yourself, “These feelings will pass”, “I am calm”, and “I am safe.” These affirmations can help you reframe your negative thinking.
- Identify when a panic attack happens
Be conscious of the bodily sensations you feel when panic strikes. I understand that it’s deeply uncomfortable, but it’s possible to deal with it. Remember, whatever you’re feeling is valid. Noticing when a panic attack begins can help you break free from the panic cycle in which the attack causes further anxiety and fear. Recognize that these sensations just are, they are not harmful.
- Focus on your breath
During a panic attack, you may feel out of control and unable to focus. Gently bring your attention to your breath, and start inhaling and exhaling deeply. Count each deep breath you take and notice how your heart begins to slow down when the fresh air fills up your lungs.
- Relax your muscles
A panic attack can make your muscles tense up. As you breathe deeply, try to consciously focus on all the major muscle groups of your body and relax them. Start from the top and release the tension from your facial muscles, then your neck and shoulders, your back, your abdomen, and finally your legs and feet. Once the tension is released from your body, you’ll feel much calmer and relaxed.
It might be helpful for you to note these techniques on a piece of paper and keep it with you. If you feel like a panic attack may be coming on, you can revisit these tips and try them to calm yourself down.
While the strategies above can certainly help, you may not be in a position to deal with your panic attacks alone. Reaching out to a professional can make recovery much more rapid while you get the added support of someone who understands what you’re going through.
How EMDR Can Help With Panic Attacks
Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a popular, evidence-based treatment that helps you get to the root of your condition and heals both your body and mind. It has several benefits. The core belief of EMDR is that during a stressful or traumatic event, the memory isn’t fully processed by the brain, and down the line, this lack of processing shows up as various symptoms. Unlike traditional talk therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), EMDR doesn’t require you to provide a narrative account, which may make you relive the traumatic event again and again. It’s largely non-verbal.
It rather makes use of something called bilateral stimulation where you focus on the therapist’s movements of hands as they move back and forth while you concentrate on the thoughts, feelings, visuals, and sensations that surround the disturbing memory.
This is an effective way of reprogramming your thinking.
Eventually, you unlock your brain and are no longer distressed by the memory.
It is a tender and effective approach to treating panic attacks in a safe space.
You deserve to live fearlessly. With EMDR therapy for panic attacks, you can reclaim control over your life and become better equipped to handle a panic attack if it does happen.
We can work together to help your brain learn that the memory is no longer taking place in the now and curb that automatic fight-or-flight response that your body activates. You can learn to feel safe.
Contact me today for a consultation to see if EMDR is the right fit for you and I’ll be happy to answer all your questions as well.
Let’s begin the journey of your healing.
Case study: Social anxiety/panic attacks in between the crowds.
Sam’s issue was having panic attacks in the crowds
Me: What exactly are you afraid of?
Client: I avoid crowds as they make me nervous and panicky, I am looking for the exit and I want to get out.
Me: What is it about crowds that bother you?
Client: I am afraid someone will take up my space, I almost feel the sensations of claustrophobia
Me: What was the worst experience of claustrophobia have you had before?
Client: I had a panic attack on the plane 20 years ago
Me: Close your eyes and go inside. Bring up the panic on the plane. Which picture represents the worst part of the incident
Her: I was sitting next to the window
Me: what do you feel when you look at that picture now?
Her: Panic.
Me What do you notice in your body?
Her: I feel tense, I am looking for the exit as though I want to get out!
Me: What do you believe about yourself?
Her: I am weak, I am in denger
Me: What would you like to believe instead?
Her: I am ok, I am safe, and I can do it.
Then we worked on that memory, reprocessed it and reframed it for the client until the client believed about herself differently ‘’I am ok and I can do it!’’
Then I asked her to imagine herself in the plane and she could feel much more relaxed, reading her book and then falling asleep.
We then followed by asking her to imagine her in the future in crowds which she was able to imagine with ease.
A client reported later on that her social phobia is no longer there. Occasionally she can have thoughts popping to her head where is that exit, but then the next thought comes along why do I even need to know that, just enjoy.