What happens during a panic attack?

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is simply a bodily reaction to stress or can even appear to just come out of the blue.

The body releases adrenalin which races through our system and gives us the sensation that something is very wrong. Adrenalin is that wonderful feature of our body which provides us with the strength to fight a danger or flee suddenly to basically save our life. .

So when there is no apparent danger around us,when we feel the sensations of that adrenalin is alien and makes us frightened, causing more adrenalin to rush through us .This then terrifies us and makes us think that we must be going insane or dying.

However, it is only a body reaction……and understanding that, and learning to work with the panic attack, letting it pass and not fighting against it, can mean the difference between an unpleasant short lived sensation…..to a full flung, "get me outta here" panic.

Where does agoraphobia come into the picture? Well, it is when we have a panic attack in a situation, which terrifies us so much, that we begin a pattern of avoidance : we don’t wish to return to the scene of where it happened, or actually returning to the scene , causes another panic through fear of a panic attack happening again.

Panic attacks can leave our bodies and our thought patterns hypersensitive and vulnerable to more panic attacks . This is why some of us have bad runs of having many panic attacks during a day. By relaxation methods this hypersensitivity can be lessened and the chances of panics occurring become lessened.

The very first panic attack can leave you feeling awful, weak and vulnerable to more.
But it doesn’t have to be like that. Understanding and recognising what the body is actually doing during a panic can mean that we no longer have to fear a panic attack, for it is only just that…….a body reaction.

That first rush of fear that you experience has been, named "first fear" by Dr Claire Weeks. With that first rush of adrenalin the natural response , of course, is to feel fear and alarm at a very unpleasant and threatening feeling. By getting alarmed at that feeling and panicking with it, we alarm our bodies and get on a negative thought process of "oh my god, something is wrong, I'm dying, I'm making a fool of myself, I'm going insane" which gives us the "flight or fight" response.

"Fight or flight" is the reaction to a panic attack which is what makes us feel that we have no control and that we must flee the situation and fight the panic. Neither really helps us . It is much better to learn the coping strategies for the two different fears (first and second fear) and get on with our lives.

You can train yourself and your body to catch that first fear .It does take time and a lot of practise, but it is the best thing you can ever learn. Then second fear need not hit and you can take control of your own panic attacks.

If you feel that first fear, calm your mind . Think to yourself, 'this is only a bodily reaction and if I remind and tell my body and mind through my actions that there is nothing to be alarmed at then the sensations will pass' . The adrenalin will be reabsorbed by your body and you will feel 'normal' again in a relatively short period of time.
When you feel that first flush of fear wash over you….let it do just that: allow it to just wash over you. Don’t fight it or become alarmed, it actually can't hurt you . It just makes you feel unpleasant for a few minutes.

Calm your mind with pleasant thoughts and reassurance . Remind yourself over and over that it is only a bodily reaction and can not hurt you.

Do controlled breathing . Ensure that you are breathing steadily and calmly: in through your nose and out through your mouth. Make sure that you are actually breathing through your stomach, not your chest . Place your hand on your belly to feel the stomach rise up and down. Breathing through your stomach ensures that oxygen is reaching all parts of your body and reaching it well.

Help your body to relax by dropping your shoulders, unclench your fists. Concentrate on each part of your body and help it to relax.

Allow the rushing sensations of the adrenalin pass through you . Do not fight them. Yes, they are there, but they will pass in a very short period of time if you are able to assure your body and your mind that there is, in fact, nothing to worry about or fear.

And there actually isn't.

Becki