Anxiety is an awful emotion to feel, a feeling that can't be controlled and you usually can't feel it creeping up on you. There are different levels of anxiety that lie in all of us. From a simple thing like "Oh no, I've got school/work tomorrow" to something more nerve wracking like a scary job interview or waiting for your appointment at the dentist or doctors. Although anxiety lies in all of us, it effects people in different ways and for different reasons. When we're stressed, our anxiety levels are much higher and some of us become more sensitive to it than others. Those of you who panic before a test/exam, before going on stage etc. This level of anxiety is completely normal, everyone will go through it. However, those of you who feel anxious everyday when there is nothing to be worried about and who suffer from panic attacks regularly, this is when you know you actually suffer from anxiety or a panic disorder.
Extremely high levels of anxiety, can, in a lot of people, cause people to have panic attacks, whether you are aware of your anxiety or not.
I am writing this post to try and help some of you (even if it's just one of you I help), to help you understand more and to realize that you are not the only one who suffers from anxiety. You are not alone.
What exactly is a panic attack?
A sudden feeling of dread, the sudden urge to push your way through to the nearest exit, feeling like the whole room shrinking around you and everybody staring and smothering you. In a split second, without you anticipating it, or knowing it's going to happen, your body releases adrenaline. This adrenaline is released as your body is preparing for "flight or fight". Something our brain is programmed to do in a life or death situation. You need adrenaline for a fight to be strong, and you need adrenaline for flight, in order to run fast and get away. This adrenaline is released in situations like tripping over a step, being extremely excited, being on a roller-coaster, being in a fight, in an accident., adrenaline is released into our bodies all the time, but us panic attack sufferers have a "SENSITIVE ALARM" .
What happens during a panic attack?
Adrenaline is released, thus causing your heart to beat faster, and your muscles to tense. We breathe in more oxygen, which our muscles use to turn sugar into energy (even though we don't need extra energy for anything). Blood is diverted to the muscles, making you pale and light headed. This also causes you to shake. Our digestive system shuts down, making your throat dry and making you feel sick. Your senses are heightened, you become more aware of the sights and smells around you (It's like someone has turned the volume up, and in a busy place, it was loud enough anyway)
When adrenaline floods your body, it can cause many physical and emotional sensations that may effect you during a panic attack:
These may include:
Very rapid breathing or feeling unable to breathe
Very rapid heartbeat
Pains in your chest
Feeling faint or dizzy
Sweating/shivering
Ringing in your ears
Tingling or numbness in your hands or feet
Hot and cold flushes
Feeling nauseous
Wanting to go to the toilet
Feeling absolute terror
Feeling smothered
Feeling claustrophobic
Extremely emotional/uncontrollable crying
Feeling of unreality
Panic attacks come on very quickly, usually peeking within 10 minutes. Most panic attacks last between 5 and 20 minutes. Some people report panic attacks lasting up to an hour, but they are most likely experiencing one attack after another, or a high level of anxiety after the initial attack.
For me, anxiety is much harder to deal with, due to being a very empathetic and sensitive person anyway. My first panic attack happened around May 2013 (last year). What happened was that, at the time, we we're doing this speech festival thing as part of English class, where we had to read it out loud in front of the whole year, where we had to be in partners and write a speech about rights. Anyway, we had to perform it in front of our English class first. Once we had done that my teacher asked my friend (my partner I was with) if she should put us in for the speech festival, in panic my friend sat yes. With that, I smacked my friend on the shoulder and said "why did you say yes for!?", she responded with "I didn't know what to say". For the last 5 minutes of that lesson we were watching a video but I was just sat there panicking, just the thought of reading the speech in front of the whole year terrified me (I have massive stage fright). I eventually told my friend at the end of the lesson that I couldn't do the speech, she understood and said "we'll talk to her at the end of the lesson". However, when the lesson finished I waited outside the room. At this point I was hyperventilating a lot and crying. My friend was shouting at me saying "come on bring it together, you need to go talk to her!" (which you should never say to someone who is having a panic attack). I managed to say that I couldn't, so my friend just went and talked to the teacher". I waited outside, having this horrible panic attack, uncontrollably crying, hyperventilating, shaking. It was terrifying, I didn't really know why this was happening to me. Luckily, my other friend saw me, hugged me and told me things to calm me down. After about 10 minutes of crying etc. I eventually calmed down. Afterwards, I felt completely drained. I still knew I had to carry on with my day though. But I did, in fact, feel really anxious throughout the rest of the day.
Recently, my anxiety has been quite bad, luckily I haven't had a panic attack recently but I felt close to having one yesterday in Science class. I keep feeling anxious to and from school or sometimes just sat at my desk in class it happens randomly and for no reason at all, I don't have anything to worry about. But that's what suffering with anxiety is like.
Panic attacks can spring on you anywhere at any time...
In bed at night
At school
At work
In a supermarket
In a pub
In a club
In a taxi
On a bus
On the tube
On a train
At the train station
At a restaurant
At a friends house
At a family members house
In a car
On a boat
On a plane
At a airport
There's loads, the list is endless, but these are the ones I can think of at the moment. I haven't had panic attacks at all of these places. Overall, I have had 4 panic attacks 3 of them have been at school and 1 in bed at night.
What helps during a panic attack?
The best thing that I find helps when you are having a panic attack is to go outside (if you are not already), walking away from the place where the panic attack took place and fanning myself always helps me (weird I know).
Listening to relaxing music. Slow paced, quiet music is always best because it is very calming. Find that artist or bands music that helps you to calm down and listen to them whenever your feeling anxious or heading to a place that makes you feel anxious. Also, I have an app called Calm.com. It has all different relaxing sounds such as, the ocean, birds, rain etc. There are also calming meditation sessions you can do which range from 2 minutes to 20 minutes. Calm.com always helps me. Whenever I feel anxious I just put my earphones, listen to the sound of the ocean and do a calming session.
Slow, deep breathing. It may be hard for some people but try to control your breathing and slow it down if you can.
If I have someone with me. I usually want them to stay quiet, unless I ask them something. Otherwise I will feel too smothered. No-one wants to feel like that. The last thing I need is people firing questions at me, thinking it will distract me when it won't. At the time of a panic attack, I don't need someone highlighting the fact that I am panicking. It's nice to know someone is with you, but if I'm having a panic attack, I'm already hearing things 10x louder and need to try and calm down. You also don't have a lot of energy to speak, as any energy you already have, is being used everywhere else.
Avoiding panic...
For many people, the only way they can avoid having a panic attack, is literally sitting at home and never leaving the house. I never want it to get this bad, but I can see how it would happen very easily with a lot of people. My anxiety is a lot worse when I am stressed, so I find it important give myself a break fairly often. I just make sure I get enough sleep, try to be as organised as possible and don't rush anywhere. You may think the last one is a given but I've noticed that if everything becomes fast-paced I become stressed more easily.
Listening to relaxing music is very helpful too, different types of music can change your mood very easily. I also find that's it's very helpful and important to write down how you are feeling if you feel like you are about to to panic. Weirdly this helps me a lot. If you feel like you are about to panic whack out your phone of a notebook and write down how you are feeling.
How can I help someone who is having a panic attack?
I decided to do a little section here on how to help someone who is having a panic attack, or who suffers with them quite a lot. Although having panic attacks are horrible, I can't imagine standing next to someone, feeling helpless feels very nice either.
1. Remain calm. There is nothing worse than being with someone who is freaking out whilst your having a panic attack. They will never calm down if your flapping your arms about not knowing what to do.
2. Do not be forceful, Be patient, and accepting. Do not settle for them panicking and being affected alone.
3. Let them do things at their own pace
4. Don't make assumptions about what the panicker needs. Ask them
5. Find something positive in every experience. If the person is only able to go partway to a particular goal, such as the cinema or out for a coffee, consider that an achievement rather than a failure
6. Remember that they didn't choose to be that way. Do not show any annoyance or disappointment when panic strikes or if they don't feel they can do something.
7. In a panic attack DON'T SAY:
"Relax. Calm down. Don't be anxious. Lets see if you can do this (i.e. setting up a test for the affected person). You can fight this What should we do next? Don't be ridiculous. You have to stay. Don't be a coward. Pull yourself together. Stop being silly, whats wrong with you"
Instead, DO SAY:
"You can do it no matter how you feel. I am proud of you. Tell me what you need now. Breathe slow and low. Stay in the present, it's not the place that's bothering you, it's the thought. I know that what you are feeling is painful, but it's not dangerous. You are courageous. Remember that panic attacks only last for a maximum of 20 minutes"
8. Do not try and distract them with stupid questions. It just highlights the fact that we are having a panic attack, thus creating more panic.
9. Be supportive and reassuring. After a panic attack, the person can feel down, depressed, angry, insecure and with very low self esteem, it's your job to help them feel better about themselves and to let them know that you are there.
I really hope I have managed to cover everything, and I really hope this has helped some of you. If you are reading this, and you are feeling really down and depressed about your panic attacks and the way it hap affected your life, please remember...
You are not alone, panic attacks are VERY common, and although terrifying, will not kill you. Don't let your attacks ruin your confidence or dent your self esteem, you are an amazing person, and you CAN stop them, with the right treatment and techniques. Do not force yourself to go somewhere you don't feel comfortable, you and your health are far more important than keeping someone else happy. If someone close to you fails to understand, it can leave you feeling terribly alone and insecure, FORCE them to read this blog post or do some other research about it, so that they can at least try to understand.
OK, that's all from me. Wow, it feels like I have been typing for ages.
Please leave your experiences with anxiety and panic attacks in the comments below, it won't just help me, but with also help others just like you reading this blog post.
Emily xx
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