An Emergency Kit for the Unexpected Emergency — A guide to understand, identify and tackle Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Life can be tough and overwhelming at times. It might sound like a cliché opening statement to an article. But clichés have the quality of being grounded-in or based-on reality. Life being tough is an important statement especially with regards to this topic of discussion. Deterioration of one’s mental health is the first sign of living a life and facing a world that is too hard to deal with. The worst part of this is that mental unwellness is a sign that is very rarely outwardly noticed by people around us. In the end, people end up carrying their own sickness with a feeling of hopelessness and loneliness.
Anxiety attacks and Panic attacks are one such disease manifestation, which is so prevalent in today’s society, yet has minimal awareness among people. To start with, anxiety attacks and panic attacks are not the same things — though they are used interchangeably in many contexts. A panic attack is a condition characterized by the sudden onset of intense fear, anxiety, and a sense of danger and doom. These attacks are usually associated with physical symptoms like palpitations, sweating, increased heart rate, and difficulty in breathing. These attacks usually last for 20–25 minutes with a peak in intensity at 10 minutes. They can be in response to a known or unknown stimulus (physical, or emotional). Anxiety attack, on the other hand, is a loose term and not a specific diagnosis. It is characterized by a prolonged sense of fear and apprehension that can be present for days and even months. They are not usually accompanied by physical symptoms.
Now that we understand the difference between the conditions, it is important that we know how to tackle such a situation. The process of immediately dealing with a panic attack can be split categorically into a step-by-step process:
· IDENTIFY: This process, when reading this article at your own leisurely time with a cup of coffee in your hand might seem simple and obvious. However, while one is on the floor in the middle of an attack with a racing heart and, taking hard, fast and difficult breaths, it is a terrifying experience. There are examples of even doctors who whilst having an attack, not understanding what is happening to them, thinking that they are dying. So the first step in dealing with an attack is to identify it. Know and recognize the symptoms which are typically associated with a feeling of impending doom and fear of death. Know and acknowledge the fact that you are in the middle of a panic attack. Step away from anything important you might be doing. If you are driving, come to a stop on the side of the road. Ensuring your physical safety would be your first priority.
· ASSURE: Most panic attacks are caused or precipitated by a stressor. This can be a physical thing that you are afraid of (especially in people with phobias) or a particular thought, emotion, or feeling that triggers fear and anxiety (this is usually seen in people with trauma in their past when confronted with an object or thought associated to the trauma). Get away from the object if any. Distance yourself and let yourself understand that you are safe. Console yourself as if you would console a child that the thing, person, or emotion cannot hurt you. This is a huge step in controlling the symptoms associated with the attack.
· BREATHE: Taking in deliberate, slow, and calming breaths activates the parasympathetic pathway of your nervous system. This system is normally responsible for maintaining your body in a steady rest state. When you try and take deep breaths this system will in turn reduce the physical symptoms like your racing heart and palpitations. The best way to do this is to take a paper bag and cover your mouth and breathe through your mouth into it. This will trigger a chemical response and help in slowing down your breathing.
· OBSERVE: While your bodily symptoms are calming down, your mind might still be in overdrive. One terrifying thought follows the other — and worse still, you can’t seem to control or stop these thoughts from forming in your head. Here, trying to fight these thoughts will only end up worsening them. Instead, try and observe these emotions. Try to think as though you are a third person listening to what these emotions say. Do not react to them and never try to analyze them. Just listen to them, and let them pass, one after the other. Know that this attack will end. Know that these thoughts will stop too. Know that sooner or later you will be okay. This alone will give you immense strength.
· SEEK HELP: By this step, you might almost be normal. You might think that you are out of the woods and that the danger has passed. In one way yes, it has. But in the bigger perspective no, it hasn’t. I can’t stress this enough: “You have to seek professional medical help”. It might be your first time having this attack or the third — it doesn’t matter. Seek help. If this is your first time, seek help to assess the cause of it and to make sure it doesn’t recur. If it isn’t your first time, seek help because you might be at greater risk than you realize. Recurrent panic attacks can be a sign of a greater and more dangerous condition called a panic disorder. This alone can greatly increase your chances of developing more serious conditions like depression, bipolar disorders, etc.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) is a book of guidelines that describes all the psychiatric disorders. Panic attacks, anxiety, phobias, etc are grouped under a broad spectrum of diseases called Anxiety disorder. Moreover, it is found that some form of anxiety disorder is prevalent in 15–20% of medical clinical patients. There have been also studies that reveal a genetic association that can cause a familial variant of these diseases. The prevalence of these disorders alone is an indication of how problematic this can be to society. Understanding and learning about these conditions might help you or your friend or family in reducing their impact. And here as we learn a bit more about them, let us hope that we use this knowledge to help life become a bit easier and less overwhelming — for ourselves, for our family, for our friends, and for society as a whole.
