“Hi, my name is Jeff Duke. I’m a clinical social worker at Bhatia Psychology Group.
I’m talking today about what to do when you go through a panic attack. A panic attack is a very, very intense version of anxiety. You will likely feel a very rapid heartbeat. You might find it very difficult to breathe. You might have a major adrenaline rush and your stomach might start to feel like it’s full of butterflies or you might start to feel ill.
Panic attacks – when it comes on, can come on very quickly. A lot of the symptoms may seem like they are life threatening. It’s important if you’re not sure about what’s going on, to go to the hospital, go to the doctor and make sure that it’s not a physical problem. Once you do know that these are anxiety based symptoms, the most important thing to understand is that even though this feels life threatening, it’s not.
One of the big things you’re going to be most tempted to do is feel like you’ve got to stop this from happening. Unfortunately, by the time you reached the state where you’re in a panic, they only thing you can do is let the symptoms play out. You’ll probably notice that they’ve kind of go in a wave-like pattern. They’ll come on strong and they’ll rise in intensity and then slowly, they’ll start to go down and you’ll notice they’ll start to dissipate. Then maybe they’ll go up again and then they’ll go down and dissipate. That’s your sign that you know it’s going to pass and it will be okay and you will get to the other side and you’ll be fine.
If you are with someone who is experiencing panic, the best thing you can do is first of all, not tell them to calm down and get a grip because as soon as you do that, they’re going to feel like they’re wrong and they’re going to get even more upset.
The best thing you can do is say, “I’m here with you now. I’m not going to go away until this is over and you don’t have to worry; no harm will come to you. So no matter what happens, you will be okay.”
These are some of the things that we can help you with at Bhatia Psychology Group.”
For more information, contact us today schedule a FREE phone consultation with our clinical director.