When You Feel Panic
Your heart is beating faster and faster and faster, pounding out of your chest with a mounting pressure that feels like it is going to burst any minute.
You can’t catch a full breath and the thought crosses your mind that maybe this is it- this is when you die.
Vision blurs and gets foggy. Can’t think straight. Trembling and sweating and getting weak in the knees. You just need some air in your lungs, but you. can’t. breathe.
There’s that thought that you’re dying again. Or going crazy. Or both. Is both possible? You feel sick and dizzy and tingly and your heart still hasn’t stopped racing..
Sound familiar? This is what it can be like to have a panic attack.
What is a panic attack?
Panic attacks are sudden surges of intense fear, anxiety or discomfort that reaches its peak within minutes and during which time four or more of the following symptoms are present:
Accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath or sensation of smothering, a feeling of choking, chest pain/discomfort, nausea or stomach discomfort, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, drealization (feelings of unreality), depersonalization (feeling detached from self), fear of losing control or going crazy, fear of dying, numbness or tingling, and chills or hot flashes.
A panic attack is not a mental disorder on its own, but can occur in the context of another disorder or as a stand alone event. Sometimes there are obvious triggers to panic- certain places, situations, activities, or even sensations that tend to happen right before a panic attack. Other times, it may seem like they come out of nowhere.
What can you do to move out of panic?
Move your body!
- Shake it off
If we look to nature, it has been observed that animals release stress and tension by shaking their bodies. The vigorous movement helps to release excess adrenaline and cortisol, release tension, and calming the nervous system.
This really is as simple as it sounds. You literally shake off the anxious energy by shaking your arms and legs and anywhere else you feel tension.
- Stomp it out
Depersonalization is a common symptom of panic, which means feeling a disconnect from your body. You may become close to numb to more subtle sensations. That’s why it can be good to ground yourself through more intense sensations.
Try stomping your feet on the ground. Be dramatic with this movement. Really lift your knees up high and drive your feet into the ground one after the other.
Pay attention to the sensations on the soles of your feet and even up through your legs as you make contact. Try it at different speeds and intensities. What do you notice?
- Raise the intensity
I know that this will likely be the last thing you want to do during a panic attack, but try to engage in some type of intense exercise for even a few minutes. By boosting your heart rate, you can actually regain control over your body’s sensations.
This works for a few reasons. First of all, your mind expects your heart rate to increase with exercise and doesn’t interpret that as dangerous. So, if you raise the intensity of your heart rate with exercise, your body will naturally bring it back down when you stop. Also, exercise naturally induces the release of endorphins- your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters improving your mood and releasing the negative energy.
Don’t worry- you don’t need to go to the gym for this. Keep it simple. This could be running in place, doing jumping jacks, jumping rope (real or imagined), or doing burpees.
- Get silly
This works for the same exact reason as intense exercise, but has an added bonus of bringing humour into it.
I want you to act like a dying cockroach.
Ya, I know, it’s a weird request, but hear me out. For this one, you simply lie on your back with your arms and legs bent and held up in the air- knees and elbows above shoulders and hips.
Now, imagine a big, gross cockroach dying on the sidewalk (if that image induces panic, this is a perfect time to try this skill). Now, be the cockroach. Flail your arms and legs like the dying last movements of that bug. Now faster and faster and faster until you suddenly collapse.
It’s okay- you can laugh. You probably looked as ridiculous as you felt and that is okay.
As always, let us know if you tried one of these techniques in the comments.
Resources:
https://greatist.com/health/physical-anxiety-techniques#1.-Shake-it-off
DSM-5
Written by: Emily Sledge, LMSW
Edited by: Ashley Ray, LCSW-S
Recent Comments