The first panic attack can be an unsettling experience. Your chest may tighten, your heart is beating fast, and you feel like crawling out of your skin. Typically, panic occurs due to a stressor or anxiety provoking situation. Sometimes you may become so afraid of having another panic attack, you become anxious in situations that remind you of the last panic attack, which ironically makes you more likely to panic. As terrible as panic is, the good news is it is extremely treatable with the right kind of therapy.
What are Panic or Anxiety Attacks
Panic attacks and “anxiety attacks” are the same thing with different names. Panic is the clinic term used by mental health and medical providers.
Panic attacks are episodes of intense fear that include frightening physical symptoms like a pounding heart, sweating, trouble breathing, and an overall feeling one might die. When a person begins living in fear of future attacks, they have Panic Disorder.
Most people who develop Panic Disorder, do so during adolescence, although it’s possible to develop later on in life. Panic attacks can occur at any point in the lifespan.
Many people begin avoiding situations that bring up fear of having another attack.
Treatment
People often don’t get treatment due to feeling embarrassed, however panic attacks are extremely common and nearly every mental health provider has treated them.
Panic usually doesn’t require hospitalization, however higher levels like Partial Hospitalization Programs or Intensive Outpatient Programs can be helpful.
The prognosis for panic attacks and Panic Disorder is very good, because we know a lot about why they happen.
The Role of Therapy
The mechanism of panic is essentially fear of your own bodily sensations. For example, someone may feel a momentary increase in heart rate, become afraid of having a panic attack which causes increased anxiety and, in turn, causes panic.
Psychotherapy is an important part of treatment when used in conjunction with medications.
Therapy modalities include CBT, specifically exposure therapy. While this can sound scary, it is extremely effective, and a good therapist will move at your pace. I would not recommend a therapist who doesn’t use exposure as a primary therapy to treat panic.
In terms of every day life, increasing awareness of your body and slowly reintroducing yourself to feared situations will greatly improve functioning.
If you are experiencing panic, I empathize that it is a distressing experience. I am a therapist in Nashville, TN. If you are in the Tennessee area, please reach out to find out how we can work together to decrease your panic!