How to Prevent Panic Attacks

Panic Attacks suck. They cause shaking, sweating and make your heart beat so loudly you think it will burst from your chest. Your breathing may become shallow and you may feel a little dizzy. It’s a horrible feeling. Sometimes I have felt waves of fear sweep over me and I think I am going to die there and then, and that makes me even more scared.

I was 14 when I had my first panic attack. I felt all alone and isolated and I had no idea what was happening to me. Throughout my teenage years I suffered panic attacks, but I didn’t tell anyone. I suffered in silence and that made things worse. I now know what a panic attack is, and I have made it my life mission to share this knowledge with young people, so if you feel overwhelmed with anxiety you know what it is and how to cope. 

What is a Panic Attack

A panic attack is the body’s defense mechanism. In prehistoric times a cave person had to handle a lot of threats to their life. For example, if they are faced with a Sabre Toothed Tiger they could either fight it or runaway (the fight or flight mechanism). The body would release two hormones to give it the energy to either fight or run. These hormones are cortisol and epinephrine (also known as adrenaline). They literally make your heart beat faster to get more oxygen around your system so you can throw a juicy punch at said Sabre Toothed Tiger or leg it (British way of saying running away). The thing that triggers these hormones is fear, (well a sympathetic nervous system to be precise).

Why do we have Panic Attacks today?

For many of us we are not often confronted with Sabre Toothed Tigers. Thankfully, we live in a relatively safe age, where the biggest threat tends to be our geography teachers. (Just teasing, geography teachers Rule!) But the truth is this nervous response is still inbuilt in our systems, and as children hit adolescence the response may be triggered more easily. This is because as you get older you naturally become more aware of perceived threats. The “threats” may be as simple as giving a talk to your class or going out for the first time on your own. You may be afraid of something going wrong and suddenly your nervous system triggers those stress hormones and you suffer from a panic attack. But Fear Not! Literally. There are ways to help yourself.

How to prevent Panic Attacks

Truth is, you cannot always prevent a panic attack. They are caused by your biological nervous system and you don’t always have control over that. I can’t count the amount of times I have woken up because of a panic attack. When I am asleep I cannot always control what I dream about and what could trigger the stress hormones.

However, there are ways to reduce the risk of having a panic attack. Here is my guide on how to reduce the risk of having a panic attack:

1. Know Yourself. The more you know who you are and what you are afraid of the more likely you can prepare for a panic attack. Think about previous times you have felt anxious. What specifically triggered your anxiety? If you are likely to experience it again how will you cope? Keep a journal of your feelings and write down your fears. Be specific, no matter how ridiculous you think they may be. Then either talk about your fears or research about them.

2. Be Informed. Most of our fears are illogical. We know that, but we are still afraid. The more you study about the cause of your fears (e.g. heights, spiders, clowns, deadly pandemics) the less power they have over you. If you really delve deep into what exactly terrifies you and you learn the truth about the fear, it is likely to disappear (or at least not paralyze you).

3. Talk to Someone Definitely talk to someone about panic attacks. Just talking about your experiences helps reduce the potency of the attacks. If I knew what a panic attack was when I was a teenager, I wouldn’t have thought I was having a heart attack and about to die every time I experienced a panic attack. I really wished I had talked to someone about it. Nowadays we are more open about mental health and it is a lot easier to discuss our problems with other people without fear. So do talk to your parents, or well being officer at school or a trusted adult. A problem shared is a problem halved.

4. Be Prepared If you are about to embark on something that you think may trigger a panic attack prepare for it in advance. This is why it is important to know yourself. Be sure to put things in place to help reduce the risk of having a panic attack. This could include meditating, eating certain nutritious foods, adopting breathing techniques or maybe having a comforting thing to hand (a favourite blanket, toy, visual aid). What works for one person may not work for someone else. Test things out as see what works for you. Let us know what methods you use to manage your anxiety in the comment box below.

5. Be Excited. Did you know that the same hormones that cause panic attacks also cause excitement? This is why people can feel great exhilaration on theme park rides. Sometimes you can trick your brain and body into thinking what you are afraid of is actually fun and exciting. I remember going on a fast ride at at theme park screaming, “I LOVE THIS, but I HATE THIS, but I LOVE THIS!” If you can turn a nervous feeling into excitement you will enjoy the experience better. Just be careful with this approach. There is a reason we have this built in fear mechanism in our bodies. There are times when we should avoid dangerous situations and you need to listen to your gut instinct.

What to Do During a Panic Attack

Despite your best efforts, a panic attack may still strike at any time. There are methods to reduce the time of the attack and recover quickly. I have learnt to adopt these methods that work for me. Try them out and see what works for you:

• Burn off the excess adrenaline. Walk, run, skip, dance, do whatever you need to do to burn off that excess adrenaline. If it happens in the day time I tend to go for a walk in nature. If it is at night I tend to dance and sing to Disney songs.
• Go to your ‘Happy Place’. If you have a strong imagination, imagine a place where you find joy. It can be a real place like Disneyland or somewhere you have invented like an alien planet. Visualise yourself in this place where you are content. Close your eyes, picture your happy place and breathe.
• Hug someone. If you are able to give a loved one a big bear hug do so. A tender hug releases oxytocin, which is one of the happiness hormones.
• Breathe. When you are stressed your breathing will become irregular. You could have short breaths and so you are not getting enough air into the lungs, which can cause dizziness. Try some breathing techniques to regulate your breathing during a panic attack.
• Eat Chocolate. J K Rowling has a point when she suggested eating chocolate after encountering a joy sucking Dementor. Dark chocolate can be healthy if eaten in small doses. I find it is especially helpful straight after a panic attack as it can help release those glorious happiness hormones (Endorphins).

Useful Websites

www.youngminds.org
www.childline.org
www.mind.org.uk
www.childrenssociety.org.uk
https://nopanic.org.uk/

Comment

We hope you have found this post helpful? Have you ever suffered from a panic attack? Or do you know anyone who suffers from them? Let us know about your experiences in the comments box below, and whether there are other posts you want us to write for you.