Are you suffering from panic attacks?
Anxiety is one of the common mental problems, especially in metropolitan cities. In such big cities, if we can see a general dissatisfaction towards unknown people in the metro it is not without any reason. A report claims that 1 out of 7 people in Delhi is the victim of any mental disorder. Among such mental problems, anxiety seems to be one of the problems in the limelight. This has been so common in these cities that the public doesn’t even consider it necessary to go to a psychologist for treatment. When this anxiety prevails for a long period and gets its psychosomatic form then we realize that it was critical. Continuous anxiety for 2 weeks can turn into a situation of depression.
When we fall ill we feel it very common to get it treated. But in India, the boundaries of illness have been limited to physical illness for no reason. Thus when anxiety takes its psychosomatic form in the form of panic attacks then at the severe stage, it becomes tough for a psychiatrist to normalize the patient. Still, there is a huge need to make people aware of the need to treat your mind when it needs it.
Symptoms of a panic attack
Panic attacks can range from mild to severe depending on the intensity of anxiety.
Thus symptoms of a panic attack can include:
- heightened vigilance for danger and physical symptoms
- anxious and irrational thinking
- a strong feeling of dread, danger or foreboding
- fear of going mad, losing control, or dying
- feeling lightheaded and dizzy
- tingling and chills, particularly in the arms and hands
- trembling or shaking, sweating
- hot flushes
- accelerated heart rate
- a feeling of constriction in the chest
- breathing difficulties, including shortness of breath
- nausea or abdominal distress
- tense muscles
- dry mouth
- feelings of unreality and detachment from the environment.
If you are feeling any of these symptoms regularly. You must immediately contact any mental health specialist to get it treated. However, it is very common to feel down in our daily lives. Thus some amount of anxiety is even necessary for life. But when symptoms of severe anxiety prevail for a longer period, then it needs to be treated.
Even when you are a diabetic patient or an individual who is often prone to take stress even in normal situations then you are vulnerable to panic attacks. Your hands can shiver with dry mouth and you will develop an unknown fear that will constantly irritate you. It becomes more severe when you try to calm down yourself by ignoring whatever is happening to you.
Is it your environment or biology?
The debate about nature or nurture is very ancient in psychology. Now contemporary psychologists are of the view that neither nature nor nurture are independently responsible for this condition. It is a mixture of both. When you have some genetic influence that is causing anxiety then it needs some medical interventions.
However when you are aware of the reason for your anxiety from your environment then the reason can be different. Thus we must conclude that there are certain levels of analysis while analyzing such a problem. We can analyze it biologically, psychologically, and environmentally These have equal contributions to developing any psychological condition. Therefore it is environment and biology both that are responsible for such conditions of panic attacks.
Self-help solutions for panic attacks.
Panic attacks need to be cured by mental health professionals. However, we can take some measures to protect ourselves from the immediate repercussions of this problem:
- The first is the need to accept your mental condition. You must be assured of the fact that it is okay not to be okay. You can have anxiety and it’s completely normal
- Secondly if you feel like crying, you must cry. Never try to restrict it for any cause
- Avoid ‘self-talk’ that focuses your attention on your symptoms – don’t tell yourself ‘Stop panicking!’ or ‘Relax!’
- Focus your attention on something outside your own body and symptoms. For example, distract yourself by counting backward in threes from 100, recall the words from a favorite song, or concentrate on the sights and sounds around you.
The need for medications
Some situations can arise where you may need medical intervention to improve your situation. Please never hesitate to take any medication whenever required. Please consult any psychiatrist for the same who is specially trained for such mental disorders. Thus one must take special advice in such cases. The following techniques are advised for the same:-
- medications
- psychotherapy
- biofeedback therapy
- stress management techniques
- proper breathing techniques
However, it is mandatory that you first consult any mental health specialist for its treatment.
Conclusion
Thus it can be concluded that suffering panic attacks in cases of extreme anxiety is normal to humans. As our body is vulnerable to get it ill, our mind can also be ill. Thus it is necessary to provide the required intervention to our mind from any kind of specialist. Please do take care of yourself. Please try to practice emotional intelligence tactics in your daily life. It will prevent you from all such clutter in your life that you may get from situations or people.
Reference
images- freepik, pixels.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/panic-attack
