My personal findings on panic attacks that most people don’t know and that you can’t see on the outside of me most of the time but that are important to know to understand my reactions to things often. They are also just one of the many symptoms of my C-PTSD. On another note. Panic attacks and Anxiety attack are not the same. An anxiety attack often comes in reaction to a stressor. Panic attack on the other hand doesn’t come in reaction to a stressor. It’s unprovoked and unpredictable. Panic attacks often leads to an anxiety attack or me. I will come back to that at the end of my post about panic attacks. Sometimes its really hard to determine which I am dealing with.. panic or anxiety.
Panic attacks happen to me spontaneously, with no time to prepare at all. One minute I feel fine, and the next, its like I’m in a war zone and have no idea how I got there or out of there. My heart started racing, I start sweating, the room begins to spin in more extreme cases, my whole body feels weak if I feel it at all, and my breathing can get rapid and uneven but usually I’m unaware of my breathing. More often than not, an attack happens in a noisy, crowded place or during conversations, heated or not, so I will want to escape for fresh air and avoid the stressful situation. I can also react completely irrational more likely then not out of this fear that’s overwhelming. Often the way I perceive a situation can trigger this same response, and even cause a anxiety attack because of my extremely heightened levels of anxiety due to my traumas.
Panic attacks don’t always happen to me in large, bustling places, they also happen to me during sleep, while sitting at home in my room, while preparing diner, watching a movie, listening to music and does not always have a precursor. The scariest part for me as a person with panic attacks is that I can’t predict when another one will come along. This leads that I often avoid places, emotions, music, movies and situations that might trigger an attack, or certain places. More and more I can lead back my fears to the cause but that is still not the same as being able to handle the attacks or my response to it
If you haven’t ever experienced a panic attack, then it’s difficult to understand just how terrifying it really feels. People who have panic attacks have described it as feeling like a heart attack, dying, a stroke, and other serious complications. It feels like you can’t control your body, like it does whatever it wants and you just have to watch, horrified and scared for five or ten minutes until I’m able to act/react to it. Panic attacks might not be life-threatening, but they sure feel like it to me.They are simply put THAT scary.
Everyone responds differently to healing techniques, sometimes I can’t respond to any of them positively, unfortunately. Natural remedies such as meditation, essential oils, and other “alternative” medicines can do wonders, but even these remedies does not always work and they don’t cure someone of panic attacks completely. Coping techniques certainly helps me to learn how to manage my panic attacks, but that neither takes them magically away.
I can respond very irrational and and even in anger and may not always make sense to other people when I’m in the middle of an attack. Anxiety and panic attack both. All I might be focused on is to control the attack and looking for ways to distract myself to calm down
I learned that many people become drawn to substance abuse such as alcohol or drugs in order to calm their nerves. While this is understandable,in long term use it leads to addiction as the person requires more and more of the substance in order to feel calm. Also there are many more substances one can become addicted to other then the obvious ones drugs and alcohol. Think about caffeine and sugar something that most people don;’t realize can be just as addicting like in my case although I was aware of the caffeine addiction I was not know with the effects of it. My Panic attacks has also lead to avoid society often in an attempt to protect myself from getting triggered attacks.
Now onto the fact that Panic attacks and Anxiety attacks are not the same. I did use a source to get this information just to be sure I’m correct.
Panic Attack
During a panic attack, the symptoms are sudden and extremely intense. These symptoms usually occur “out of the blue,” peak within 10 minutes, and then subside. However, some attacks may last longer or may occur in succession, making it difficult to determine when one attack ends and another begins.
Following an attack, it is not unusual to feel stressed, worried, out-of-sorts, or “keyed up” the remainder of the day.
According to the DSM-5, a panic attack is characterized by four or more of the following symptoms:
- heart palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
- excessive sweating
- trembling or shaking
- sensations of shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or smothering
- feeling of choking
- chest pain or discomfort
- nausea or abdominal distress
- feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
- feelings of unreality (derealization) or being detached from oneself (depersonalization)
- fear of losing control or going crazy
- fear of dying
- numbness or tingling sensations (paresthesias)
- chills or hot flashes
Anxiety
Anxiety, on the other hand, generally intensifies over a period of time and is highly correlated to excessive worry about some potential “danger.” The symptoms of anxiety are very similar to the symptoms of panic attacks and may include:
- Muscle tension
- Disturbed sleep
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Increased startle response
- Increased heart rate
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
While some of these symptoms are similar to many of the symptoms associated with panic attacks, they are generally less intense. Another important distinction is that, unlike a panic attack, the symptoms of anxiety may be persistent and very long-lasting—days, weeks, or even months. (In my case they usually last a few days tops)
Therapy can help you develop ways to manage your symptoms, work through past hurts, determine your path for the future, and gain a clearer perspective that will allow for a more positive current outlook. Medications can assist you in reducing the severe symptoms, while self-help techniques can be beneficial in allowing you to work through symptom management at your own pace.
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