Being a student and having to reach the deadlines sometimes can be stressful. Research shows that large number of college and university students about 35% have experienced panic attacks during their life. A panic attack is a period of sudden fear and anxiety that can last minutes to hours, and if it is left untreated, it can become chronic. Many people reported that experiencing a panic attack for the first time felt like having a heart attack or a nervous breakdown. Even though panic attacks are not an indication of mental disorders, they could be part of other disorders, such as social phobia, panic disorder, or depression . Panic attacks can strike a person without any warning and with no obvious reasons; they can happen even when the person is relaxed or sleep. According to Dr. Kim Maertz, 3% of population are going to develop panic disorder, and they would experience more panic attacks due to the fear of further panic attacks.
Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of panic attacks happen suddenly and reach their picks by 10 minutes and usually end within 20 to 30 minutes. Some symptoms of panic attacks are very similar to ones of heart attack. Due to experiencing heart racing, shortness of breath, chase pain, chocking feeling, etc., people suffering from panic attacks would repeatedly visit their doctors and emergency rooms. Fear of dying, losing control, or going crazy are other symptoms of panic attacks that would accumulate to form panic disorder. Fear of having panic attack cause people to avoid places where they experienced terrifying symptoms of panic attack before; constantly having the fear of fear can disrupt their daily lives.
As Ph.D. Steven J. Seay wrote, “It might feel like you’re dying but you’re not. That’s just what the panic wants you to think.”
Causes of panic attack
Exact causes of panic attacks are unclear since they occur unpredictably. A trend has been seen in families, so heredity could be a reason for panic attacks. sometimes sever stress due to losing a job or loved ones or going through a major transition in life can trigger panic attacks. Panic attacks could also be due to medical and physical causes; in this case, it is important to visit a doctor for diagnosis.
Coping Strategies
Even though panic attack sound horrifying for people who are suffering from it, they are easily treatable. There are many options to cop with panic attacks and treat them, such as therapy, medication, and self-help options. Some of self-help options could be like having better diet and exercising routine, informing one self about panic attacks, reducing amount of stress in life and control breathing. If you think that you are having a panic attack, it would be the best to distract yourself from it by doing positive activities, such as watching TV, having a shower or bath, playing a game, etc. There is more tips on coping strategies in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COMQdoHMQVo[/youtube]
I believe that having a panic attack could be the worse feeling that one could experience, so if you see somebody having a panic attack, please, be more patient and considerate towards them.
Simin Yahyavi