What Do You Do When You Have a Panic Attack

▼ Timestamps ▼
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00:00 - Intro
00:09 - Overview
00:32 - Reddit post
02:34 - Panic attacks are a symptom
03:08 - Panic Disorder
04:22 - Panic attacks are physiologic
09:16 - Mechanisms of panic attacks
14:22 - What do?
26:46 - Questions
27:33 - Isn't Bellows Breath shallow?
28:41 - So the literature is lacking specificity?
29:27 - How do you help a friend having a panic attack?
32:17 - Is there a difference between an anxiety attack and a panic attack?
33:12 - Reaching a no-mind state
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[calistamueller]

For the past 3 years I've felt like my life was shit, my grades in college were garbage, was constantly sleep deprived, addicted to nicotine, caffeine, video games and porn, while being constantly high. Three months ago I got a panic attack while high and no sleep, I literally felt like I was going to die of a heart attack and it lasted for about 3 hours. Although it was the worst experience of my whole life, the fear of having to go through that again gave me the courage to finally take the handles of my life, quit my addictions and change for good.

[cindybradley]

17:44 story of my life. Psychiatrist for 5 years: "its just a panic attack" (never sent me for a medical investigation). After 5 years of worsening symptoms i requested an MRI from my GP. Found a large tumor in my brain. Post surgery saw a neurologist who told me my symptoms were actually focal seizures. Taking anti-seizure medication and my panic attacks are no more

[leebird]

I thought I was having panic attacks from ages 24-30. Turns out I'm autistic and I was actually having a meltdown because I was overwhelmed by sensory data. Since I've become aware of this, I've worked to understand what triggers these meltdowns and I have been able to avoid them for the most part. If I start feeling like I need to scream or run away, I just tell the person that I'm with that I need to get out of here and then they help me get out.

[Opt]

My issue was that I was scared of my panic attacks. I would begin to feel a panic attack come on, and I would get scared and anxious, which made the attack worse. It was a viscous circle that would spin me out of control. I have since learned to identify the panic attack, and I guess "observe it" is the best way to describe it. I will think to myself "Okay this is a panic attack. I'll be fine, it'll pass in time. This has happened before and I have always come out of it just fine". Wherever I was, I would find a place to sit quietly and breathe until it passed. It sucks, but the panic attacks have dropped in severity and duration since I figured out how to control the fear of panic attacks.

[kingfisher]

68 years old, had first "panic attack" at work the other day and pain down my left arm -- thought I might be having a heart attack. Went to emergency. Excellent idea. Turns out my heart is aces, my blood is excellent, my liver and kidneys are fine. My BP, however, is fooked. I'm pretty convinced that the "panic attack" was PTSD. I knew I was in trouble before I even went to work because what I call an "echo" from a previous trauma had shaken me up pretty bad already.

[Vin_Venture]

Lmao I love the thumbnail but then I realised that having that “Mr. Krabs in the crowd” meme photo would have been even funnier.

[DavidAlfredoGuisado]

The very moment you ignore panic attacks thinking "do what you want, I'm not going to waste my life on psychosomatic symptoms which are not dangerous at all" they will vanish, they're fueled by fear.

[deimiosxxx]

So I was treated with SSRIs for generalized anxiety 6 years ago. I'm mostly fine but stressful situations (for example being awake during a trivial surgery, or at the dentist) still trigger panic attacks.
My advice, that never ever failed me, comes from one of the Wolfenstein games:
Count to 4, breathe in
Count to 4, breathe out
Repeat.

[milespostlethwaite]

I think it's a real shame that Dr K. didn't discuss exposure therapy in the context of panic. Working as a therapist I have found this to be single-handedly the best treatment for panic and there is a lot of evidence to support this. "Challenging" the faulty interpretations of bodily symptoms verbally can often only get you so far. What helps people most is exposing them to panic attacks without any kind of avoidance/distraction (breathing techniques can often become a "safety behaviour" that makes panic worse so I wouldn't recommend this) and letting them see what happens. This teaches people that, although panic is scary and uncomfortable, it is safe. In turn, once the symptoms of panic themselves stop being feared, the panic disorder is usually stopped.

[alcalx]

For those who need it: I was in that situation, but everything changes and things get better. Trust me, it's not easy nor comfortable.
Step by step. Don't suffer alone ask for help.

[philershadi]

Dr. K is absolutely on point here, much more knowledgeable than 99% of medical doctors. The science on panic attacks has moved light-years in the last ten years and most therapists, clinicians, and doctors are operating on outdated research. Read Stephen Porges's work on Polyvagal Theory and Peter Levine's work on Somatic Experiencing to go deeper into this topic.

It's also been my experience that certain breathing techniques work well for certain people, but will send other people into a state of hyper-activation. There are dozens of techniques out there, so if one technique is no good, there are many alternatives. I found success with Neurodynamic Breathwork where the usual yoga (as practiced here in the US) just drove me up the wall.

[inanitas]

Omg, that theory with the suffocation reflex makes so much sense. I feel like the beginning of a panic attack does usually feel like I was suffocating.

[agamermom]

I've had a few panic attacks, and multiple "anxiety" attacks. My biggest differentiation between the two is that the panic attacks don't have an anxiety build-up and I can't control my response to them in the middle of one. My anxiety attacks are absolutely a result of building anxiety and I can hold off the "attack" portion until I finish certain tasks or get myself somewhere safe. Both feel somewhat similar while I'm in the highest 'attack" portion of them but I do have more clarity of mind during an anxiety attack. I can tell people what I need during an anxiety attack. My panic attacks are way scarier because they actually mess with my hearing and sight, making everything fuzzy and unfamiliar... in addition to the rest of the physical symptoms.

[royconestoga]

Had a bunch of small panic attacks for years after a traumatic death in the family but I was able to control them. Had a massive one during a period of high work stress where I went blind for about ten minutes and legitimately thought I was on the way out. Called 911 and talked with first responders to calm down and declined going to the ER.

[blakephotographytexas]

The first actual panic attack I had I genuinely thought I was dying and I did call 911. An ambulance showed up at my apartment and hooked me up to their machines and after their initial evaluations told me they were confident that they didn’t see anything wrong with anything they could evaluate. They told me they would take me in if I wanted to, but they then asked me if I had ever had a panic attack before. I told them I hadn’t, and they said “based on what you’re telling us, we think you just did.”

Was pretty terrifying.

[Space_Princess]

I get panic attacks when I get burnt out, physically unwell with my chronic illnesses, have a C-PTSD episode and when I have sensory or information overload. They are scary and it feels like I am gonna die.
I experience
- Heart palpitations
- Feeling i'm gonna die
- Breathlessness

- Shakey
- weak muscles
- unable to stand
- Need to cry
- Sensations of throat closing
- Crawling sensations on skin
- Nausea
- Increased digestive struggles
- Unable to sit still
- Fatigue
- Feel like i am going to faint
- Age regression

The way i calm myself down is i ask myself "Do i feel like i am going to die and do i feel scared or feel the need to seek reassurance?". The answer is normally yes and then that is how i rationalize it is a panic attack and use my tools to help calm down my physiology. Sometimes it takes hours for my body to calm down but that is okay. I try to be gentle with myself and use daily structure throughout the day, which helps me to keep calm.

[nikfelther]

I struggled severely with panic disorder for 2 or 3 years. Forced me out of college, went back home to live with mom and dad, and spent everyday with a thought planted in the back of my head that another one was right around the corner. A book recommended by the psychologist I was seeing, who also struggled with panic attacks when he was around my age, was called “hope and help for your nerves” by Dr. Claire Weekes. That in combination with therapy and SSRIs has absolutely flattened panic attacks. I’m proud to say I haven’t had one in over two years. All directly related to the absolutely wonderful and simple program outlined in that book.

[audiosmurf]

Yeah there are grades of panic attack. I had to basically take seven years off life because panic attacks went from once every few years thinking I was going to die, to the extremity of almost psychosis level, every few hours, wishing I would die. Mostly under control now, but I’m never getting the prime of my youth back.

[SetsumaKaien]

I’ve had crippling panic attacks since I was 12, my mom said my dad would take me away from her (they were divorced) if I told my doctor about it, so I never did and just had episodes of having multiple full attacks for months to a year at a time into adulthood. I’m at a point where these extreme seasons don’t trigger unless big life changes.

It happened last month for the first time in 8 years and my wife told me to go to the doctor. Right now I’m in therapy and have a scrip for hydroxazine to take if I feel one coming on. 2 therapy sessions and I haven’t had one since, thankfully haven’t had to take the meds yet and hope I don’t have too.

[shravansrinivasan]

We may never know each other, but we all have a colorful childhood.