Panic is a sudden and overwhelming feeling of anxiety, which for sufferers of anxiety disorders can occur dor no apparent reason.
When panic isn't controlled effectively or in a healthy manner, it can lead to the onset of panic attacks. Panic and anxiety disorders can be debilitating; that's why our 24-hour doctor Marbella for panic attacks wants to make sure you understand the best ways to cope.
No-one wants to experience panic attacks, and so many sufferers start to avoid particular situations which they fear may trigger an attack.
It's essential to be aware that the physical symptoms of a panic attack will not result in a heart attack or cause any physical harm. They are healthy, if exaggerated, results of feeling anxious or afraid.
How to deal with panic attacks
Here are the top five tips that our 24-hour doctor Marbella for panic attacks give to our patients struggling with anxiety and panic:
1) Stay where you are
Because panic attacks can last up to one hour, you may find it better to stay where you are. If you're driving, pull over and park where it's safe to do so. Pause for a moment, observe your thoughts and remind yourself that the feelings you have are healthy - they're just your body's way of telling you something isn't right. Make sure you stay put so that you stay safe and don't wander into potentially dangerous situations.
2) Control your breathing
People often hyperventilate during a panic attack, which is where you take deeper breaths than usual, resulting in feeling short of breath, dizzy, disorientated and having chest pains. Our 24-hour doctor Marbella for panic attacks will spend a lot of time teaching anxiety sufferers techniques to help slow down their breathing to stop the panic from progressing.
3) Learn to use positive coping statements
Many people handle their panic in unhealthy ways, which prevents you from really managing and stopping the condition from worsening. Our 24-hour doctor Marbella for panic attacks recommends having 'coping statements' which you can recite to yourself to remind you that you're safe. Some of the most commonly used statements include:
- "My panic is simply high levels of anxiety."
- "These symptoms are nothing more than anxiety; I can prevent further symptoms occurring."
- "My anxiety and panic will pass in time. It doesn't last forever."
- "I can carry on with my daily life without needing to escape or avoid things."
- "I don't need to worry about my symptoms because I have never fainted, choked, or had a heart attack as a result of this feeling before."
4) Shift your focus
Many things can go through your mind during a panic attack, often very negative thoughts. Rather than focusing on the negatives, try to concentrate on something more positive.
5) Challenge unhelpful thoughts
The way we think about things has an impact on our panic. Many of the things we feel or think are out of our control and can be both negative and unhelpful.
If you suffer from regular panic attacks, make sure you seek out the help and support of our 24-hour doctor Marbella for panic attacks.