How To Break The Cycle of a Panic Attack
Panic attacks can feel very overwhelming, and might even feel like it won’t end. However, breaking the cycle of panic attacks is possible. In this blog, we will discuss what causes panic attacks, some of the symptoms, and how therapy can help with strategies on how to regain a sense of control and calmness when a panic attack happens.
Causes of Panic Attacks
Panic attacks can arise as the result of many factors, there is no one definite cause of panic attacks. Some factors that can play a role are genetics, major stressful events or changes in your life, and adverse childhood experiences.
Panic attacks can come on very suddenly and without any warning, which is a reason why they can be so frightening for the person having a panic attack.
Panic attacks are the body's response to danger. In actually dangerous situations, our body would have similar reactions in those scenarios to save our lives. However, panic attacks occur when there is no obvious danger element present. This contributes to the uncertainty surrounding panic attacks and the fear of them happening, even when there is no danger happening.
Symptoms
Although the causes of panic attacks are uncertain, there are common signs that appear during panic attacks. Some symptoms include:
A feeling of being out of control or an impending doom
Pounding or racing heart
Chest pain
Dizziness
Difficulty breathing
Chills
Nausea
These common symptoms can help people recognize when they are having panic attacks and gain more knowledge and a sense of understanding why their symptoms are happening.
How Therapy Can Help
Experiencing panic attacks can be overwhelming and scary, and it can be difficult to try to explain to others. Therapy is a common treatment people turn to when trying to manage their panic attacks. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in treating panic attacks, because it teaches you different ways of structuring your thoughts and behavior to the feelings that happen during and/or before a panic attack, helping to reduce thoughts and behaviors that can worsen panic attacks. Your therapist will help you identify panic attack triggers that you notice and as you learn to respond differently to these triggers, the attacks may decrease.
If your panic attacks are interfering with your daily life, don’t be afraid to reach out for therapy treatment.
Managing your panic attacks can seem difficult to do alone and with no guidance. Reaching out for therapy can be a great resource to learn coping mechanisms and strategies to calm down and gain back some control. If therapy is something you are interested in, please contact us for a free 15-minute consultation to see if this can be helpful for you.
