It's a fact that one out of every ten Americans has had a panic attack.
Some feel that there's a hereditary factor involved, but the condition can also be caused by stress.
Our bodies can only handle so much stress.
Anyone who has suffered an anxiety or panic attack will agree that it's one of the most frightening, even terrifying experiences you can have.
If not treated, you can lose control of your life and be ruled by the fear of having another panic attack.
Some people start staying at home where they feel safe, being afraid to do a simple task like grocery shopping.
Crowds are especially stressful.
Often, one doesn't know where to turn for help, or feels embarrassed by what is happening to them.
A panic attacks gives no warning.
All of a sudden, it's there, terrorizing you.
They usually last 20 - 30 minutes, but can last up to an hour.
Each person is different, but some of the symptoms are: an unexpected feeling of fear or terror, shortness of breath or hyperventilating, rapid heartbeat, racing thoughts, feeling that your chest is going to explode, numbness or tingling, sweating, fear of choking, fear of having a heart attack, fear of losing your mind or of dying.
The fear is powered by an overreaction to bodily sensations.
I personally suffered mild panic attacks for years before I realized what was happening.
Especially when I was under a lot of stress, had too much going on and felt out of control.
All of a sudden, I'd feel disoriented but have a heightened awareness of my surroundings.
It sometimes felt like I was watching myself from another dimension, if that makes sense.
I can relate it to the "heightened awareness.
" What brought it to a head was a particular incident where I really felt out of control and was being pressured by outside forces.
These outside forces were forcing me to do more than I felt I was able.
Then it happened.
My mind felt like it was running away.
I had to go to bed.
I actually felt like I had to focus to "hold onto my mind" or I was going to lose it.
I was afraid if I went to sleep, when I woke up my mind might be gone and I'd never be right again.
It was the most dreadful feeling.
I made an appointment with my doctor, who explained that it was a panic attack.
I then realized that my earlier experiences were just much milder episodes of the same.
I was given medication, which surely helped.
And it was a relief to know that it was just a panic attack and I wasn't going crazy.
j A comforting thought is that an anxiety or panic attack can't harm you.
They just scare you.
If you can remain calm, you'll feel better much sooner.
It will pass.
There are medications which can help the situation.
Medication is great in the short term, but what you really need is to prevent the recurrence.
One of the counsellors I spoke with told me about the following exercise, which can be very helpful.
In my situation, I always feel disoriented and out of touch with reality.
This is what you can try.
Find five things you can see.
(I see my desk, my computer, the floor, the pencil jar, the chair.
) Find five things you can feel.
(I feel my fingers on the keyboard, I feel the chair I'm sitting on, I feel my face, I feel the table, etc.
) Find five things you can hear (I hear the computer running, the clock ticking, the washer going, the dog barking, etc.
) Now downgrade to four things for each of the senses.
Then three things, on down to one.
Before you get to one, you'll be back to reality and feeling normal.
This really works.
You really should not suffer alone with this anxiety.
There's always help available and you should never be ashamed to seek it.
If your finances are limited, there's other avenues, like Mental Health and Family resource centres.
And don't worry about being embarrassed.
No matter what you're going through, someone else has gone through it.
You just may not know it.