Panic Attacks

Panic Attacks

An upset stomach or chest pain could be this afternoon's lunch acting up. A racing heartbeat or shortness of breath could indicate you've exercised too much. Feeling "tingly" all over could suggest you're lucky at love.

The fact is, any of these symptoms could mean any number of things. But put them together--along with an almost uncontrollable feeling of impending doom--and it usually spells panic attack. Panic attacks are the primary symptom of panic disorder, which is one of the most common and more terrifying of all psychological disorders. These intense, unpredictable feelings of overwhelming anxiety and fear are so common that they affect an estimated, 1 in 20 people.

Panic attacks vary in intensity and frequency, but they usually last from 5 minutes to an hour--averaging about 20 minutes. The typical sufferer gets them two to four times a week, but some people can get several in one day. "There are a lot of theories about what causes panic attacks: Some say it's genetic, others say it stems from childhood insecurity," says Christopher McCullough, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in Raleigh, North Carolina, and former director of the San Francisco Anxiety and Phobia Recovery Center. "But when you're having an attack, forget about insight and take care of the symptoms." Here's how.

Take a whiff of your childhood. Your nose knows--which is exactly why researchers urge you to sniff aromas that remind you of happy childhood memories. A sniff or two can almost instantly help curb fears and induce a more relaxed state--the first step in stopping a panic attack. "One odor that seems to work for just about everybody is baby powder," according to Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., a psychiatrist and neurologist who heads the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. "Other odors have similar impact, depending on where you were born. Research shows us that for people from the East Coast, it's the smell of flowers. For those from the South, it's fresh air; in the Midwest, farm animals; and in the West, the smell of barbecuing meat." Other anxiety-easing smells include salt air, fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies and Mom's home cooking.

Stay active. "Probably the worst thing you can do is what most people tell you to do when you're in a state of panic--sit down and relax," according to Dr. McCullough. "No matter what theory you have about the cause of panic attacks, at the point of the actual attack, it's a physiological event. It's all related to the sudden release of adrenaline--the fight-or-flight syndrome. So what you need to do is burn that adrenaline by exercising-taking a walk or moving around in some way."

Note: Studies show that people who practice a daily exercise program--rather than just when anxiety hits--bounce back faster in anxious situations.

Slow down your breathing. During a panic attack, you often hyperventilate--and that short and shallow gasping only adds to your state of fear. "You have to make a conscious effort to take long, deep diaphragmatic breaths," explains Dr. McCullough. To practice deep diaphragmatic breathing, try to keep your chest and shoulders in position while you slowly expand and contract your stomach area.

Count backward from 100. "The purpose is to focus on something specific such as counting or touching, but not on your anxiety," says Jerilyn Ross, director of the Ross Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders in Washington, D.C., and president of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. "Counting backward, counting the stripes on the wall, snapping a rubber band--doing anything that takes your mind off your panic attack helps, because it refocuses your thinking. You pay attention to things around you, rather than trying to fight the anxiety."

Get a massage. Particularly on the back of your neck, around your throat and in your diaphragm area, advises Dr. McCullough. "Those are the three areas where you can tense up because of anxiety. Rubbing your neck helps relieve tension, which can soothe or possibly prevent a panic attack, while breathing deeply relaxes the diaphragm area." When massaging the neck, massage only one side at a time. (If you rub both sides too enthusiastically, there's a risk you may cut off your blood supply and become unconscious.)

Remember, it's just a passing phase. No matter how scary a panic attack is, it helps to remember that it's only a passing phase. "You need to remind yourself that what you're feeling are normal bodily functions that are happening at the wrong time, and they're not going to hurt you," says Ross. "You're not going to die from it. You're not going crazy. And it will be over soon."

Don't leave your situation. It's not advised to run to get away from your fears, says Fred Wright, Ed.D., director of education for the University of Pennsylvania Hospital's Center for Cognitive Therapy in Philadelphia. "Escaping" your environment during a panic attack encourages the development of phobia--an irrational fear reaction to the place or situation you were in when the panic attack hit. Many of the people who have panic attacks eventually develop phobias, such as fear of driving, because they associate the attacks with a particular object or situation, rather than trying to remedy the anxiety itself.

Switch to decaf. People who get panic attacks are often highly sensitive to caffeine, says Alexander Bystritsky, M.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and director of the Anxiety Disorders Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. So if you're prone to panic attacks, try to limit your intake of coffee, tea, chocolate and colas that contain caffeine.