Recognizing a Panic Attack

I stood at the top of the ski slope and looked down. There was no way I was going to get down the mountain. The slope of the vertical drop was frightening. I was convinced I would be seriously injured if I had to ski down that run. But I was stuck. I had to get down. Panic overwhelmed me. I started to feel terror, then dread. I couldn’t breathe. My heart was pounding and I felt like I was choking. Dizzy, I sat down on my skis.

I knew I was starting to panic and had to get control of my thoughts and physical symptoms. Deep breathing techniques were familiar to me as I taught them to my patients. I prayed and shifted my thoughts to God. I visualized God accompanying me down the slope and getting me to the bottom safely. A plan was needed. There is always a way out, I told myself.

Eventually, I did get off that mountain. By calming myself down after having a brief panic attack and problem solving, I reached the foot of the slope. My strategy was to move to the far side of the run where the snow was less packed down and more controllable. Then I would slide down on my bottom. Very slowly and gradually, I made progress down the hill.

If you’ve ever experienced a panic attack, you feel like you are going to die, lose control or freak out.  Your thought is to get out of the situation. There is a sudden and intense fear that can last minutes or even hours. During that time, you experience at least four of 13 identified complaints:

• Pounding heart
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Shortness of breath
• Feelings of choking
• Chest pain
• Nausea
• Dizziness or fainting
• Feeling detached from your body
• Fear of losing control
• Fear of dying
• Numbness
• Chills or hot flashes

Panic attacks can be brought on by specific events or happen out of the blue. For example, large dogs can easily frighten small children. If a dog snaps at a child, this can frighten the child. The next time the child sees a large dog, he may anticipate something bad happening to him that he can’t control. This fear can lead to panic whenever the dog comes near the child.

Some people are frightened by heights and begin to panic when atop a tall building. Others may have fears of flying or being in confined spaces. There are a number of situations that can bring on panic. At times you can identify the source immediately (e.g., the dog). Other times you feel panicked and don’t know why.

If you find yourself experiencing the symptoms listed above on a regular basis, you may suffer from panic attacks. Don’t wait, Get help. Worrying about having these attacks and then having them is an unsettling way to live. There are treatments and spiritual helps that can reduce and stop these attacks. One of the major treatments is a type of therapy called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with relaxation. Panic can be overcome.