Transcript Panic Attacks - Johnston Heights Secondary

WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK?
A PANIC ATTACK IS AN ONSLAUGHT OF EMOTIONS THAT QUICKENS YOUR HEART
BEAT, CRANKS YOUR PERSPIRATION AND BLURS YOUR VISION. PANIC ATTACKS
TRICK YOU INTO THINKING YOUR IN DANGER.
Your Panic Attack
will kill you
WHAT CAUSES PANIC ATTACKS?
• STRESS
• ILLNESSES (DIABETES, ASTHMA, INNER EAR PROBLEMS)
• DEPRESSION
• ANXIETY
• OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER
WHEN DO PANIC ATTACKS OCCUR?
PANIC ATTACKS CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE, THEY CAN STRIKE OUT
OF THE BLUE, WITHOUT ANY WARNING. OFTEN, THERE IS NO CLEAR REASON FOR
THE ATTACK, BUT IT CAN OCCUR WHEN YOUR RELAXED OR SLEEPING, AND EVEN
IF YOUR AWAY FROM HOME, SUCH AS WHEN YOUR AT WORK, DRIVING, WALKING
DOWN THE STREET, ETC.… A PANIC ATTACK CAN ALSO OCCUR IN SITUATIONS
LIKE IF YOU HAVE A FEAR OF HEIGHTS, AND YOU WALK INTO A TALL BUILDING.
WHAT DOES A PANIC ATTACK FEEL LIKE?
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TREMBLING OR SHAKING
CHEST PAIN OR DISCOMFORT
FEELS UNREAL OR DETACHED FROM YOUR SURROUNDINGS
NAUSEA OR UPSET STOMACH
FEELING DIZZY, LIGHT-HEADED, OR FAINT
NUMBNESS OR TINGLING SENSATIONS
HOT OR COLD FLASHES
FEAR OF DYING, LOSING CONTROL, OR GOING CRAZY
SHORTNESS OF BREATH OR HYPERVENTILATION
HEART PALPITATIONS OR RACING HEART
SWEATING
IN OTHER WORDS, IT’S A FEELING THAT YOU ARE CHOKING, GOING INSANE, BLACKING OUT, HAVING A
HEART ATTACK, OR IT CAN BE THE FEELING THAT YOUR ABOUT TO DIE. (LUCKILY YOU DON’T)
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR BODY
DURING A PANIC ATTACK?
FIRST, YOUR BRAIN PICKS UP ON SOME PERCEIVED THREAT, WHICH COULD BE
SOMETHING RANDOM LIKE A RANDOM SCARY THOUGHT THAT YOU’RE NOT EVEN
CONSCIOUS OF, OR A WEIRD HEART BEAT RHYTHM. YOUR THALAMUS (TRANSITS
SENSORY INFORMATION SO WE CAN HEAR, TOUCH AND TASTE) BRINGS THAT SENSORY
INFORMATION TO YOUR AMYGDALA (CONTROLS EMOTIONS), WHICH TRANSLATES IT AS
DANGER AND TRIGGERS THE AROUSAL OF YOUR SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM.
DURING THIS TIME, EPINEPHRINE (BODY'S ADRENALINE) IS SECRETED IN YOUR BRAIN
AND BODY, WHICH TRIGGERS SYMPTOMS LIKE AN INCREASED HEART RATE, RAPID
BREATHING, SWEATING, A RISE IN BLOOD PRESSURE, DILATING PUPILS, DRY MOUTH, ETC.
HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU HAVE A
PANIC ATTACK AND FOR HOW LONG?
A PANIC ATTACK CAN BE A ONE TIME OCCURRENCE, BUT MANY PEOPLE
EXPERIENCE REPEATED EPISODES, SOMETIMES YOU CAN EVEN HAVE A PANIC
ATTACK 5-6 TIMES A DAY.
PANIC ATTACKS CAN LAST FROM 10 MINUTES TO SEVERAL HOURS, DEPENDING
ON YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.
HOW TO MANAGE PANIC ATTACKS?
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DISTRACT YOURSELF (DON’T THINK ABOUT IT)
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RELAX (LISTEN TO MUSIC) TO REDUCE OVERALL STRESS (YOGA, TAI CHI, MEDITATION, SWIM, GO FOR A WALK)
STAY AWAY FROM STIMULANTS (COFFEE, SOFT DRINKS, OR ANYTHING ELSE WITH CAFFEINE)
DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL, USE DRUGS OR SMOKE (CAN TRIGGER PANIC ATTACKS)
A LOT OF HORMONES LIKE ADRENALINE, STARTS PUMPING THROUGH YOUR BODY DURING A PANIC ATTACK, TO
GET RID OF IT, EXERCISE (HEART RAISE EXERCISES)
BREATH SLOWLY
EAT BALANCED MEALS (DON’T SKIP MEALS OR EAT UNHEALTHY)
BE AROUND PEOPLE WHO CARE (FAMILY, FRIENDS)
SOURCES:
• PSYCHCENTRALL.COM/DISORDER
• PSYCHOLOGY.ABOUT.COM
• HEALTH.HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM
• WWW.ANXIETYCOACH.COM
• WWW.WEBMD.COM
• WWW.ANXIETYBC.COM
• WWW.EMEDICINEHEALTH.COM
• WWW.ADAA.ORG