Many people who have a panic attack are also struggling with anxiety and the whole process feels like they are suffering from a health crisis. A panic attack is usually manifested by sudden bouts of fear that can cause physical responses without a real cause for panic. People who have panic attacks feel like they are losing control and may die instantly because of a heart attack. 

The most common mental illness in America are anxiety disorders, the National Institute of Mental Health reported. “Symptoms of anxiety disorder range around mood, cognitive, and physical symptoms,” explains Joel Sherrill, Ph.D., deputy director of the Division of Services and Intervention Research at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Thus, panic attacks are symptoms of anxiety and many people who have these symptoms do not realize that they suffer from anxiety. 

“They seek treatment because they can’t sleep or they get a massage or go to the doctor because they can’t relax. Worry itself seems like the right thing to do so they don’t seek help for the worry,” says Karen Cassiday, Ph.D., ACT, president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

“With panic, you have unexpected, sudden attacks of intense fear. You feel out of control like you are going to die, and the physical symptoms – tightness of chest, difficulty breathing – can be alarming,” says Dr. Sherrill.

So, read on for more about panic attacks and how to protect yourself from it. 

You may have the symptoms of a panic attack from other causes than anxiety

As you probably know, anxiety manifests a lot of symptoms, such as excessive panic and fear, agitation, stress, sweaty hands, dry mouth and accelerated heartbeat, but you can feel these symptoms even if you do not have a panic attack. 

For instance, there are many other physical conditions or side effects of different medications that can make you feel like that. People who suffer from diabetes or have some problems with the thyroid gland, a disease that affects the immune system could have the same symptoms as a panic attack. 

“Anyone who is experiencing symptoms that are intense or overwhelming, especially if they are new, should seek medical advice to make sure they rule out a physical cause. Those who experience a panic attack may think they are having a heart attack. The first thing to do is make sure they are not,” says Dr. Sherrill.

Be sure that you are not in danger

We have to admit the fact that it is quite difficult to recognize that you are not in danger and you won’t die when you actually have a panic attack, but it is important to remain calm and think about how strong you are. 

Moreover, some people have sudden panic attacks, while others after thinking of negative scenarios and the symptoms include severe heart palpitations, trembling, nausea and sweaty hands. So, regardless of the cause of your panic attack, both categories of people believe they will die because of a heart attack or stroke. In reality, this is very unlikely to happen, especially when everything is only in your head.

“It’s traumatic. Like the feeling that you got as a kid when someone held you under the water too long – you feel like something terrible is happening. They want to get help because it feels unusual, it doesn’t make sense, and they will call their doctor or go to the emergency room,” says Dr. Cassiday.

Anxiety is a mental illness that can affect anyone at any age. And people who have anxiety “get caught up in the worst-case scenario and they can’t let go of it – what if I lose my job, what if my partner is having an affair, what if my child gets in a car accident,” says Cassiday.

But it is very important to remain calm and to understand that you are safe. When you have a panic attack try to focus on how strong you are! “You need to understand that it is a false alarm. Even though you think you are going insane, you are not – most panic attacks will peter out after two or three minutes.”

Inhale and exhale as slowly as possible

In case you did not know this before, people who have a panic attack tend to take a deep breath because they feel chest pain. But, an increased breathing level can cause more anxiety. If you breathe slowly you adjust the carbon level which will calm you down. Chest pain is caused by hyperventilating and the tightening of the muscles.

 “They go to the emergency room hyperventilating, holding their chest and belly – they are so tight that they forget to breathe. If you breathe at a rate of six to eight breathes per minute, it cues your body that everything is okay,” says Cassiday.

Exercise and eat healthy

There are a lot of health experts who recommend you maintain a healthy diet and exercise because they can minimize the symptoms. All you have to do is to make sure that you eat all the essential nutrients that our body needs, stay hydrated and exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. 

Moreover, one of the most important things that you have to take into consideration is to limit alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine. In addition, many studies have shown that a low level of physical activity can cause anxiety. 

In case you did not know this before, a 30 minutes workout a day can increase the level of happiness and induce the feeling of euphoria, which improves the quality of your life. 

“If you are experiencing anxiety and stress, the average person can minimize that by exercising, practicing mindfulness-based movements such as yoga and Tai Chi,” says Dr. Cassiday.

Try to find the cause

Well, as you probably know, the panic attacks have a cause and you have to find out those triggers because once you know what makes you anxious, you can change the way you think and act. For instance, some people can be stressed because of their job or family and other individuals can be anxious when they have a public presentation or a flight. 

“What happens is that the elevated stress at some point becomes overwhelming and it trips the alarm system in the brain and body. It can be imaginary or real and still set off the same stressors. They may be afraid to exercise or make love because it will bring on a panic attack – these physical changes trigger their alarm system,” says Dr. Cassiday.

You should sleep enough

Having an adequate sleeping routine is one of the most important factors that can influence your anxiety episodes. If you do not sleep enough you will be prone to stress and irritability. There are a lot of studies that have shown a strong connection between sleep and anxiety. So, when you do not sleep enough you are more likely to develop anxiety and panic attacks.

 “Not getting enough sleep puts you in a bad mood, impairs coping, and causes stress, which leads to not getting enough sleep,” Dr. Sherrill says.

Do not let it ruin your social life

When you have frequent panic attacks you tend to stay alone and avoid contact with other people, but it is very important to move on and think positively. Also, there are many people who cancel their scheduled activities because they are afraid of sudden panic attacks. 

“They may stop going to the doctor because they are worried they will find out they have cancer, or they won’t go to Orlando because they heard an alligator attacked someone there last year,” says Dr. Cassiday.