Do you get a panic attack every time you think about a horrible car accident you were involved in? Even though it was years ago, and today you are completely fine, the thought of that accident or watching something similar on television or in the movies triggers a feeling of acute anxiety and paralysing fear? You are not alone. Panic attacks are a common ailment.
According to health experts, in the UAE, stress levels of people are high due to various reasons such as long working hours, financial pressures, lack of a family network or lack of support from friends. A combination of these factors can trigger panic attacks. Though no official figures are available on the number of people suffering from anxiety disorders, doctors say stress plays havoc with the body and as a result, a number of people show symptoms such as lack of sleep, stomach ulcers and frequent panic attacks.
“Panic attacks are a type of anxiety disorder,” says Clare Smart, personal development consultant at LifeWorks in Dubai. “It is the body’s flight or fight response and as adrenalin is released, the individual experiences very physical symptoms such as a racing heart, shaking, dizziness and hyperventilation.”
Anxiety disorders comes in many forms such as Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Panic Attacks and Social Phobia. Worldwide, one person in 100 suffers from panic attacks and at least 1 in 10 have such an attack triggered by a stressful situation. The exact cause is not yet understood and is said to be a mix of physical and psychological factors.
Smart says there are a number of reasons why people suffer from an anxiety disorder. “There could be a family link. If your parents were generally anxious, you are more likely to be an anxious person yourself. It is partly genetic.”
Describing how a panic attack sets itself into motion, she says the individual starts to think fast, his thoughts begin to race, as result of which, his mind is rendered incapable of clear thinking. “He starts to sweat, his face flushes and he starts to feel like he is about to have a heart attack, or is going mad and will pass out. In short, it is a very scary sensation.”
These are the same responses our body would have if faced with real danger. However, in panic attacks, the reaction occurs despite the absence of a real threat. And the reaction, says Smart, is always out of proportion to the perceived threat.
“Panic attacks feel very real to the person who suffers from them,” she says. “And once they start, they often occur with increasing regularity as the individual begins to fear the panic sensation itself. It’s the fear of a fear.”
Luckily, these attacks are not harmful. “The individual may feel that he or she is going to have a heart attack or go crazy, but it is only a feeling. Also, these feelings are usually very brief — they last between five to 10 minutes.”
But for the person experiencing such an attack, these few minutes can feel excruciatingly long.
A panic attack can happen at any time, all it needs is some sort of a trigger, a reminder, of something unpleasant that happened in the individual’s life before. The person then begins to fear that he may have another attack and the fear feeds on itself.
Most people who suffer from panic attacks may feel depressed that they cannot function properly and do simple tasks like driving, for instance.
Emotionally, says Smart, there is a heightened sense of arousal, fear, worry, and you become more aware internally and about what’s around you, to protect yourself.
Anxiety and depression, according to her, often can be seen together. If you have an anxiety disorder, you will also have symptoms of depression which will get your mood down. Then there are phobias, which are fears about specific things.
“Various reasons can be factored for that,” says Smart. “It could be your predisposition, your upbringing or your relationships, or that you are not taking care of yourself. If left untreated, it can get worse.”
Smart, trained in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), believes that the best way to deal with panic attacks is to learn to slow down that heightened reaction. This approach will help you think more rationally and get a proper perspective of this exaggerated view about the threat.
CBT is a step-by-step process and makes you learn what is causing the panic attacks, how to handle them, tests your ability to handle yourself first in low-anxiety situations, and then, in high-anxiety ones.
For example, if you have a fear of flying, there are a series of steps you need to take to tackle it. The first stage is to be at an airport physically, but not take a flight. This will take a couple of visits to make you feel comfortable being at an airport. Then, at a certain point of time which the counsellor will guide you about, you need to make a seat booking. “You need to take charge of booking your own seat in the plane where you feel the safest,” says Smart. Then, finally, the counsellor decides when you are capable of physically taking the flight.
People come for help, says Smart, because sometimes, this common-sense approach is very hard to adopt by themselves.
“Professional help does not always mean giving medication. That is a short-term solution,” she says, “while CBT is a longer-term solution.”
The message she would like to send out to those suffering from panic disorder and panic attacks is that they are treatable. “You don’t need to suffer from them unnecessarily. There are many ways in which you can seek help, from seeing a GP (for your stress symptoms) to looking for information online to reading books on the condition to make yourself aware of your situation. Many places in Dubai (today) offer professional help.”
(*CBT is a form of psychotherapy that helps teach a person how to view things differently and to behave or react in a way that makes the person feel more calmer and less fearful).
