Anyone who has ever suffered from a Panic Attack knows the silent terror that one lives with, not knowing when the next attack is going to come or what may bring it about. The more of them you have the more you avoid the triggers, if you are lucky enough to know what the triggers are; many people don’t know and become recluse out of avoidance.

The symptoms are not always the same for every individual or every episode. It can start as a feeling of dread leading to sweaty palms, a sense of dizziness, then to rapid heart rate, shortness of breath and possibly uncontrolled shaking. Many people who have not experienced them before believe they are having a heart attack.

Your thoughts at the time are usually “get me the hell out of here!” You are embarrassed, ashamed and even humiliated. You don’t want anyone to know what you are feeling and that you are not in control, you have a sense that others will see you as weak and incompetent. Even though the taboo is much less than it was twenty years ago, it still exists, especially in our own minds. It is OK for it to happen to someone else but not to me.

Many people who suffer from Panic Attacks are individuals that are always in control. They don’t like anything that rattles their cage. They have to have a sense of order and they do everything to achieve that around them. This is unrealistic, the world is a chaotic place and things change quickly, we have to be adaptable. Most sufferers of Panic Disorders don’t adapt well to instant change.

There are many things that can be done to lessen an attack. Deep slow breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth helps because much of the feeling of dizziness, shortness of breath and sense of dread are from the build up of CO2 from hyperventilation.

Visualization of a place that is calm and relaxing is another way to help control the severity. But lets face it, if you are in your boss’s office and he/she is questioning you about something, you’re not likely to say hold on, I need to deep breath and visualize a quite place.
These therapies help once you find a way to get out of there (flight) and can get to a quiet place where you are alone. Flight is the number one way to lessen an Panic Attack, although not always easy, people who suffer from anxiety and panic attacks become very good at it.

The best treatment for severe Panic Attacks is medication. I know many may disagree with me but I am an expert on this subject. I have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for 10 years.

I was 34 years old when I had my first attack at work. I was an IV therapist at the time and was probably the best on the team. I had all the confidence in the world until I went into a room to start a line and saw a nurse who I respected greatly in the bed. I was taken back by this but when she said she had personally requested me because she knew how good I was at starting IV’s, I lost it. Now, because I had never had an attack before, I didn’t know what it was, I blamed it on low blood sugar. After having a few more, I knew it had been panic attacks.

It is genetic, it runs in my family, my grandfather, my aunt and my father all suffer from them and now my oldest daughter. I suffered for 8 years through avoidance and “working through them” before I just couldn’t do it anymore. I actually ended up in the hospital because I almost passed out at work trying to control my anxiety.

That was what changed my life; I was started on Zoloft and have been great ever since. This may not be the best medicine for everyone but there are many available to try until one is found that works.

My plea to others is not to suffer in shame or embarrassment like I did, but to get the help to make your life so much better. Before you know it you will be leading the normal life that you deserve.

Please pass this article on to anyone that you know that may suffer from Panic or Anxiety Attacks. I am thinking of writing an eBook on the subject, if there is anything that you think would be important to include, please click on the link below. This is just my site where you can state the questions you think would benefit yourself or others.