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10 Ways To Stop A Panic Attack
With 2021 in the second year of Covid-19 lockdowns, people have experienced increased anxieties; someone close to you may experience a panic attack.
I remember experiencing my first panic attack 20 years ago.
Due to a high-pressure job, endless traveling, deadlines, and extracurricular activities in the church, I got about 4 hours of sleep a night.
I had a bad cold, was coughing, and had dance practice for a performance.
Some of you may know this – I love to watch dance but hate dancing myself with dread.
My friends told me it was the initial stage fright – I’ll get over it and learn to enjoy performing.
The first performance went well.
A week later, we performed again.
I was feeling poorly with the exertion.
I experienced the physical symptoms of a panic attack, but I didn’t know what it was back then.
My heart was racing. I was sweating and felt weak.
After the performance, everyone left, and I stumbled to my car and drove home, but I still felt poorly.
By 11 pm, my heart was racing, I was weak and dizzy, my hands felt numb, and my entire body felt tingly, including my lips and eyelids.
I had breathing difficulties, and my neighbor immediately drove me to ER.
According to the Medical Officer, I had a panic attack.
It was a sudden episode of intense fear that triggered severe physical reactions.
As I thought that I was “dying,” I started to breathe rapidly, shallow breaths that caused my hyperventilation.
Hyperventilation is rapid or deep breathing, usually caused by anxiety or panic. Breathing too fast or over-breathing, actually leaves you feeling breathless. When you breathe, you inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.
I was at the point of near exhaustion from insufficient rest coupled with a bad cough, and I could not breathe properly.
Was I in real imminent danger?
I was hospitalized and put on a nebulizer.
I don’t remember much of my stay in the hospital, except I slept soundly for the first time in months.
Twice a day, a nurse would help lloosenmucus from my lungs with ca upped hand clapping on my upper back.
I was discharged after about ten days and slowly regained my composure by working on relaxing exercises and learning to “let go.”
If you or someone you’ve loved have experienced panic attacks, read on.
Panic Attack Feels So Real
The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the actual situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them.
With the lockdown and the effects of the pandemic, many people are feeling anxious.
Many unknowns exist about their future, their jobs, livelihoods, and whether they should take the vaccines.
Some want to but can’t bear waiting in line.
Others may hear of stories of people taking vaccines and falling sick.
Even more, they may learn of people they know succumbing to Covid-19.
For some people, the sounds of sirens from ambulance runs, or police cars making announcements may be scary.
Many little things add up to the feeling of insecurity and vulnerability.
It can be from queuing for groceries to others not observing social distancing – not wearing a mask.
For some, just seeing an image on social media of more numbers cases will get them worked up.
For others, it could be being cooped up at home.
When panic attacks come – it is such a scary and visceral experience.
First thoughts – am I having a heart attack?
Am I dying?
Your heart races, tyourbody sweats, yand our face gets flushed.
You can feel your thoughts race around 100 miles per hour. Every little worry you had before becomes a major catastrophe.
The dripping faucet soon becomes a flood.
A drizzle becomes a raging tornado in your mind.
Everything seems to spiral out of control.
You may feel incredibly overwhelmed.
Both your thoughts and body sensations are affected.
Or you may get frozen by the fear, just hoping the panic will soon end.
If you feel you need medical attention, please get it immediately.
There’s a lot of overlap in heart attacks and panic attacks – the symptoms of heart attacks in women differ from those in men.
Please DO NOT try to meditate and deep breathe your way through a cardiac attack.
Remember, I went to the ER for my symptoms in the Intro above.
Panic Attack Symptoms
Panic attacks involve sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning.
These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep.
People experiencing a panic attack may believe they have a heart attack or are dying or going crazy.
The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the actual situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them.
Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms heart.
I was feeling weak, faint, or dizzy.
- Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers.
- Sense of terror, or impending doom or death.
- Feeling sweaty or having chills.
- Chest pains
- Breathing difficulties
- Feeling a loss of control
A Panic attack can be very frightening.
When panic attacks occur, you might think you’re losing control of your mind, and body, and even think you are having a heart attack or dying.
I remembered asking my friend to call a pastor – just in case.
I was that “sure” that I felt like dying…
If you haven’t had a panic attack before, you may not understand.
The episodes are overwhelming as well as terrifying – the symptoms are both physical as well as emotional.
The panic attacks are sudden, and they pounce on me – these intense surges of fear, panic, or anxiety.
Many people with panic attacks may have difficulty breathing or claim that they don’t feel the air going in their lungs.
They may feel their hearts pounding, sweat profusely, and tremble.
Some people experience chest pain or feel detachment from reality or themselves during a panic attack.
Hence, they may think they have a heart attack.
Others have reported feeling they can’t move their limbs or feel like they are having a stroke.
Is there a difference between panic and an anxiety attack?
Anxiety attack symptoms include a surge of overwhelming panic.
Some people feel like they are going crazy or feel like they are going to pass out.
Others may experience rapid heart palpitations or chest pain.
First, Use this strategy to stop a panic attack with the five things.
“I look around to find five things I can see, four things I can touch, three things I can hear, two things I can smell, and one thing I can taste. It’s called grounding.” – Sam A.
“Grounding techniques…. Focus on what’s around you, what it looks like, the smell, the texture.” – Gia S.
“Look around you for…
• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste
This is called ‘grounding.’ It can help when you feel like you have lost control of your surroundings and or your head.” – Tracy K.
What are the strategies you can use to try to stop a panic attack?
Panic attacks can be scary and may hit you quickly.
1 Recognize that you have a panic attack
When you recognize that you’re having a panic attack and NOT a heart attack- you can remind yourself that this is temporary.
The feeling will pass.
You’re going to be OK.
The fear of impending doom and that you may be dying are both symptoms of panic attacks.
2 Use deep breathing
Deep breathing can reduce symptoms of panic during an attack.
You will want to slow your breath down.
Rapid breathing will cause hyperventilation and increase fear.
If you’re able to control your breathing – you will be able to lessen the panic attack itself.
Focus on taking deep breaths in and out through your mouth.
Feel the air slowly fill your chest and belly and then slowly leave them again.
Breathe in for a count of four, hold for a second, and then breathe out for a count of four.
3. Close your eyes
Some panic attacks come from visual triggers that can overwhelm you.
If you’re in a fast-paced environment with many visual stimuli, this can feed your panic attack.
To reduce the stimuli, close your eyes during your panic attack to block out any extra stimuli.
It will make it easier to focus on your breathing.
4. Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness can help ground you in the reality of where you are at the moment.
Since panic attacks can cause a feeling of detachment – or separation from reality, knowing where you are helping ground you.
Focus on the familiar physical sensations.
You can use your hands to feel the texture of your jeans.
Or you heel in the carpet or if your outside on the grass or the ground.
These specific sensations around you, and you have something objective to focus on.
5. Find a focus object
To focus your mind, pick one object in clear sight.
Consciously note everything about the object.
For example, you can focus on a clock.
Describe the patterns, color, shapes, and size of the clock to yourself.
Notice how the hand on the clock jerks when it ticks.
Look and see if it’s slightly crooked.
Focus all your energy on this object, and soon your panic symptoms will subside.
6. Progressive Relaxation Techniques
Much like deep breathing – muscle relaxation techniques can help stop your panic attack.
What one can do is to relax one muscle group at a time consciously.
Start with something simple – relaxing your toes one by one.
Then relax your feet, your ankles next.
Slowly move your way up through your body.
Muscle relaxation techniques are most effective if you’ve practiced them beforehand.
7. Picture your SAFE, happy place
Picture yourself when you are most relaxed.
Was it an evening stroll on the beach?
A relaxing cabin in the hills?
A spa experience?
Think of the most relaxing place in the world that you would enjoy.
Picture yourself there and focus on being happy.
What are the details?
Are you walking barefoot in the sand with gentle waves lapping your feet?
Are you rubbing the pin tree needles between your fingers and smelling the scent?
Think of a quite conducive relaxing place somewhere calm, not the bustling city streets and neon lights.
8. Engage in light exercise
If you are not hyperventilating or struggling to breathe, feel dizzy or faint, you can move gently.
When you exercise, you get the blood pumping.
Endorphins can help flood our bodies and improve our moods.
Choose a light exercise that’s gentle on the body, like walking or swimming.
9. Keep lavender on hand
Lavender is known for being soothing and stress-relieving.
One of the best-known relaxing smells is Lavender.
I keep this handy and use a lavender spray on my pillow to help my body relax.
If you are prone to panic attacks, have some lavender essential oil on hand nearby.
You can use the lavender essential oil on your hand and put some on your forearms.
Breath in the scent.
You can also try drinking lavender or chamomile tea.
Lavender should not be combined with benzodiazepines which cause intense drowsiness.
10. Repeat a Mantra
Remember that “This too shall pass.”
The mantra you choose can be repeated internally and give you something to grasp onto during a panic attack.
Repeating a mantra internally can be reassuring during a panic attack.
You repeat it on a loop in your head until you feel the panic attack start to subside.
There are drugs that may help treat panic attacks if you take one as soon as you feel an attack coming on.
Some people may be dependent on therapy or medication to help.
Please see a doctor for proper assessment and correct disorder diagnosis before resorting to taking over-the-counter medication.
Some medications can be highly addictive and should only be taken under medical supervision.
In Conclusion In Case Of A Panic Attack:
Don’t go it alone if you experience distressing anxiety or panic.
Please reach out and get the help you need.
See a doctor or a professional therapist who can evaluate and provide the treatments you need to help you get these symptoms under control.
Knowing the difference between a panic attack and a life-threatening emergency is critical.
Be prepared to use the tips above to help you or someone close to you navigate these scary experiences.
If you have had or are having panic attacks regularly, please see a doctor as soon as possible.
It would be better to speak to a mental health professional immediately.
You will benefit significantly from both medication and talk therapy.
Open up to your family and loved ones. You can do this. There is no shame in getting help.
You can get through this – seeking help shows strength and intelligence.
If You Or A Loved One Experiences A Panic Attack – Online Consultation:
Teh Healinghart Centre (Ms. Doreen Teh, Clinical Psychologist)
Your Next Wave (Veronique Ficheux, Holistic Support with NLP, EFT & Matrix Reimprinting and Hypnotherapy)
Counseling and Mental Health Services in Malaysia
- Befrienders
- Malaysian Mental Health Association
- The Mind Faculty KL
- HumanKind Community Counselling
- Soul Mechanics
- Cara Cara
- MentCouch Psychology Centre
Sources:
11 Ways to Stop a Panic Attack
9 Tips To Help You Get Through A Panic Attack
Hello Friend, Goodbye Friend.
We dread to say two of the hardest words in the human vocabulary; Hello Friend and Goodbye Friend.
“Friends come in all different shapes and sizes… The important thing is not what we look like but the role we play in our best friend’s life. Friends choose certain friends because that’s the kind of company they are looking for at that specific time, not because they’re the correct height, age, or have the right hair color. It’s not always the case, but often there’s a reason why…” ― Cecelia Ahern If You Could See Me Now.
We have all lost someone before, family, loved ones, children.
For an animal lover, losing a pet can be equally devastating.
But above all, losing a genuine friend is the most difficult.
Hello Friend.
“How did you first meet?”
“I don’t remember. Someone probably said hello first,” I quipped.
“It’s probably you….”
“Yes, of course.”
Goodbye Friend Quotes
Friends are the family that we get to choose.
You don’t have that lucky with family and colleagues.
Your biggest supporters make up a team of people called “friends.”
They become your confidants, sidekicks, and even therapists.
Keep in touch and check in on your friends once in a while.
No matter how near or far they are, let each other know that you are always there – just a phone call away.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to people you care about, so finding the right words to express yourself is essential.
Here’s hoping to make this exhausting transition smoother and more memorable, may this offer comfort in times of confusion.
If you can’t find the words to express how you feel to someone, you can write them a letter.
If a letter seems overwhelming, you can write a note or even a card.
Another way to personalize your words is to present these words creatively.
A handwritten quote with a framed picture of you and your friend can be a meaningfully cherished gift.
You can customize and add a special quote to a coffee cup, a wooden plaque, or a journal’s cover with the internet.
Handmade Art to Say Goodbye Friend
A parting gift that is handmade includes something that your friend can display on a desk or as a fridge magnet.
Repurpose going away gifts to include a meaningful quote on their favorite piece of artwork.
You know your friends best.
So, grab a quote and turn that into a gift that will make them smile and think of you despite the distance.
A
“At some point, you have to realize that some people can stay in your heart but not in your life.” – Unknown.
B
“Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.” – Garrison Keillor.
D
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss.
“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” – Richard Bach
E
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Semisonic
“Even if we can’t be together in the end, I’m glad that you were a part of my life.” – Unknown.
F
“Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again.” – William Shakespeare
G
“Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again.” -Unknown.
“Good friends never say goodbye. They simply say, “See you soon.” -Unknown.
H
“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A. A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh.
I
“I thank you for your part in my journey.” – Unknown.
“I have learned along my journey that letting go doesn’t mean loving less.” –Alex Elle.
L
“Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.
N
“Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” – J. M. Barrie, Peter Pan.
“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau.
R
“Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry.” – Dr. Suess.
S
“So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good.” – Helen Keller.
“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” – Flavia Weedn.
“Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s time we spent together that matters, not how we left it.” – Trey Parker.
T
“Though miles may lie between us, we are never far apart, for friendship doesn’t count miles. It’s measured by the heart.” – Unknown.
“Truly great friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to forget.” – G. Randolf.
“The two hardest things to say in life are hello for the first time and goodbye for the last.” – Moira Rogers.
“True friends don’t say goodbye; they just take extended leaves of absences from each other.” – Unknown.
“This is the beginning of anything you want.” – Unknown.
W
“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place. We stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.” – Pascal Mercier, Night Train to Lisbon.
Y
“Yesterday brought the beginning, tomorrow brings the end, though somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.” – Unknown.
“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” – E. B. White, Charlotte’s Web
“You and I will meet again; When we’re least expecting it, One day in some far-off place, I will recognize your face, I won’t say goodbye my friend, For you and I will meet again.” – Tom Petty.
“You’ve changed me forever. And I’ll never forget you.” – Kiera Cass.
Goodbye Friend, Sorry You Have To Go.
We get to walk alongside our friends.
Some memories that pop up are perhaps seconds long, fleetingly.
It could be the last time my friend slowed down as he drove, and I waved.
It was the last time I saw him – and it crushes me to have to write that.
A common friend mentioned to me that her husband managed to spend some two hours with him – chatting, reliving their high school days.
And he was glad that they had that window of time together.
There’s a thing that we always say, albeit with difficulty, when someone dies.
“I wished I had one more time to hang out with my friend.”
In the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic, things changed for many of us.
The people who had to leave suddenly were no longer the strangers we read about in other countries, other states, other communities.
In May, Wesley left after a four-year bout with leukemia.
I remember the first time we met. I was writing a story, and he was my interviewee.
After some time, I got to know that we have a common friend from high school.
Workwise, we could chat about engineering and photography.
One day I was in town, and we caught up for a coffee.
I remembered I was flying off the next day for about two weeks.
I noticed he had enormous bruises on his forearms.
The dark purple patches were about 2″ to 3″ in diameter.
I told him they don’t look good, and since he had diabetes – he better got that checked out.
I was still overseas when he texted they diagnosed him with Adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
This type of cancer usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated immediately.
I visited Wesley once at the hospital during a tough time for him.
A few years later, I met him briefly with his family at a Kopitiam.
I never saw him again until I learned of his passing in May.
Andre passed on yesterday.
The last conversation I had with him was in Jasmine Café, Penang.
It was almost 25 years ago.
We were both at the same restaurant for a quick dinner, sitting at a separate table.
He invited me to join him at his big table.
Back in the day, I would choose to sit wedged in a corner.
We chatted, and I remembered Andre telling me of his family and how important forgiveness and reconciliation are for everyone.
Andre was a church youth leader, and in his time, he has impacted many many lives through his music and outreach programs.
With the outpouring of love and dedication from many people who loved him, we join in to celebrate Andre’s life.
I think of it this way.
Andre has completed his tasks.
He’s just gone back to the Father’s house to celebrate.
Let us REJOICE and celebrate his life and the lives of all who have gone home before us.
How Much Money Do You Need To Be Happy In 2021?
In my 50s, I look at other people struggling to make more money, save more money, grow more money – I often wonder why?
Even if you live in a palace, you can only sit in one chair at a time.
To lie down to sleep, you need a pillow, a blanket and a soft surface.
When everyone dies, they get the same size casket. There is no S, M, L or XL (unless the deceased is very obese)
The bare and true necessities: the things we must have – to be absolutely HAPPY
- Health
- Food
- Shelter
- A Purpose
- Family
- Close Relationships
- Be A Valued Member Of A Community
- Access to the Great Outdoors
- Some Physical Activity
When I realised the above.
It is not so hard to be happy and content.
I live in a tiny rented flat, drive an old car and use my dining table as my office desk.
I didn’t need any fancy equipment, just a simple laptop, a mobile phone and WiFI – that is enough for me to connect to the world and you, my dear readers.
Am I happy?
An absolute Yesss…
Health
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said: “Man. Because he sacrifices his health to make money, then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.”
How Much Money You Need To Be Happy – The Story of The Fisherman And The Businessman
Do you know how much money you need to be happy?
This is a timeless question.
The truth is that we don’t need nearly as much money as most people think.
There is plenty of research that says most of the happiness you can obtain can be achieved at a basic living standard.
More money can contribute to more happiness, but only to a certain point.
This makes sense to me: does anyone honestly believe that people were not happy thousands of years ago, before the iPhone’s invention?
I believe that beyond the basics, everything else is FLUFF.
The most important things in life, the things that bring us basic happiness – most of those things are free or virtually free.
These things do not cost money, for the most part.
But it seems that few people get this.
People go through tremendous struggles to obtain something more, always more.
The following is a wonderful short story by one of my favourite authors: the famous Brazilian author, Paolo Coelho.
It’s an illustration of how little we may need to be happy.
The Fisherman And The Businessman by Paulo Coelho
There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village.
As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore, having caught quite a few big fish.
The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?”
The businessman was astonished.
“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and the evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”
The businessman suggested the fisherman.
“I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and your distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and to Sao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”
The fisherman continues, “And after that?”
The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”
The fisherman asks, “And after that?”
The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”
The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”
Paulo Coelho de Souza is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist best known for his novel The Alchemist. In 2014, he uploaded his personal papers online to create a virtual Paulo Coelho Foundation.
Happiness Income (How Much Money Do You Need to Be Happy?
A well-known 2010 study by Princeton researchers Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton found that people tend to be happier as their annual income rises.
The “happiness” increases unit it reaches a point.
The Princeton researchers worked out that this was about $75,000.
While a person’s Income is associated with happiness, there are debates about the nature of how this associated.
Would happiness rise indefinitely with income, or is there a point at which higher incomes no longer lead to greater well-being?
A study that uses data from the Gallup World Poll shows astonishing results.
Globally, based on a sample of over 1.7 million individuals worldwide, the satiation occurs at
- Life Evaluation at $95,000
- Emotional Well Being at $60,000 to $75,000
The study shows there is substantial variation across world regions, with satiation occurring later in wealthier regions.
In certain parts of the world, incomes beyond satiation are associated with lower life evaluations.
These findings on income and happiness have practical and theoretical significance at
• the individual
• institutional and
• national levels
They point to a degree of happiness adaptation and that money influences happiness by fulfilling both needs and increasing material desires.
How Much Money Do You Need To Be Happy?
So, again, do you know how much money you need to be happy?
Perhaps not nearly as much as you’ve been led to believe.
Obviously, we do need some money in this life to cover the basics.
Without that, we will likely be miserable.
But, you can certainly be happy without much else beyond the basics.
When you recognize this, you can quickly become free. Share this story with a friend today.
The Fisherman And The Businessman by Paulo Coelho