How Do Panic Attacks Happen?
To understand how panic attacks happen, it’s important to note that they are triggered by a condition known as the fight-or-flight response, which occurs when faced with danger or a threat. Exposure to such situations stimulates the nervous system and releases a surge of adrenaline into the bloodstream, enabling the person to either confront or flee from the threat. This leads to symptoms such as:
- Increased heart rate.
- Elevated blood sugar levels.
- Rapid breathing.
- A rush of blood to the muscles.
This explains how a panic attack occurs—it happens when this response is activated in the absence of real danger. The person experiences these symptoms intensely without a true threat. During a panic attack, adrenaline levels can rise up to 2.5 times higher than normal.
Treatment for Panic Attacks
Now that we understand how panic attacks happen, let’s look at the main treatment methods used to manage them:
- Medication: In some cases, doctors may recommend medication to reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent future attacks. The most common medication classes include:
- Antidepressants, which are typically the first-line choice for preventing panic attacks.
- Anti-anxiety medications, especially benzodiazepines.
- Psychological Counseling: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the most effective methods for treating panic attacks.
- Self-Treatment: This simple and effective approach includes several steps, such as:
- Practicing meditation. Meditation induces a state of relaxation that counters the fight-or-flight response, making it effective for relieving and preventing panic attacks. Don’t forget to download the Tawazon app, which contains extensive information on different types of meditation, along with a collection of podcasts and guided meditations.
- Positive self-talk—remind yourself that what you’re experiencing is just a panic attack, it will pass shortly, and it won’t harm you. There’s no real danger causing it.
- Redirecting attention to something else, away from the panic attack and its symptoms—for example, counting backward from 100 to 1.
