Panic Attacks: Awareness Is the First Step to Control

How to identify a panic attack? 

Have you ever experienced a racing heartbeat, a feeling of pressure in your chest, or a sudden, unexpected sense of dread? You may have experienced a panic attack. These feelings of extreme fear can be so intense that a person may become confused or worried about their health. Learning to recognize a panic attack is the first step toward successfully managing it and getting the right help.

What Is a Panic Attack?

The Harmony Mind Clinic is at the forefront of mental health care. At our clinic, we help people identify the symptoms and find the right support group to deal with these experiences with compassion and therapy based on evidence and practice.

Common Symptoms of a Panic Attack

When you are able to identify the signs of a panic attack, it will not only help you to distinguish it from other medical conditions but also allow you to take control early. Here are the most common panic attack symptoms:

• Heart beating fast or feeling the heart beating
• Difficulty in breathing or breathing rapidly
• Feeling pressure or hurting in the heart area
• Experiencing dizziness, shakiness, or fainting
• Excessive sweating and shaking
• Feeling sick or having  discomfort in the stomach
• Having coldness or warmth in the body
• Having no feeling or feeling prickly in certain areas of the body
• Being afraid of losing control.

These symptoms sometimes occur suddenly and last for minutes. Despite being real, these physical feelings are usually not dangerous to life. Still, having panic attacks many times might suggest the presence of a disorder called Panic Disorder.

What Triggers a Panic Attack?

Panic attacks have no definite single cause; they might arise from a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Some common triggers are:

• Long-term stress or anxiety
• Significant life events or trauma
• Phobias or fear of certain situations
• Intake of caffeine or stimulants

How to Know If It’s a Panic Attack or Something Else

Considering that panic attacks can imitate the symptoms of heart disease, thyroid problems, or respiratory conditions, it becomes vital to contact a mental health professional for a comprehensive evaluation. The professional doctors at Harmony Mind Clinic perform a detailed assessment of your physical and mental health to find out if the problem is panic attacks or some other issue.

Conclusion 

In case you suffer from panic attacks in Mumbai quite often or they are very intense and interfere with your daily life, do not take them lightly. By treating them early, you might just stop them from turning into Panic Disorder or generalized anxiety. Counselling, changing your life a little, and relaxation techniques would take a long way towards this.

Harmony Mind Clinic provides anxiety and panic disorder individualized assessment with necessary psychological tests, and treatment including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based therapies, stress management programs and/or medicines to help you regain balance and to get peace of mind.