INTRODUCTION
Anxiety is an unavoidable aspect of life. When confronted with an issue at work, before taking an exam, or before taking significant choice, you may experience anxiety. Anxiety disorders, include more than just brief concern or terror. Anxiety does not go away for a person suffering from an anxiety disorder, and it might worsen with time. Symptoms can disrupt daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. It is a common response to stress and can be useful in some instances. It can warn us of potential threats and assist us in preparing and paying attention. Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental illnesses, affecting roughly 30% of individuals at some time in their life. However they are curable, and a variety of effective therapies are available. Most persons who receive treatment are able to live regular, productive lives.
Anxiety is characterized by muscular tension and avoidance behavior in response to the expectation of a future issue. Fear is a psychological reaction to an impending crisis and is more connected with a fight or flight response – either staying to fight or fleeing to avoid harm. Anxiety disorders are classified into different kinds, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobia-related disorders.
Therefore, this article talks about Panic Attack and its signs/symptoms, causes and how to cope up with it.
SYMPTOMS OF PANIC ATTACK
- Pounding heart
- Trembling or shaking body parts
- Feeling dizzy, or weak
- Numbness
- Nausea
- Chest pain, breathing difficulties, fear of choking
- Feeling unrealistic
- Going out of control
- Intense feeling of terror and death
- Chills and sweaty
CAUSES OF PANIC ATTACK
Psychologists are baffled as to why some people suffer from panic attacks or acquire panic disorder. The brain and nervous system both play important roles in how people experience and deal with fear and anxiety. Panic attacks can strike quickly and without caution at first, but they are frequently caused by specific stimuli over time. According to some study, panic episodes are caused by your body’s normal fight-or-flight response to danger. You are more likely to suffer from panic attacks if you have:
- Anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorders, frequently run in families. Experts are puzzled as to why.
- Panic attacks are more likely in those who suffer from anxiety disorders, depression, or other mental illnesses.
- Problems with substance abuse: Alcoholism and drug addiction might raise the risk of panic attacks.
- An attitude that is more sensitive to stress or is more prone to unpleasant emotions.
- Changes in the way some regions of your brain work
RISK FACTORS
Panic disorder symptoms often appear in late adolescence or early adulthood and affect more women than males. The following factors may raise the likelihood of acquiring panic episodes or panic disorder:
- There is a family history of panic episodes or a panic disorder.
- A loved one’s death or significant sickness, for example, is a major source of life stress.
- A traumatic occurrence, such as a sexual harassment or a major accident
- Significant changes in your life, such as a divorce or the birth of a child
- Tobacco use or high caffeine consumption
- A history of physical or sexual maltreatment as a youngster
TREATMENT
Your health care practitioner will decide if you have panic attacks, panic disorder, or another ailment with symptoms similar to panic attacks, such as heart or thyroid problems.
You may have the following symptoms to help narrow down a diagnosis:
- A thorough physical examination
- Blood tests to evaluate your thyroid and other probable disorders, as well as cardiac testing like an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
- A psychological assessment to discuss your symptoms, anxieties, or concerns, stressful events, interpersonal issues, scenarios you may avoid, and family history.
Seeking Counseling – People who suffer from panic attacks and panic disorders can benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other forms of psychotherapy. CBT attempts to help you modify the way you see difficult or frightening events and to help you develop new strategies to deal with them when they happen. CBT can be found for people or groups, online or in person, and the duration of treatment can also vary. Your therapist will expose you to anything that might provoke a panic attack and help you work through it in exposure-based CBT. In addition to modifying behavior, there is some evidence that CBT may impact brain regions involved for panic episodes.
Medications – When panic attacks develop, benzodiazepines such as Alprazolam (Xanax) can help relieve the symptoms. They will not, however, assist to address an underlying anxiety issue and can swiftly develop to dependence. As a result, physicians only advise using them for a brief period of time during a crisis. Because benzodiazepines are a prescription medicine, you’ll most likely require a panic disorder diagnosis to obtain it. A doctor may prescribe antidepressants for long-term usage in specific instances. Here are several examples:
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), such as escitalopram (Lexapro) or fluoxetine (Prozac)
- SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), such as duloxetine (Cymbalta)
- Anti-anxiety medications, such as azapirone (Buspirone)
Deep Breathing – While hyperventilating is a characteristic of panic attacks that can heighten terror, deep breathing can alleviate panic symptoms during an attack.
Blood tests also revealed lower cortisol levels in this group, indicating reduced stress levels. Although the individuals did not have panic disorder, the tactics might be beneficial to those who suffer from panic attacks. Slow breathing was discovered to have comparable effects. It may also increase sensations of relaxation, comfort, and attentiveness while decreasing symptoms of arousal anxiety, despair, rage, and bewilderment. If you can regulate your breathing, you’ll be less likely to have hyperventilation, which can exacerbate other symptoms — including the panic attack itself. Concentrate on taking deep breathes in and out through your mouth, feeling the air gently fill and then leave your chest and abdomen. Breathe in for four counts, hold for a second, and then exhale for four counts.
Practicing Mindfulness – Mindfulness can help you stay grounded in the reality of your surroundings. Because panic attacks can produce a sense of detachment or separation from reality, this might help you manage your panic attack as it approaches or occurs. Mindfulness is concentrating your attention on the present moment, acknowledging your emotional condition, and meditation to reduce stress and help you relax. Concentrate on familiar bodily sensations, such as pressing your feet into the ground or feeling the texture of your pants on your palms. These precise feelings anchor you to reality and provide you with something objective to focus on. Mindfulness practices, such as meditation, can help control anxiety symptoms, according to experts, but it’s unclear if they can treat an underlying anxiety condition.
Mantra Relaxation – constantly chanting a mantra may be calming and reassuring and it can provide you with something to hold onto during a panic attack. “This too shall pass,” or a mantra that speaks to you personally, repeat it in your thoughts until the panic episode subsides.
Using Lavender – Lavender is a traditional treatment that many people use to help them relax and reduce tension. According to some study, it has a relaxing effect but does not lead to dependency or withdrawal symptoms. Using items containing diluted lavender oil may help decrease or manage anxiety symptoms. If you use lavender essential oil, make sure you do the following:
- Purchase your oil from a reliable retailer, such as a drugstore.
- Follow the use instructions
- Avoid applying concentrated oils to your skin.
- Lavender should not be used with benzodiazepines since the combination can produce extreme sleepiness.
CONCLUSION
All the above remedies are applicable for lawyers, be it beginner or experienced. Yes, beginners are more susceptible to panic attacks when compared to experienced individuals. They need repeated reassurance and mental support from seniors, family members and friends, whom he/she trusts. They need the social connections which brings the feeling of closeness and belongingness with others. Those who have good social connections have low level of anxiety and high level of self-esteem. Mindfulness helps the lawyers to be focused on their work without any type of judgments on their thought. Exercising daily helps them to reduce muscle tension and increases their sense of resilience. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a basic yet effective strategy for detaching from a stray idea (ACT). The ACT de-fusion approach enables the lawyers to separate and disengage from their anxious thoughts, allowing them to function better.
YLCC would like to thank Shatakshee Chatterjee for her valuable insights in this article.
