Specific action for panic attacks on the road. Panic Attacks: Treat – Don't Delay! How does a seizure go?

The treatment of any mental disorder, such as a panic attack, requires the help of a qualified physician. After he prescribes the necessary drugs and other measures to influence the pathology, you can decide, for example, how to cope with a panic attack on your own. Various home techniques will be a good addition to the general course of therapy.

First of all, it is necessary to understand why the psychic developed. It is impossible to cope with panic attacks without first eliminating the cause of their occurrence, and there are many options. That is why, before starting treatment at home, you need to consult a doctor.

Causes of the disease

Most of the causes are directly related to the mental state of the patient. For example, a protracted one can lead to. However, the disease very often develops against the background of other pathologies. This can be understood from Andrey Kurpatov's book about - "Panic Attack and Hearts".

Another common cause is squeezing of the arteries leading to the brain. Panic attacks in the neck are a fairly common phenomenon, since in the human body:

The acid-base balance of the blood is disturbed;
There are problems with metabolism;
There are changes in blood amino acids.

In addition to these reasons, this mental disorder can also lead to:

postpartum,
Lack of zinc
Overproduction of adrenaline
overvoltage,
medical preparations,
high,
various phobias,

If panic attacks are due to some disease, it is necessary to deal with the treatment of the root cause. However, already during this period, it is necessary to use certain means to deal with panic attacks.

Psychological impact

At their core, panic attacks are uncontrollable and, more importantly, unexplained bouts of intense anxiety and fear. The morbid state is tied to emotions, although other symptoms are also manifested. A person needs to overcome this fear, and then the attack will stop.

Often, at the time of the next attack, the patient begins to worry about almost everything in the world, while thinking that he is about to die. This further increases the panic, although at the same time the person has no objective reasons to believe that death is approaching.

Before the road, it is better to have a good meal, arm yourself with your favorite book and a player with soothing music. They will help you feel calmer.

How to deal with panic on an airplane:

Try to control your breath
Turn on melodies specially prepared for relaxation on the player,
You can try to write down all the thoughts that come at this moment on paper.

Pregnancy is another aspect that can easily cause panic even in healthy people. It is especially important for expectant mothers to know how to get rid of an attack, as they usually cannot take medication.

Breathing exercises will again become the main weapon.
A woman should try to distract herself from negative feelings as much as possible.
Talking to loved ones can help calm you down.

It is best to discuss the mental with a specialist at the stage of planning a child. Only a doctor can know how to get rid of panic attacks for good. He will prescribe a comprehensive treatment, as a result of which the expectant mother will cope with the attacks, and the child will not face their consequences.

Medicines and folk methods

The easiest way to deal with panic attacks is with medication, but they must be prescribed by a doctor. Usually, people are prescribed tranquilizers like Relium or Librium, Gidazepam, as well as adrenal blockers (Anaprilin, Atenolol).

Since the main goal is to calm, sedative drugs are used. It can be either ordinary valerian or motherwort, or Novo-Passit or, Glycised. In addition to medicines, it is worth partially turning to folk remedies.

Advice. Some people find it helpful to pour hot and cold water alternately on their feet.

The simplest folk decoctions are made from mint, chamomile, and simple green tea is also suitable. With the help of rarer herbs, you can collect a special infusion. This will require lemon balm, rue and thyme in a ratio of 4:3:3. One tablespoon of the mixture is poured with cold water. After a few hours, the infusion can be drunk throughout the day.

Chamomile infusion is an excellent soothing drink for a panic attack.

We must not forget about the importance of a healthy lifestyle, physical activity and the need to give up bad habits. All these components will help in the fight against panic attacks.

This article is posted solely for the general educational purposes of visitors and is not scientific material, universal instructions or professional medical advice, and does not replace a doctor's appointment. For diagnosis and treatment, contact only qualified doctors.

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I am a general practitioner and general practitioner. My competence includes issues of early diagnosis of patients and treatment of many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, lungs and respiratory tract, liver, kidneys, cardiovascular and genitourinary systems, skin diseases, metabolic disorders, etc. 15 years of experience as a general practitioner in polyclinics Moscow, 5 of which worked in one hospital in St. Petersburg .. I will be happy to answer questions from readers of my blog.

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Panic attack - sudden onset of extreme anxiety, fear, tension and feeling unwell: palpitations, sweating, dizziness, shortness of breath ...

Whoever had it - no need to explain how unpleasant this condition is, especially when it occurs for no reason, and it seems to you that you are going crazy. At the same time, note: all these are only feelings and physical states. In panic, that is, in chaotic thoughtless behavior, this state is already turned by the person himself, if he does not know how to behave correctly.

Panic attacks are causeless and occur as an attack, usually lasting about 10 minutes, but can be short-term about 1-5 minutes and long up to 30 minutes, but the feeling of anxiety can persist for 1 hour.

If panic attacks become regular, occur weekly or even more so daily, we are already talking about a disease: panic disorder.

Do not confuse: if the anxiety is constant and there are no "light gaps", this is a different disease: generalized anxiety disorder. And if strong fear is predictable, if there was a reason for it, then this is not a panic attack, but.

Panic disorders often begin at a young, socially active age. The prevalence is 1-2 people per hundred, more often (2-3 times) it is observed in women, because women are less able to cope with it, they begin to be afraid of it and this only intensifies its course. The disease has an undulating course, about half of the patients generally recover, the rest lead a relatively normal life, despite the persistence of symptoms and the presence of relapses. Fears, in any case, become weaker over time.

A panic attack is a very unpleasant thing, but in terms of health it is practically harmless. A panic attack turns into a serious problem when secondary fears wind up on it: fears of being alone (alone), fears of crowded places, fears of the subway, fears of repeated panic attacks ...

When this happens for the first time, many begin to think about some serious disease of the heart, endocrine or nervous systems, digestion, they are in a hurry to call an ambulance, but by the time an ambulance arrives, everything just goes away. People start going to the doctors, trying to find the causes of "attacks" - it's useless, which causes even more anxiety. A fear reflex is developed, an expectation of an attack arises, and this, in turn, reinforces the repetition of attacks ... For those who do not know how to cope with such situations, life turns into a nightmare. Both you and your loved ones.

Exit? Learn to cope with panic attacks faster, it's quite real. Awareness is the first step to recovery. Fear is possible only in a situation of uncertainty. When you know what is happening to you (or to someone), you take it calmer, fear weakens.

Now the most important thing: no matter how terrible you (or the person next to you) feel, no one has yet died from panic attacks. That's for sure. Fears and feelings are experienced hard, but they cannot cause harm to health. By itself, fear does not lead to death, the systems of our body are able to withstand it. You will last. Our feelings in themselves are not damaging - this consciousness perceives them as a signal of physiological distress, since a panic attack is triggered regardless of a real external threat. Everything will pass, just follow the rules.

How can you help someone who is having a panic attack? Do not give in to his panic; remember that only by maintaining inner peace and expressing it outwardly with your intonation, posture and actions, you can really help a person close to you. Stand in front of the person, if he allows you, take his hands and, looking into his eyes, say in a confident tone: "Look at me. What is happening to you is not life-threatening. Now we will breathe deeply and evenly together." And start breathing deeply and confidently, making sure that the person does the same.

It helps a lot if you visually show how to breathe. Hold his gaze, show with your hand up (when you need a breath), with your hand to the side, better to the right (pause), with your hand down (exhale), with your hand to the side (to the left) - exhale ...

Additionally: if you are a specialist, you can immediately do DPDG: this normalizes the condition faster. There is a need to prevent possible negative anchoring of the scene, stay where you are and anchor positively. At least give a suggestion: "You see that you can feel good here. Look around and understand that in the subway (for example) you feel good, comfortable."

In any case, do not let the person go until the attack has passed, let him speak out, while maintaining confidence and calmness. After the panic attack is over, it makes sense to talk to him about the need to seek professional help.

About drugs. Dietary supplements, leeches, glycine and other self-medication in this case are meaningless. Vegetotropic drugs (anaprilin, pyrroxane, belloid, bellaspon) in combination with vascular metabolic therapy (cinnarizine, cavinton, trental, nootropil, piracetam, cerebrolysin) are ineffective, neuroleptics are rather harmful. Antidepressants of the SSRI group and episodic (not a course!) Taking tranquilizers to relieve anxiety and acute panic attacks help. In some cases, especially when generalized anxiety is attached, anticonvulsants can be used. Medicines to prevent panic attacks need to be tested, ie. start with very low doses and gradually increase them to medium or high doses, especially since the therapeutic window for these drugs is wide.

It is clear that drug self-treatment is not an option, be sure to consult a psychotherapist.

If this is a problem for your friend, who is afraid of psychotherapists just as much as she is afraid of a panic attack itself, tell her that the psychotherapist has special pills that help quickly and effectively (this is true), but which the doctor cannot prescribe without examining the patient (relative truth). A visit will convince her that psychotherapists are very nice people. They even help you heal.

Dear colleagues, psychologists and psychotherapists! Be careful, there is always a good chance that the client is not having panic attacks at all, but specific ones or anchors to the past. It happens often. If these are really panic attacks, you can try to work with (repressed, sometimes very much) memories. No one knows if these memories or fantasies are true, but the reality is that after such experiential work, panic attacks disappear for a fairly decent period.

What to do if an anxiety attack begins immediately upon remembering the first panic attack? The technique depends on the characteristics of the individual. If the girl is "rattling", you first need to remove the rattling, otherwise nothing will help further. If the body is calm enough, you need to master at least the beginning of auto-training, learn how to relax. When there is a relaxation skill, the standard variant is used. Everything!

Panic attack you have: what to do

You can help yourself during a panic attack. Rules in short: Calm your head. Relax and try to shift your attention to something external. Make yourself as physically comfortable as possible. Reduce the image of anxiety. Stay where you are. tablet under the tongue. Breathe evenly and measuredly. Accept your feelings, let them flow through you. Get back to business. For more details, see

Doctors attribute this feature to the sensitivity of the nervous system. The sympathetic department is responsible for panic attacks: it is he who launches the “powder keg” of familiar symptoms - sweating, palpitations, stiffness. The main problem of an attack is the complete unarmedness of a person - panic overtakes suddenly, paralyzes the muscles, and clouds the mind. How to help yourself and other people who are in a similar state?

To warn means to exclude

Panic attacks can last from a couple of minutes to several hours. For an indefinite period of time, a person loses the ability to think clearly and move freely. Psychotherapist Andrei Kurpatov believes that the best way out of the situation is to prepare in advance for a possible panic attack. We list these methods:

In advance, mentally think through an exemplary dialogue with yourself. If, for example, you think about the fear of death, saying to yourself: "I will lose my life because of this," then make a list of sentences that are directly opposite to this thought. Example: "Feeling like I'm about to die is my main symptom of a panic attack. This is an irrational claim for which there is no evidence. My brain came up with it on its own, because it is subject to an attack. For each specific panic thought, there should be a counterargument prepared in advance and preferably written down in a notebook.
Make a list of things you can do to make your panic attack go away. Each person is calmed by something different, individual: listening to melodic music, watching your favorite TV series, playing the guitar, clicking seeds, remembering a pet, etc. Think about what actions calm you down, help normalize breathing and stop heart palpitations. Maybe for this you need to eat your favorite food or call your mother? Write down absolutely all the methods that are effective for you in a notebook and always carry it with you. The mere thought of having a "lifeline" in the form of your own advice at hand will help you stay balanced.
Pack small items that calm you down in your bag. It can be anything associated with a pleasant feeling: your favorite hand cream with essential oil, a family photo, an old letter from a friend, sudoku, pleasant perfume, etc. This is a psychological method designed to transform negative feelings into positive ones.
If possible, carry with you things that can distract you from the disease. A personal diary where you can write down your feelings during a panic attack, a children's crossword puzzle (anxiety clouds thoughts, so it will be difficult for an adult to figure it out), a book, a player. These things will keep you awake as long as possible until the panic attack stops.
Learn proper breathing techniques. It involves turning on the parasympathetic nervous system and turning off the sympathetic. Inhale slowly and deeply from your belly for 4 to 6 seconds, hold your breath for 3 to 5 counts, apply some pressure on your closed eyelids with your thumbs, then slowly exhale all the air for 6 to 8 seconds. Repeat the steps at least 5 times, and preferably until the muscles relax.

However, the main advice for people who have previously experienced panic attacks is to contact a specialist (neurologist, social worker, psychologist, psychotherapist). There is no need to be afraid of them: they will provide qualified assistance, prescribe medications if necessary. Seeing a specialist is also required because fear triggers can return with even greater force to those who have already experienced a state of panic attack.

What to do to a person who first met with an attack?

First aid for yourself with a panic attack

To return to normal in case of a sudden attack, there are special techniques and actions:

Concentration. Fear of heights in an airplane, fear of being in a crowd, confined space literally dissolve a person’s thoughts, making them unclear. The victim of an attack should do his best to catch his eye on any clear detail: a bag, a zipper, a telephone, a banner, etc. You need to concentrate your attention on this thing, examine it in detail, note the color, shape, composition, think about how it turned out in this place. The concentration method is designed to focus heterogeneous thoughts on one specific detail, to restore clarity to the mind.
Self observation. Since in a panic attack, emotions, and not the mind, take control of a person, a logical rational approach must be used. Without discarding the panic state from yourself, look at how exactly you experience it, what symptoms do you notice, what do you think about? Analyze your own state, look at yourself from the outside. During these actions, the rational part of the mind is turned on, which is responsible for the clarity and consistency of successive actions.
Using the technique of progressive muscle relaxation. This mechanical action can not only relax the body, but also distract thoughts from the current situation. If possible, sit on a chair, close your eyes and firmly squeeze your toes, hold this state for 5 seconds, then unclench them. You will feel a sharp relaxation in your feet. Repeat the action on the muscles of the calves, thighs, buttocks, arms, abs and other parts of the body. By alternately squeezing the muscles and abruptly releasing them, you concentrate on the movement, forcing the body to relax. This technique is great for pregnant women who have experienced a panic attack for the first time.
Grounding. Imagine any thing, person or animal. Start remembering everything connected with him: if you imagined a friend, then mentally evoke memories of other friends, think about how they look, what they usually wear. List their names, surnames, closest acquaintances, relatives, etc. The grounding technique is used quite widely: this includes slow counting up to 10, 100, 1000, and sequential subtraction from one number to another, and calling associations. The technique has a clear purpose - to return a person to reality from a panic attack.
Creating comfort. If you feel suddenly cold (one of the symptoms of a panic attack), then find a way to warm up: drink a cup of hot tea, dress warmly, turn off the air conditioner if possible. So you remove some of the tension and physically remove some of the symptoms.

Helping another person who is in a state of panic

Not only seriously injured people need help, but also those who are prone to panic attacks. If you have marked a person next to you who, according to the description and symptoms, is in a panic attack, immediately help him:

Take him out of the room to the street.
Talk to him in a calm and measured voice.
Gently ask how he feels? If the person doesn't want to talk, don't force them. If he needs to talk, listen.
If the relationship allows, take him by the hand.
Offer him a glass of water, ask him to calmly and slowly drink it.
Give the person the impression that you are in complete control of the situation. Explain to him that everything is in order, tell him where you are, what is happening around, pay the person's attention to various things around you, smile and be calm.

When you see that a person comes to his senses, his trembling subsides, he begins to talk normally, you can leave him alone with you. In no case do not recommend him to see a doctor during an attack! This advice will only make matters worse.

Pharmaceutical preparations and medicinal herbs in the fight against panic

Strong antidepressants, tranquilizers and other drugs are prescribed by the attending physician and only when panic attacks have developed into an almost uncontrolled mental illness. Also, pharmacies sell anti-anxiety drugs (including herbal ones) that will calm the nerves:

Afobazol. Gently eliminates stress, is taken as a course.
Glycine. It is rather an additive that reduces the number of vegetative-vascular disorders.
Valerian extract. Sometimes there are tablets with vitamins to enhance the calming effect.

Panic can be dealt with with folk remedies. The best way out will be herbal tea based on lemon balm, green tea, mint, chamomile, valerian root. Drink it three times a day for a month.

Until now, the causes of panic attacks are not known for certain. However, knowing the methods of dealing with them, you can successfully overcome this condition, returning to normal life.

Term "panic attack" came from American psychiatry and very accurately conveys the essence of this condition - an attack of sudden, causeless and indescribable fear, not associated with any external factors. This condition overtakes a person like a bolt from the blue, can catch anywhere (at home, at work, in public transport, on the street, in a cinema) and at any time (early in the morning, in the afternoon, before going to bed), accompanied by various symptoms.

According to psychiatrists, the "button" for triggering panic can be anything - from any emotionally significant situation, stress to lack of sleep. A panic attack usually lasts from a few minutes to half an hour or an hour (but not more than 2 hours).

How to recognize a panic attack?

The American Society of Psychiatrists diagnoses a panic attack when the anxiety attack matches at least 4 of the 14 symptoms listed below, and if the symptoms accompanying the attack culminate within 10 minutes and stop within 2 hours:

cardiopalmus;
a feeling of suffocation, tightness of breath, hence the fear of suffocation and, as a result of this, the need for conscious control and control over the process of one's breathing;
stunned consciousness, dizziness, fainting, as well as the fear of losing consciousness and fainting;
tremor (trembling);
sweating ;
nausea or other gastrointestinal ailments;
goosebumps running all over the body, numbness of certain parts of the body;
chills or, conversely, a rush of blood;
discomfort or pain in the chest;
loss of a sense of reality (derealization);
loss of a sense of self (depersonalization).

And as a result of all this:

a feeling of loss of control over the situation, fear of losing control of oneself or committing some uncontrollable act;
fear of going crazy
fear of dying.

What to do in case of a panic attack: instructions for self-help

Take it easy. Think that no matter how unpleasant and terrible this condition is, it is not dangerous to health, no one dies from panic attacks, the attack will end soon.
If it's not the first time you've had panic attacks, write something soothing on a piece of paper like "It's just a panic attack, nothing bad will happen to me, the attack will end soon, I have successfully managed and coped with panic" and carry this leaflet with you. At the right time, you should take it out and slowly read it several times.
Take control of your breath. If you feel like you are suffocating, remember that this is not the case - it is most likely just hyperventilation. Breathe evenly and measuredly (the main thing is a long exhalation). Inhale for 2 counts, hold for 2 counts, exhale for 3 counts, hold for 1 count, etc.
Switch from bodily sensations and unpleasant thoughts to external reality: count the buttons on the clothes of a person nearby, try to read your name in reverse, remember the dates of birth of loved ones, etc.
Talk to someone. If you have someone close to you, ask them to talk to you about something (but not about the attack). Call your family and ask how they are doing. Or ask strangers to tell you how to get to the nearest stop or metro station. The main thing is to focus on another task.
Create maximum physical comfort for yourself. If during a panic attack your hands or feet get cold, you get chills, try to warm up. While at home, wash your face with hot water or hold your hands under running hot water, dress warmly, drink hot tea or take a hot shower. If you are on the street or in some public place, start rubbing the cold parts of the body, drink a hot drink. In a few minutes you will feel better. If, on the contrary, you are experiencing a rush of blood, you are hot, wash your face with cool water, take a cold shower and drink cold water.
Do not run away from the situation: the next time the panic will be more difficult to survive.
Find the reason. Try to understand what specific words, sounds and circumstances provoked an attack. If possible, change the situation that causes anxiety, leave the room, move away from people, turn off the TV or computer.
Accept your feelings: let them flow through you, watch them change.
Take your medicine. If you are already receiving treatment from a psychiatrist or psychotherapist and they have prescribed medication for you, carry the medication with you. Its presence in itself has a calming effect, causes a feeling of confidence, security. However, take it only if necessary, if all the above methods were really ineffective. Put the tablet under the tongue and wait for it to be absorbed into the blood. So the drug will work in a few minutes.
Get back to business. Our everyday worries help us distract from any unpleasant thoughts. Recall the things you were doing before the attack and complete the work as if nothing had happened. At first, it will be difficult for you to concentrate on the task, but you will gradually get involved and you will succeed.
Smile. Facial muscles will help change your mood. Your first smiles will look like a grin, but gradually they will become relaxed and you will believe that everything is not scary, that everything is already getting better. Right now.

Nota Bene!

After the attack is over, praise yourself for being able to cope with it, please yourself with something. However, do not forget that such states are a signal that something is wrong in our life. Try to be more in the fresh air, go in for swimming, yoga, dancing, learn techniques to get rid of stress. Get enough sleep: healthy and full sleep is the best means of preventing seizures.

When a panic attack recurs, contact a psychotherapist or psychiatrist - specialists will help you cope with such conditions.

How can you help someone with a panic attack?

If you happen to be around a person who is having a panic attack, your main task is to remain calm and confident.
Stand in front of the person, take his hands (if he allows), tell him that everything is fine, that this is just a panic attack, this is not life-threatening, you just need to pull yourself together.
Start with proper breathing - breathe evenly and confidently, clearly saying “Inhale for one or two, hold your breath for one or two, exhale for one, two or three, hold your breath for one and again inhale for one or two ...”.
Stroke the person, hug him, say "I'm with you!" and that everything will be fine during the attack.
Do not let the person go until the attack has passed, let him speak out, while maintaining confidence and calmness.
After the panic attack is over, talk to the victim about the need to seek professional help.

Expert: Galina Filippova, general practitioner, candidate of medical sciences

Prepared from:

Emergency medical care. Per. from English / Under H52 ed. J. E. Tintinalli, R. L. Crome, E. Ruiz. - M .: Medicine, 2001
Emergency Medical Guide. Vertkin A.L., Bagnenko S.F. - M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2007