My first panic or anxiety attack as it is sometimes called, occurred on a Sunday afternoon while driving home from some task that seems so obscure at this time that I cannot remember what it was. I remember the feeling as if it happened yesterday. I felt as though my heart had been wound up with a rubber band as tight as possible and that it had been let go and was spinning uncontrollably out of my chest. I was certain that at 39 years of age, I was experiencing a massive heart attack! To this day, trying to explain it to another person who has never been through it is almost impossible. But for those of you who have just been told that you have had a panic attack, you will recognize the symptoms even if I can’t explain them. It is for those who have just experienced their first panic attacks that I write my story in hopes that it will help you to understand this anxiety and what things I have found that helped me to get through it. In every case, if you experience this type of episode, I would advise you to contact your physician to be sure that you have had a panic attack and not some other kind of serious incident.

The causes of anxiety can be anything from money worries to the everyday stress of caring for family, whether it be children or elderly parents. It could be pressure from work, or fear of not living up to what others believe you should be. Whatever the case, we can all have a breaking point that brings us to a sort of self-implosion that results in a panic attack. In my own case, the feeling of my heart spinning out of my chest was followed by shortness of breath, chills, shooting pains in my back, faintness, headaches, and extreme fear of death as well as a myriad of other symptoms that continued for almost two years while I struggled daily to understand that it was caused by anxiety and not the certain death I believed was coming.

Initially, your physician may prescribe a controlled substance such as zanax or adavan. Most likely this will be short term, as these medications can be addictive. While they do a great job of relieving the anxiety, the trade-off can sometimes be a worse problem than the panic attacks. As much as I became agitated by the fact that I would not have this medication to rely on, after some time I came to realize that it was imperative that I find other alternatives so that later on I would not be faced with an addiction I could not control. However, as a solution to the immediate problem, they did serve to calm me down enough so that I could begin to understand and train myself to survive panic attacks without the medications.

Understanding the origin of your anxiety could be as simple as looking at your family background. I had always heard stories of my grandmother who for reasons unknown was always “sick and in bed”. My mother who was the oldest was usually charged with taking care of her siblings. My mother many times had episodes of shortness of breath and knots in her chest during her own adult life. Her sister also became agoraphobic while in her late 30’s and regretfully spent almost 20 years as a recluse in her own home missing many of the special events of her children’s lives. Even my eldest son who is in his 30’s has called me in the middle of the night on two occasions fearing that he is having a heart attack and expressing what I can clearly recognize as panic. Some experts now believe panic attacks can be hereditary, and in my case that seems clearly so.

As I mentioned before, your physician may initially prescribe medications to relax you long enough to find other alternatives for treatment. You may also be referred to a physiatrist or other specialist who can help you further, as medications alone should not and probably will not be the total answer to your problems. From my own experience, I offer the following tips that I found most useful in controlling episodes of panic or anxiety before or as they occurred.

1. If you begin to feel panic or anxiety, take a deep, deep breath and hold it. Count to ten, then slowly release the air. Repeat if necessary.

2. Always carry a small paper bag with you. Many times I experienced shortness of breath or hyperventilating and by holding the bag over my nose and mouth and breathing slowly and deeply into the bag, I was able to bring my breathing under control. If you do not have a paper bag, cup your hands together tightly over your nose and mouth and breathe in the same manner.

3. Another helpful idea is to lie on a couch, close your eyes, and picture something very peaceful to you such as a beach. Breathe slowly while you are doing this. Stretch your arms and legs out and try to let them go limp. Imagine that you are in this peaceful place and picture yourself doing something very relaxing there. Try to let your mind carry you as far as you can go.

4. Fight against the desire to seclude yourself from the outside world. Try to run a few errands. Go out for lunch. If you begin to feel some anxiety and have to leave abruptly, go outside to your car. If you can attempt to go back in, do so. If not, go home, but try again tomorrow. Don’t give up.

5. If you are at a public event such as church, try to sit on the end of the bench rather and in the middle. You will feel less trapped if you can get out easily.

6. Driving on the highway was almost always a panic trigger for me. For the time being, avoid the big highways if you can. Take side roads. There was always something about feeling trapped in traffic and not being able to get off the highway if I began to feel the anxiety coming. Many people I have talked to about panic attacks were able to relate to this feeling. If you cannot avoid the highways completely, stay as close to the exit lanes as you can. Simply knowing that you can get off the highway easily may help you to avoid having feelings of anxiety in the first place.

7. Don’t be afraid to admit to anyone that you have panic attacks. You will be amazed at how many people have had a similar incident of anxiety that can relate to you even if they have never been diagnosed. Sometimes it helps to just talk through the panic attack. Misery enjoys company and it truly helps to know that you are not alone.

8. Try to determine the things that trigger your feelings of anxiety. It may be something as simple as being disorganized which can cause you to feel that things are piling up on you. If you are always running late, make an effort to start getting ready earlier. Do whatever it takes to make your life less hectic.

Hopefully some of these tips will be of help to you. You may be encouraged to know that it has been over ten years since my last panic attack. While I am so relieved to have come this far, I never take it for granted that it may not happen again. Therefore, I try to keep myself from taking on more than I can handle. I have to concentrate on my own problems first and cannot expect to be responsible for everyone else.

First and foremost, never allow yourself to think you are losing your mind. The symptoms you are feeling are real, although probably not life threatening. Also, don’t be influenced by outsiders who say it is all in your head. Anxiety is real, and although these people may think they are helping, you should never ignore physical symptoms. Always consult your physician if in doubt about your health.