“Good things come to those who wait… greater things come to those who get off their ass and do anything to make it happen.” - Unknown

Tuesday 1 July 2014

Dealing With Panic and Anxiety Attacks


Hello wonderful blog readers,

I've wanted to talk about this for ages, whether it be through a blog or over YouTube, but seeing Zoe's (Zoella) and  Sammi's (BeautyCrush) YouTube video's have really inspired me to actually get started and write about it. This blog post is a lot different to my last post, but I think it's something that  we are not educated enough about. It are very serious and very scary, especially going through it alone. I want to try and help some people that go through these horrible experiences, even if it's only one person.

What's the differences between Panic and Anxiety attacks?

An anxiety attack is caused usually from a stressful environment; for example, being in the dark, not knowing who or what is around you or what is going to happen.  An anxiety attack, people might feel fearful and feel there heart racing or be short of breath. Although, it is very short lived, and when the stress goes away, so does the attack.

On the other hand, a panic attack doesn't come from a stressful situation, it's unpredictable and is not caused by anything. During a panic attack, the person experiencing it is seized with fear and terror. They feel like they're are going to lose all control of everything.  These attacks can give you chest pain, shortness of breath and/or dizziness.

Some of you may have never experienced anything like this, but you probably know someone who has. If you do, you know that it's a very scary thing to see, you feel helpless and don't know what to do. There are many ways to help someone, if you think they're having a panic attack.  

1. try and find what the cause of the attack was.  It could have been something they're fearful of or even another medical condition.

2. Put them at ease. Take the person to a less crowded and quieter area. Make them feel safe and comfortable. Try and encourage them to control their breathing.

3. The most important step is to try and understand what they're going through.  The attacks can last from minutes to several hours, so be patient.

Dealing with someone having an Anxiety attack can also be very difficult because not a lot can help them.

1. Remind them that they are safe, and make them feel comfortable.

2. Make sure or remind them to breath properly, as it can help the dizziness and breathlessness from the symptoms to ease.

3. If in a crowded place, take them away to a quieter and less crowded place.

If you are experiencing a panic or anxiety attack yourself, it can be such a scary and traumatic experience, some things that can help you are:

1. Remind yourself that the things scaring you and causing you to panic will pass and they wont always be there.

2.  Make sure that you still breath properly and take long deep breaths to keep yourself from hyperventilating.

I wanted to write about this because they're actually quite common disorders, although, it's not really a talked about subject. I also wanted to tell you about my personal experiences of having these attacks. My panic attacks, used to happen whilst at skating competitions. I would be nervous anyway, but I would be doing my programme (routine) and get short of breath, due to having asthma, and because of not being able to breath, I would start panicking which would make my breathing worse. This happened quite a few times, with two of the worst times ending up in my collapsing on the ice, due the hyperventilating. I have now got past that happening whilst skating by reassuring myself that nothing bad is going to happen, and making sure I take in deep breaths whilst performing and my fab parents that helped me get through it!

What I would just like to say is that you don't have to go through it alone, it is definitely better to talk to someone about it and know that someone is always there to help you, whether they're stood next to you, over the phone or even on the internet.

Thank you for reading and I hope that I have helped you, in one way or another.


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