Do you know that feeling right before the drop on a rollercoaster?

Do you know that feeling right before the drop on a rollercoaster? But having that feeling for a long period of time?

What about standing on the edge of a cliff? Being chased by an animal? Or simply feeling like there is a hamster spinning on a wheel for hours in your head?

These are all ways that a panic attack could feel like. Or it could be completely different. Everyone could be having a different trigger to a panic attack. Triggers for panic attacks can include overbreathing, long periods of stress, activities that lead to intense physical reactions (for example exercise, excessive coffee drinking) and physical changes occurring after illness or a sudden change of environment. Sometimes it feels like they are happening for no reason. Expected panic attacks are typically associated with a specific trigger such as crowds, flying or exams, whereas unexpected panic attacks have no apparent trigger and can seem to happen for no reason. It is not yet known what causes panic attacks but certain factors may play an important role, including genetics, mental health conditions, major stress or having a predisposition to stress.

On the outside it can be sweating, blushing, fidgeting, talking fast, shaking, crying. While on the inside is a whole different story. It can feel like your thoughts are taking control of you, but not in a good way. Thoughts that could occur are: “I am losing my mind”, “I am going to die”, “I am going to faint.”, “I am going to vomit” etc.

Good news is… you can survive it! There are many tips for surviving a panic attack, but the best thing is to do research and find your own thing that helps you!

Some of the most important tips are: Focus on your breathing! A thing we tend to do when we are having a panic attack, especially if we feel like we are going to die, is breathing excessively, which makes our heart beat even faster hence we feel even more like we are in danger! Try to slow down your breathing and do breathing exercises! Recognize that you’re having a panic attack! This seems obvious, however what most of us will do is try and convince ourselves we are not having a panic attack, and deny it. While this might work for some people, for me I find that the only way out is through. Realize what's going on, take yourself to a safe place if you can and do tip #1 and #3. Distract your senses and relax your body! Play some relaxing music, smell something nice, eat a sour candy and try as much as you can to relax all of your muscles.

And after it passes, reflect on what helped and what didn't. Try to think of things you could have done or thought about and write them in your notes! And most important of all - don't be afraid to seek professional help! Everyone is different - so getting professional help might help you find out what works for you!