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I've suffered from them for over 15 years now.
Things you need to know about them:
You are NOT going to die. Your are NOT having a heart attack. The attack will NOT last forever. You are NOT losing your mind. There is NOTHING happening to your body that is in any way dangerous.
What happens during a panic attack is you are interpreting something that is happening to you as dangerous (either conciously or unconciously), you start to hyperventilate, and your body responds with the fight or flight reaction, pumping adrenaline into your blood stream which causes your heart rate to increase, your breathing to become more rapid, and your brain to go on high alert for the "danger". Which causes you to freak out even more, and starts your adrenaline pumping even harder.
In other words, your body/mind is reacting as if you are standing in front of a sabertoothed tiger who's about to have you for an afternoon noshe. :)
If you should ever have another attack, remind yourself what is happening and that it is harmless (even though it feels like SHIT) and do the following exercise to bring down your adrenaline levels:
Breath in to a slow count of three. Breath out to a slow count of three. Hold your breath for at least a slow count of eight. Repeat.
What you are doing is reducing your body's level of carbon dioxcide (which is raised during hyperventilation and sets off the adrenaline dump) by slowing your breathing. You are giving your brain/body a signal that says, "The danger is over now. I can relax." When you slow your breathing and reduce your carbon dioxcide levels, a chemical is then released in the body that is the anti-adrenaline -- it is a calming chemical that will slow your heart/breathing rate and stop the panick attack.
Panic attacks can certainly be brought on by stress levels in your life. There is also a genetic component -- if you have family members who have had attacks, you can have a predisposition to having them as well.
I am a 15+ year "survivor" of panic attacks. :D They suck like nothing I have ever experienced, but I am still here to tell my tale. the gods forbide you should ever have one again, but if you should, I promise, you too will survive.
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