Panic Attacks: How Does It Feel to Live with Panic Disorder?

Struggling with panic disorder can be tormenting as it disturbs your mental health to an extent that it becomes challenging to carry out daily errands. Such people find it difficult to go to the grocery, perform their work tasks or drive home safely. They can experience a panic attack with even minor inconveniences. However, the community remains indifferent to the mental health of such individuals and turns a blind eye towards them with the label “feeling anxious”. There is a difference between feeling anxious and experiencing a panic disorder.

You must have heard about panic attacks but do you understand what it means to experience them? Panic disorder is a psychiatric disorder in which fear and anxiety overwhelms the individual and leaves them gasping for fresh air. It is characterized by sudden and repetitive attacks of fear and intense anxiety that last for several minutes or longer. 

Building Blocks of Panic Attack

It is important to understand the symptoms and emotions associated with panic attacks so you can seek the appropriate help concerning your psychiatry in Dubai. Following are elements that will help in comprehending how it feels to live with a  panic disorder:

1.      Physiological Arousal

Sometimes you feel like your heart is beating so loudly that it becomes difficult to stand and keep your eyes open. People experiencing panic attacks report a sudden change in bodily sensations such as heart palpitation, difficult breathing, dry mouth, constant sweating, trembling, dizziness and in severe cases, faintness. They feel their body warming up and sounds start to fade out in the background. It feels like terrible anxiety is crashing down on them.

No matter how many deep breaths you take, you just don’t get enough air. Your heart pounds against the ribcage for the desire of being set free. All these bodily sensations impact your body adversely, leaving it exhausted.

2.      Perceived Threat

People with panic disorder always perceive themselves to be under threat. The fear of danger or dying, uncontrollable worry and anxiety, embarrassment associated with social consequences such as making a fool out of themselves never leave their heads. Hence, they are bombarded with unsettling and racing thoughts that leave them drained.

Dubai psychiatry clinics offer to counsel individuals with intense anxiety and panic disorders. The professionals from these clinics commit to changing the perception of troubled people. They recommend therapies and exercises to distract their minds from brooding over life-changing events and other stressors.

3.      Escape Behaviors

Panic disorder fosters escape behaviors in its victims. People experience an irresistible urge to run and flee from disturbing situations. They make efforts to prevent unpleasant consequences. To do so, they refrain from activities such as drinking caffeine or being in the middle of a crowd to avoid having panic attacks.

Phobias such as agoraphobia, claustrophobia and acrophobia can trigger a panic attack as fear can settle in people’s minds and prevent them from carrying out their regular routine or working towards a goal. Such individuals try hard to avoid feared objects. For instance, a person who has a phobia of flying would not even step inside an airport.

4.      Traumatic Experiences

A traumatic experience can act as a trigger for panic attacks. People bear the re-experiencing symptoms such as nightmares, intrusive thoughts, hallucinations and flashbacks of the trauma. Therefore, they try avoiding things, places, words and actions that remind them of the trauma because a small reminder can expose them to a panic attack that usually feels like an eternity.

How Can You Treat Panic Attacks?

A reliable and best psychologist in Dubai would assist you in overcoming your traumas through psychotherapy. A psychotherapy technique known as cognitive behavioral therapy reinforces different ways of thinking, perceptions, behaviors and reactions towards a feeling that onsets the panic attack. It will help you to control or eliminate your troubling symptoms and improve your well-being. You will be able to function better in the future after getting considerable help.

Camali Clinic has a team of competent and professional psychologists who can address your needs and help you tackle your fears. They will write down your personal history and list of current symptoms during the initial consultation. A comfortable and friendly environment will be created for your convenience. The initial consultation session will aim to build trust between the psychologist and the patient. The panic attacks will disappear once you will learn to react differently to life stressors and other triggers. Thus, book the first consultation session and start walking on the path to betterment.