Panic attack is an anxiety disorder that affects 2 to 4% of the population, according to the Vidal health information reference site. It can occur at any age, but most often begins in young adults, between twenty and thirty years old. The total duration of a seizure varies from a few minutes to an hour, or a little more, with an average of 20 to 30 minutes. The first panic attack can occur after a period of stress, but this is not systematic. Sometimes no event can explain the appearance of the first seizure. During this episode, the affected person feels like they are no longer in control of the situation. In an Instagram post, psychologist Marion Thélisson, also known as @psy_thelisson on social media, shared the silent symptoms of a panic attack.
5 little-known symptoms of a panic attack
A panic attack can cause many symptoms, both physical and psychological. However, according to the psychologist, “Some symptoms are more internal and don’t look like what we’re used to seeing. Yet, despite this silence, they are very present.” In her Instagram post, the expert revealed 5 silent symptoms of a panic attack. Here they are :
The world around you seems unreal and distant
This symptom is quite common among people who experience a panic attack or severe anxiety. It describes a subjective sensation in which the person feels disconnected from the surrounding reality.
Your thoughts are fast, scary and very intrusive
Thoughts are often exacerbated during a panic attack. This contributes to fueling anxiety, and thus amplifies the severity of the crisis.
You have the feeling that something bad is going to happen
This feeling of imminence aggravates the victim’s state of emotional distress, as well as the intensity of the panic attack. It manifests as a fear so overwhelming and terrifying, that it seems to overwhelm the person, preventing them from thinking clearly or reacting rationally.
Your muscles are tense, sore and you have a headache
The muscle tension, pain, and headaches seen during a panic attack are often physiological responses to extreme stress and anxiety. The body prepares to face a perceived threat by going into a state of alert.
You feel intense fatigue
During a panic attack, the body and mind are subjected to intense stress, which quickly depletes available energy and very often causes great fatigue.
How to react to a loved one who is the victim of a panic attack?
When you witness someone having a panic attack, it is not always easy to know how to react. Here are four tips from Health Insurance that will help you help someone experiencing a panic attack.
- Help the person to let go of their impressions of imminent vital threat,
- Encourage him to relax, to relax,
- Change your breathing rate. This should be as slow and superficial as possible, mouth closed, and based on abdominal breathing rather than thoracic breathing.
- Get him away from the factors that created his anxiety.
Additional sources:
- The causes of panic attacks – Vidal
- Treatment of acute anxiety attacks and panic disorder – Health Insurance