The Truth Your Panic Attack Doesn"t Want You To Know: It Won"t Kill You!
Panic attacks can be terrifying.
The first time that I had one I was pretty much convinced that I was about to die.
Many people have ended up in hospital emergency rooms because they mistook their panic attack symptoms for heart attacks.
The symptoms can be similar.
People often experience frightening symptoms such as chest pains, rapid heartbeat, or shortness of breath.
But, assuming you've been seen by a doctor and deemed healthy, you probably don't have much to worry about.
Your panic attack itself does not have the ability to kill you.
There is one simple reason behind this.
It is created by your own mind and body.
It is a natural reaction to a perceived threat that starts in your amygdala as a defense mechanism.
It may be misdirected.
It may be unwanted at that time, but it's primary purpose is to protect you from danger.
Your internal body does not have the ability to self-destruct.
Don't believe me? Think about your heartbeat and try to make it stop.
It can't be done.
Likewise, you cannot will yourself to stop breathing.
You can hold your breath, sure.
But eventually, no matter how hard you fight it, your breathing will resume.
If you've ever been swimming at a pool and tried to see how long you could stay under, the deciding factor was not really how long you could stay under before you actually died.
This danger did not actually exist.
The game was about how long you could stay submerged before you had to, whether you wanted to or not, come up to the surface for air.
Your return to the surface was involuntary.
This is due to the overwhelming and inherent purpose of your amygdala, the very same region of your brain that causes a panic attack, to complete it's sole objective: to keep you alive.
Your body and mind have the power to do many amazing things but willingly shutting themselves down is not one of them.
Once you realize this, you can take a lot of the wind out of your panic attack's sails.
You can realize that, while this experience may be terrifying, you will get through it.
You can give yourself permission to once again look past the panic attack and go on about your day.
Your fear will decrease upon this realization and it's really your fear that feeds the panic attack to begin with.
Stop feeding it and it will go away.
It's like when you were a kid and afraid of the boogeyman in your closet at night.
You were scared, sure that whatever this horrible creature was lurking in the dark was going to get you at any minute.
You screamed for your parents and they come and turn on the lights, and you see that the "boogeyman" was all along just one of your toys with a blanket draped over it.
The fear goes away.
**While a panic attack alone cannot kill you, it is important to consult with your doctor to be sure that there is not another physical condition that you may need to be treated for.
My advice is not a substitute for the care of medical professionals.
The first time that I had one I was pretty much convinced that I was about to die.
Many people have ended up in hospital emergency rooms because they mistook their panic attack symptoms for heart attacks.
The symptoms can be similar.
People often experience frightening symptoms such as chest pains, rapid heartbeat, or shortness of breath.
But, assuming you've been seen by a doctor and deemed healthy, you probably don't have much to worry about.
Your panic attack itself does not have the ability to kill you.
There is one simple reason behind this.
It is created by your own mind and body.
It is a natural reaction to a perceived threat that starts in your amygdala as a defense mechanism.
It may be misdirected.
It may be unwanted at that time, but it's primary purpose is to protect you from danger.
Your internal body does not have the ability to self-destruct.
Don't believe me? Think about your heartbeat and try to make it stop.
It can't be done.
Likewise, you cannot will yourself to stop breathing.
You can hold your breath, sure.
But eventually, no matter how hard you fight it, your breathing will resume.
If you've ever been swimming at a pool and tried to see how long you could stay under, the deciding factor was not really how long you could stay under before you actually died.
This danger did not actually exist.
The game was about how long you could stay submerged before you had to, whether you wanted to or not, come up to the surface for air.
Your return to the surface was involuntary.
This is due to the overwhelming and inherent purpose of your amygdala, the very same region of your brain that causes a panic attack, to complete it's sole objective: to keep you alive.
Your body and mind have the power to do many amazing things but willingly shutting themselves down is not one of them.
Once you realize this, you can take a lot of the wind out of your panic attack's sails.
You can realize that, while this experience may be terrifying, you will get through it.
You can give yourself permission to once again look past the panic attack and go on about your day.
Your fear will decrease upon this realization and it's really your fear that feeds the panic attack to begin with.
Stop feeding it and it will go away.
It's like when you were a kid and afraid of the boogeyman in your closet at night.
You were scared, sure that whatever this horrible creature was lurking in the dark was going to get you at any minute.
You screamed for your parents and they come and turn on the lights, and you see that the "boogeyman" was all along just one of your toys with a blanket draped over it.
The fear goes away.
**While a panic attack alone cannot kill you, it is important to consult with your doctor to be sure that there is not another physical condition that you may need to be treated for.
My advice is not a substitute for the care of medical professionals.
