How Long Do Panic Attacks Last

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The duration of a panic attack depends on the severity of its signs and symptoms. Normally a panic attack occurs abruptly and reaches to its peak within few minutes and lasts for 20-30 minutes but in some cases it may continue for an hour or more depending upon various factors. In order to understand the duration of your panic attack you must have some basic information in this regard.

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack can be defined as abrupt overwhelming increase in the level of fear and anxiety which makes it difficult to breathe and increases the rate of heart beat. It can also make you feel crazy or dying due to anxiety. It can cause various other health problems and disorders like withdrawal from various normal activities, if left untreated. But it can be cured as soon as you get help after the attack. The treatment of panic attack can help in regaining control on your life by reducing or eliminating its symptoms.

Understanding the effects of panic attacks

Normally panic attacks occur abruptly without any warning or a valid reason. One can experience such attacks even while sleeping or relaxing. Usually people experience it once in their lifetime but in some cases people may experience these attacks repeatedly. The recurrence of panic attacks can be caused due to certain particular conditions like speaking in public or crossing a bridge etc which can be one of the conditions of its occurrence earlier. Usually the situations in which one feels unable to escape or endangered help in increasing the number of panic attacks in one’s life.

But if you have panic attack once or more that does not mean that you are not healthy or desperate. A panic attack can be a part of some other disorder or phobia like depression, panic disorder or social phobia etc. So, panic attack can be treated, regardless of the cause of its occurrence, by using various strategies according to the severity of symptoms and signs of this problem.

Signs and symptoms of a panic attack

Panic attack can occur anytime and anywhere even while resting on your couch, walking down the street or shopping at a store. The symptoms and signs of panic attack develop abruptly within few minutes and normally last for 20-30 minutes or more than an hour, in rare cases. One can observe a combination of various signs and symptoms at the time of panic attack like:

Racing palpitation of heart

Hyperventilation or shortness of breath

Shaking or trembling

Discomfort or pain in the chest

Imaginary feeling of detachment from the surroundings

Feeling of choking

Upset stomach and nausea

Feeling light headed, faint or dizziness with sweating

Tingling or numbness sensation

Fear of losing control, going crazy or dying

Cold or hot flashes

Reducing the duration of panic attack

You can reduce the duration of panic attack as it can be cured by using various therapies strategically. Brief information in this regard is given here under to help you out from such health condition.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: It is one of the most effective therapies used for treating panic attacks. It focuses on the behaviours and thinking patterns of the patient that can trigger such attacks. It helps you in facing your fears realistically. You can easily make you panic less terrifying by learning that nothing disastrous is going to happen in your life.

Exposure therapy: This therapy allows the patients to learn how they can cope with panic attack in a healthier manner by exposing them to its effects on their physique in a controlled and safe environment. You may be told to shake your head sideways, hold your breath or breathe repeatedly along with various other exercises to make you stronger to face the symptoms of the panic attack.

Medication treatment: Certain medications like antidepressants and benzodiazepines etc. can be used for reducing or controlling the symptoms of panic attack temporarily for some time. In severe cases medication can be useful but you cannot depend only on them. It can be more effective if continued along with other therapies as well as change in lifestyle.

Self-help tips for treating panic attack: Though professional therapies and treatments can help in controlling the signs and symptoms of panic attack to a great extent but still there are certain self-help tips that can help in reducing its duration to a considerable extent.

You should learn about panic attack so that you can help yourself in relieving your panic causing stresses easily. You should read the literature linked with panic attack, anxiety and their effect on your health along with the ways of treating these health problems. This knowledge will help you in recognising the symptoms and signs of this problem through your feelings and sensations so that you can control them as soon as possible.

You should avoid consuming caffeine or caffeinated beverages like coffee and other products and smoking as they can increase the chances of panic attacks for susceptible people. You should also use medications containing stimulants carefully as they can also increase the chances of recurrence of panic attacks.

You should learn about controlling your breath at the time of panic attack as it can happen due to many sensations like tightness in the chest or light headedness etc. you can relieve the symptoms of panic attack by breathing deeply. You can be skilled enough to calm down yourself when you start feeling anxious by controlling your breath. You can reduce the chances of fearful sensations by learning how to control your breath at such moments.

Learning and practising relaxation techniques regularly like meditation, yoga and other muscle relaxing and strengthening exercises can help in responding the affects of the stresses caused by panic and anxiety. These exercises can increase the feeling of calmness and joy along with promoting relaxation from the panic attacks.

So you can reduce the duration of your panic attack by following various treatment and health tips provided in this write-up. Your panic attack can last no longer if you follow the suggested tips regularly along with changing your lifestyle simultaneously.

References: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/anxiety/panic-attacks-and-panic-disorders.htm