Panic attacks
Let’s talk about panic attacks
Vasiliki dimitrakopoulou
According to research 35.9%-63.3% of teenagers have suffered at least one panic attack, usually after the age of 14 years.
Any person might experience a stressful panic attack.
Panic attacks are caused by a negative process of thoughts in your brain that leads to intense anxiety about the future. For example, such thoughts that are often spontaneous, are: “I will not make it, I will fail the exam”, “I will be embarrassed”.
Panic attack appears as a feeling of intense fear or discomfort, and has various symptoms such as:
• Difficulty in breathing
• Accelerated heart rate
• Chest pain or discomfort
• Dizziness
• Numbness e.g. in hands
• Excessive sweating or hot flashes
• Shaking or nausea
Those symptoms can make you feel that you suffer from a serious illness or that you’re losing control.
If you have fear there will be more attacks in the future, it is important to consult a specialist and follow a program in order to be able to face these negative thoughts that cause this panic attack.
“I was encouraged to participate in my activities and social events, but since this was unbearable, we came up with a plan to gradually increase the time spent in these events”. They also helped me correct erroneous perceptions that led me to avoid doing various things e.g. “Will they all stare at me?” or “What if I do something wrong? ” and they helped me develop new communication skills”.
It is important you change your inner negative monologue and you see things in a positive and optimistic way. Remember, however, that a panic attack, lasts no longer than 10 minutes and can cause nothing more than a simple discomfort.
Vassiliki DimitrakopoulouPsychologist, Scientific Associate of the Greek Society of Adolescent Medicine
