One of the worst faces that anxiety shows is a panic attack. A truly terrifying experience although it does not pose any danger to physical health. But even that you can doubt when you are suffering from a panic attack because the most common thing is to think that it is a heart attack or a heart attack. But how long does a panic attack last? We give you the answer and we tell you what to do so that it passes sooner and you can regain your calm.
What is a panic attack: everything you need to know
We insist that there is no danger of cardiovascular disease, but that does not make this panic attack any less terrifying in which you suffer the, as if your mind detached from your body and you were seeing yourself in another dimension, from out.
The feeling of a panic attack is so unnerving that the fear of it happening again can exacerbate the anxiety disorder. It is also frequent that as a result of one of these crises a phobia develops, especially agoraphobia if it has happened to you in the middle of the street. In any case, a panic attack is the alarm signal you need to seek treatment as soon as possible to help you manage anxiety.
Duration of a panic attack
You know it’s a panic attack because of the symptoms. It occurs for no apparent reason and does not have to be triggered by a specific event. You notice it because of the sensation of suffocation, because you are hyperventilating, because your heart is racing, because your, because you have chills, you sweat and your whole body goes numb.
But the worst thing is the feeling that becomes a certainty that you are going to die. Or maybe you’re already dead, is what you think when depersonalization occurs. And if it’s not about imminent death, you think you’ve lost control and you’re going to go crazy. That is panic that appears suddenly and worsens in symptoms for about 10 minutes.
Does a panic attack last 10 minutes? Depends. It can last less time or it can last a few hours because of the fear that is being generated in you, especially the first time it happens to you. And the consequences can remain for the rest of the day in the form of physical and mental exhaustion accompanied by insecurity and fear . Fear is always present in this crisis.
Tips to make a panic attack go away faster
Although a panic attack is not dangerous to physical health, that is, you are not suffering or going to have a heart attack and you are not going to die either, we would all like that feeling and its terrible consequences to pass sooner. Can anything be done to reduce the time and intensity of a panic attack?
The first time of course not. And the second may not either. But from there you can try some breathing exercises when you notice the first symptoms. You have to be able to recognize that you are having a panic attack and, as you already know, you are not going to die, and the crisis is going to pass. Always remember that it will happen.
With this in mind, you can try to focus your attention on something specific or carry out relaxation for both the body and the mind. For example, the second hand of a clock and focus on its movement. You can also try visualizing a relaxing setting, such as a forest, a river, or the sea. We advise you to try to pay attention to the room or place you are in and describe it mentally or aloud. We say you can try, because it is not certain that you will succeed, since the sensations of a panic attack are so intense that they leave you little room to act.
Other regulation techniques are known as grounding, which consist of paying attention tithe in the present moment, for example feeling the feet on the ground, the touch of the clothes, touching objects trying to perceive the touch, among other mechanisms.
But the most important thing is that you do not resist what is happening to you. Don’t be afraid and don’t try to push the panic attack away from you. This way you will be able to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and, therefore, their duration. You already know what is happening to you; let it be, let the anxiety manifest itself as it wants, because acceptance is the best weapon to take away its strength from the attack.
