Chris has been working as an airport engineer for almost 10 years.
Life is good. He is blessed with a five-year-old healthy and active daughter, and a supportive wife who works as a financial advisor.
They have not had any major issues or conflicts in their marriage, are financially stable, and can afford holidays abroad annually, to celebrate their anniversaries.
Unlike when he first started working years ago, there’s nothing much for Chris to learn, or adapt to at his workplace. At this stage in his career, he is the one supervising others to keep the airport’s systems running smoothly.
So, when the first attack set in, he was utterly perplexed.
He felt like he was going to die, yet didn’t know why.
The healthy 35-year-old wondered if this was his first heart attack despite not having any underlying medical illnesses or allergies.
Worried about his health, he went to the hospital. They ran a battery of tests, including bloodwork and an electrocardiogram. The results were all within the normal range.
After his fifth visit to the hospital in just few months, one of the doctors asked him a question he never expected to hear in his lifetime.
“Sir, are you experiencing a panic attack? Is there anything bothering you recently?”
“I’m not crazy. What are you talking about?” Chris replied furiously, storming out of the treatment room. He went home without waiting for the treatment plan.
But what the doctor asked him made him ponder about what he had been experiencing lately.
His chest would tighten, his heart would pound, he would sweat profusely, and he could not hide his hand tremors at work or at home, which concerned his wife and their daughter.
“Daddy, do you need help?” his daughter asked when they were sitting together in the dining room. She noticed that he had not touched much of his food.
“Yes, honey. Perhaps we should go get help from another medical specialist this time.”
His wife held him gently and promised to be there for him throughout.
* * *
Panic attacks can happen to anyone; when you’re about to deliver a speech in front of a crowd, sitting for exams, entering a new working environment, or travelling solo.
What is not normal is when they occur daily, persistently, and last for more than a month, and for no apparent reason.
The symptoms might be similar to that of a heart attack, or other medical issues, like a thyroid problem or having low red blood cells. When medical investigations aren’t conclusive, the diagnosis of a panic disorder or anxiety, are likely to be established.
Often, people describe a panic attack as a fear of dying. They cannot control it and feel confused as to what is happening to them. There can be a trigger factor, but sometimes, there are none.
The severity of the attacks would determine if the treatment should involve relevant psychotherapy only, or if medication should be initiated as well.
There are a number of relaxation techniques that can be applied:
1. Deep breathing exercises or belly breathing. This can be done when standing, sitting, or lying down on your back. Start by putting one hand over your chest and the other over your belly. Take a slow breath through your nose and feel your belly rising. Breathe out through your mouth and feel your belly flatten, while holding your hand over your chest as still as possible. Repeat for 10 breaths. Practice twice daily in different positions.
2. Guided imagery. In this method, we visualise peaceful scenarios or images in our minds where a memory of a calmness, or a tranquil environment we experienced before, is revisited. Apart from that, a positive outcome can be achieved by imagining that we are winning a race or passing an examination we are taking.
3. Grounding technique. This is also referred to as the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. It involves all the senses to bring us back to the present. It involves thinking about:
- Five things we can see
- Four things we can feel
- Three things we can hear
- Two things we can smell
- One thing we can taste in our current environment
These physical processes will divert our attention from the intense anxiety inside us.
What we should do, apart from practicing these techniques, is to remember that no matter how severe things can be, this body belongs to us.
And we are in total control of it, always.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
