Signs, symptoms and advice for panic attacks

Panic attacks and feelings of anxiety can be stressful and upsetting for sufferers, but what are the symptoms of anxiety and how can you prevent anxious thoughts? Everything you need to know – from therapy to medication

Most people feel anxiety from time to time. Anxious feelings are particularly normal during high stress situations or periods of change.

One uncomfortable symptom of anxiety —Panic attacks — can occur during stressful or triggering moments, however sometimes it might feel as though they’ve appeared out of the blue.

If you are struggling with a panic attack right now, follow this advice on how to manage panic attacks.

It’s quite common for people to experience a panic attack only once or twice in their lifetime, whilst others might suffer more regularly.

Anxiety becomes a mental health problem when it begins to impact your day-today life.

When does anxiety become a mental health problem?

Anxious thought patterns grow into a problem when they hinder your ability to live life to the fullest.

Mind list the signs of anxiety disorders as:

• avoiding situations because of anxiety
• strong anxious feelings that last a long period of time
• fears that are out of proportion to reality
• concerning and distressing worries
• regular symptoms of anxiety, including panic attacks
• everyday life is a struggle

This list is not exhaustive – but if your symptoms fit a specific criteria you could be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

However it’s possible to struggle with anxious feelings and thoughts without having a diagnosed disorder.

Anxiety disorders

Like people, anxiety can come in many different forms, and no one experience is the same as the other.

There are a variety of defined anxiety disorders that sufferers can be diagnosed with.

These include:

Many find that an official diagnoses helps them tackle their thoughts and feelings better.

Treatment for anxiety

Self help will often be the first form of treatment your GP will offer you.

Self help is often an instant way you can start to feel a little better.

Your GP will usually recommend reading content from a scheme called Read Well.

You can also enrol in online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CBT programmes via the NHS app. CBT is typically an effective way of tackling anxiety.

If these self help resources don’t work, you can try talking therapy or in-person CBT.

Sometimes a doctor will prescribe medication including SSRI (an antidepressant), Pregabalin, Beta-blockers, or Benzodiazepine tranquillisers (for those with debilitating anxiety).

How do I seek help?

There are plenty of charities, organisations and professionals on hand to help those with anxiety.

Visit mind support where they have plenty of people available to offer advice, whether that be via their helpline or emails.

If you’d like to organise private therapy, then feel free to visit this resource on private clinics.

It’s important to remember that recovery is possible.

Mind say: “you might find it more helpful to focus on learning more about yourself and developing ways to cope, rather than trying to get rid of all your symptoms.”