Episode 9: Panic and Anxiety Q&A

**Another person message me on Facebook saying he/she can relate because her/his family member has been diagnosed with panic/anxiety. Alhamdulillah, if this can help people understand more, I am more than happy to share tips & tricks how to deal with this disorder. Thank you, again for texting me and telling me  :) **

**What I'm about to share is based on my own understanding and panic/anxiety attacks experience. It could be similar, could be different to other people's experience**

1. What is anxiety disorder? What is anxiety/panic attack? Is it the same or different?

Everybody has anxiety and get panic in some scary situations. This is normal. If i'm having an interview or tests coming, the anxiety and panic I am experiencing is normal, not a disorder. 

It becomes a disorder when the anxiety/worry interferes with our daily life. In my case, I get scared over Monday coming because I need to see this one customer or I get scary whenever I went to this particular shopping mall. First of all, those worry thoughts could be illogical and over emphasised. Why would anyone be scared of a shopping mall? And Monday is known to be scary and dreadful to most people, thats why the term "Monday blues" exists. But in my case, being scared of Monday gets me into panic mode. I'm unnecessarily in a flight or fight mindset. Then, when something small and sometimes totally unrelated triggers, i got panic ATTACK. 

Panic attack is actually the scariest thing if you don't know what it is. My first panic attack sign is that I will be tearing up like crazy. In just seconds, my eyes and face will be swollen like I've been crying for hours. Sometimes I get chest pain, sometimes I feel like there are some kinds of sand in my throat. I can physically feel that my whole body is like in a bubble where there is less oxygen. You know like if you go for scuba diving and suddenly your regulator got filled with water, instead of pushing the water out, you choked on it. You cannot go up immediately because being 30meters underwater the pressure will kill you so you just have to stay down there. Your fellow diving buddy won't know and notice anything because they are busy looking at corals and you cannot talk underwater how are you going to tell your buddy you are choking? Scary right? Ya thats how I feel. Its like no way out. 

Panic attack is short. The most it can only be is 20 minutes. But, if you do not know how to control it and how to get yourself out of the fight or flight mode panic attacks can happens more than once, one after another. Getting through 1 panic attack without medication is doable, but If its more than one I suggest you do get some medication because I don't think anyone should go through it. It is really unbearable.

Anxiety disorder is like you have a faulty burglar alarm. Panic or anxiety attack is like the burglar alarm got activated over a stray cat coming into your house. 

Although its not like you are not getting a real heart attack but your body did go through a very demanding and scary situations so in my case, I got so tired after a panic attack sometimes it took me 2-3 days to recover and feel normal again. 

How to make it stop?

1. Get yourself out of the situation, or place or if someone triggers it politely asked to be excused. Go out where you can get fresh air if possible. 

2. Breathe. You must get your breathing to be back to normal. If you are helping someone, ask them to breathe deep. Take 10 deep breathing. 

3. If the thoughts still got emphasised, make it stop. Distract yourself. Don't dwell on the thoughts, If the same thing triggers you over and over again, break the cycle. This could be hard if the trigger is your work or your boss or your family member that you have to see everyday. Try to get some space and time away to break the cycle.

4. Sometimes there is actually no trigger. Sometimes the trigger for me can be as simple as too tired. Do not overthink what the trigger is, i think knowing how to stop and manage is more important to do.

Hope this helps. Good luck :)