Anxiety and panic attacks: what causes them?
Restlessness, feeling like you're in your danger, shaking and struggling to catch your breath, are all symptoms of anxiety and/or panic attacks.
But why do we get anxiety? What causes a panic attack? Can we prevent them from happening?
All questions we're going to help you answer.
Read on to discover where these feelings come from and what you can do to overcome them when they happen.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is something many of us feel when we're under pressure, scared or stressed.
These feelings can come out in several ways such as,
Finding it difficult to concentrate
Being irritable
The room starts to spin
You get a dry mouth
Hot flushes
Experience shortness of breath
Or you may have a panic attack (which we’ll talk more about later).
What causes anxiety?
When you’re in a situation you don’t feel comfortable with anxiety happens because it triggers a fight or flight response.
This response releases a flood of chemicals and hormones into your system, such as norepinephrine, which is responsible for the adrenaline and energy that’s pumped through your body when you’re stressed or anxious. The result is an increased pulse and breathing rate so your brain can get more oxygen and prepare you to respond to the intense situation.
People that don't feel anxious a lot, will find their body returns to normal when the situation passes.
However, if you spend a great deal of time feeling anxious, your body won’t return to its normal functioning state. This can make anxious feelings last for long periods of time, which may lead to panic attacks and also a weakened immune system.
This leads us nicely onto...
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack can happen when you experience a sudden episode of intense fear or stress. Triggers and feelings are similar to those of anxiety, however on a much greater scale.
Physical panic attack symptoms can be:
A racing heart
Sweating
Chills
Abdominal pain
Short of breath
Chest pain
Nausea
It's also common for people to feel like they're 'dying'
Why do panic attacks happen?
As with anxiety, a panic attack is a result of your body going into fight mode. It's your nervous system springing into action.
Adrenaline is transferred into your bloodstream putting your body on high alert. This quickens your heart rate, brings on heart palpitations and sends more blood to your muscles.
The result is fast, shallow breathing (allowing your body to take in more oxygen) and your blood sugar increases.
Because of all this happens instantly, it can be terrifying, bring on extreme fear, and you feel out of control.
There’s ongoing research to determine whether panic attacks are also bought on by an imbalance of serotonin levels. Serotonin is the hormone in our body that stablises our mood, wellbeing and happiness.
How to overcome anxiety and panic attacks
While anxiety and panic attacks can feel very scary and make day-to-day life more challenging, the good news is there are ways to manage them. And in some cases, people can overcome them completely.
Here are our top ways to tackle these feelings and ultimately lessen them
Talk about how you feel
It's really important to understand why your anxiety and panic attacks rear their head.
Keeping a mood diary is a good place to start to help you recognise your triggers. This might sound labour intensive, but the 'diary' doesn't have to include realms of writing or take a long time. A simple note of the date, how you feel, what you got up to, what you ate, and who you saw, are sufficient.
Over time you’ll find it easier to identify the catalysts for feeling anxious or bringing on a panic attack. You may find your triggers are specific social situations, a particular task at work or something to do with your diet.
Alongside your diary, make sure someone close to you is aware of how you feel. Not only can a friend or family member offer you some comfort, but they might be able to help you discover what's triggering these feelings,and lighten your load when you're overwhelmed.
Many of our students at School of Connection feel surprised at how many people feel the same as them when they start opening up about their anxiety. We’re sure you’ll experience this too!
Take part in exercise you enjoy
As an anxiety attack or panic attack can be triggered by stress, exercise is a really good way to combat them.
Exercise releases endorphins, which are dubbed as 'the body's natural painkillers'. They relieve pain and create a general feeling of wellbeing. Other feel-good chemicals, such as endogenous cannabinoids, are released when you exercise too. So basically, exercise banishes the 'panic' chemicals and replaces them with more joyful and happy ones.
It’s important you choose to do something active that you enjoy though, otherwise it'll be harder to release those good chemicals!
Exercise is classed as anything that makes you active - it doesn't have to be intense. It could be:
Walking with a friend
Taking part in a team sport
Hopping on your bike to work
Or even virtual-yoga from your own home
Eat a good diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables
Forget eating to stay slim, you should eat to keep your body and mind healthy.
A good, balanced diet filled with lots of fruit, vegetables and natural foods really will make you feel and think better. Processed foods that are high in refined sugars, have been proven to be harmful to the brain. They trigger inflammation and oxidative stress - which can worsen your moods, and even lead to depression.
So make sure you prioritise what you're putting into your body and have a healthy diet, as it's highly likely to lessen your feelings of anxiety.
Try and get 8 hours sleep a night
Anxiety and lack of sleep are closely linked. That's because a poor night's sleep can make you feel irritable and stressed - and stress is a common trigger for panic attacks.
Sleep is essential for our bodies and minds to recharge and function. To live a healthy lifestyle it’s recommended to get 8-10 hours of sleep every night.
This may sound like a lot, but if you can get into a routine of going to bed at a decent time you’ll soon start to diffuse any late night habits and switch your body clock around.
Limit caffeine and artificial sweeteners
Many people drink caffeine to 'wake them up'. However, caffeine can also cause you to feel jittery, which is similar to those feelings you have when you're anxious. So while a cup of coffee won't necessarily bring on an anxiety or panic attack, it can worsen your symptoms as it will heighten light-headed and racing-heart feelings.
There are also ongoing studies into the effects neurotoxins can have on anxiety. Neurotoxins can be found in food dyes and artificial sweeteners and evidence shows they disrupt our nervous systems worsening anxiety attacks.
On the subject of ingredients, did you know that foods you’re sensitive to can worsen anxious moments by upsetting your body’s functioning balance? Therefore, it’s worthwhile getting a food allergy test if anxiety is affecting your everyday life. Various foods could be your ‘trigger’ and you might not even know it!
Try meditating
Meditation was originally created to deepen an understanding of sacred and mystical forces of life. However, today, meditation is a much more mainstream act and is often used to help with relaxation and stress.
It’s an extremely powerful natural 'medicine' that can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance - all of which benefit your mental health and overall wellbeing.
Meditation and relaxation exercises are extremely easy to access virtually these days, allowing you to take part wherever and whenever it suits you.
Some of our favourite meditation apps are:
Supplement your diet
Herbal, mood-boosting supplements can help alleviate continuous anxiety and panic attacks. There are a variety of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to try. Here are a few of the most popular:
Tryptophan - an amino acid that comes before serotonin (happy-mood hormone) production. It can be found in turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, yoghurt and cheese, however it’s normally in small quantities. A tryptophan supplement can help more of the amino acid reach the brand, with some people stating it improves their sleep and mood.
St. John’s Wort - a yellow plant with star-shaped flowers, St. John’s Wort has been known to help mild depression for many years. It can also improve insomnia and PMS - all which are linked to anxiety attacks.
Omega-3 fatty acids - found in certain fish, nuts, and seeds, Omega-3 has been proven to lessen the likelihood of depression. It’s believed that Omega-3s travel through the brain cell membrane and interact with the mood-related molecules in the brain. They also have anti-inflammatory benefits, helping to alleviate the feelings that come with panic attacks and anxious feelings.
Give Cognitive Behavioural Therapy a go
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, also known as CBT, sounds a lot scarier than it actually is! The medicine-free treatment is designed to make you think and react in a different way when you find yourself feeling anxious or a panic attack coming on.
It gives you coping mechanisms when you get a feeling of unease in everyday situations. Practising these coping mechanisms enables you to tackle challenging moments, and eventually your anxiety is likely to lessen.
CBT is now available for free on the NHS with Talking Therapies. You don’t need to be referred by your GP either. You simply fill in a form, and hey presto, you’re on your way to receiving therapy. Easy!
Join groups and make friends with similar people
Our courses are filled with like-minded people. Most people have anxiety in some shape or form - whether that’s social anxiety, public speaking anxiety or lacking in confidence. Our groups leave courses having made friends with peers in similar situations. They find these new connections to be extremely supportive, giving them a network that they can confide in, trust, and get advice whenever they need it.
There are plenty of groups out there for people living with anxiety and panic attacks. It might seem daunting at first to attend them, but the opportunity to interact with people who can understand you is invaluable. You never know, you could meet a life-long friend!
If you’d like to find out more about our training, head over to our courses page.