So what is panic exactly?

It is a more severe form of anxiety which is one of the most common mental health issues.

We all have anxiety, but some people have too much of it and when we have too much of it, it can be overwhelming, leading to a panic attack.

Panic attacks are one of the most debilitating forms of anxiety and have often resulted in trips to A&E because of the severity of the symptoms, ranging from dizziness to nausea, shaking, sweating, shortness of breath to an impending feeling of doom, and even thinking you’re dying.

Panic attacks can come on suddenly and can come on even when you are relaxed or asleep.

This makes panic, in my opinion, one of the more severe effects of anxiety; it can be experienced as a one-off or a regular occurrence which then becomes what is known as panic disorder. However, as highly distressing as they can be, they can be controlled but not as quickly as you see on tv when people blow into a bag and then minutes later, they’re all fine. It takes a lot of practice doing breathing exercises every day to try and control one. By taking a deep breath through your diaphragm, your body is getting an oxygen boost to the brain. Taking slow deep breaths after that will help you stay in control of your breathing. Breathing techniques are not just mind tricks; they produce a body response that lowers physical symptoms of both anxiety and panic genuinely and helpfully.

Having looked at how devastating panic disorder can be, let’s look at other ways apart from breathing to control or reduce panic and anxiety.

There is, of course, regular exercise, practising meditation, support groups that teach CBT, and perhaps offer EMDR and EFT techniques, both of which have been proven very effective against anxiety.

Following on from this, another very effective treatment for anxiety is hypnotherapy, as it helps to alter a person’s brainwaves, enabling them to access resources that they cannot reach fully conscious.

Another beneficial technique is meditation, as it helps people to increase their feelings of calmness and physical relaxation. As debilitating and cruel anxiety and panic can be, it’s nice to know we have potent and efficient ways of managing these conditions when they become overactive.