Here’s an interesting fact for ya: Mental illness isn’t actually ‘all in yer head’
Now, I know its hard to believe, but hear me out. I wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking depression is just when someone’s like.. really sad. Or anxiety is when someone's like.. really scared.
When I was first coming to terms with my panic and anxiety, I believed the above was the case.
These severe, powerful attacks were just my silly over-active imagination making me scared and I’d just have to get the hell over it. But then it came to the point where I realised that ‘getting over it’ or training my brain to behave its self was just not. gonna. happen.
One day during a whopper figary, while trying to calm me down, I was told what was happening at that moment in my body. Turns out there were hormones and actual reactions happening in my blood stream.. not just in my head.
Understanding what was happening in my body was an immense help to me. And in my opinion, of huge importance to anyone experiencing anxiety or panic, or those who wish to learn more about it.
So what is a panic attack?
The dictionary tells us a panic attack is “a sudden overwhelming feeling of acute and disabling anxiety”
Physiologically speaking, panic is a sudden surge of adrenaline into the bloodstream.
As I’ve written about previously, when we experience panic, our bodies go in to ‘fight or flight’ mode. Essentially a survival method used by our cave-dwelling ancestors, everyone has experienced this at some point. After something potentially life-threatening happens, (a near car accident, a bad fall, a rumour that your favourite celebrity couple has broken up) you need to act quickly in order to get yourself away from this impending danger. If a car was coming towards you on the road, you would act fast to move out of the way. After this you might notice your heart beating faster, perhaps you’re sweating and breathless. You can thank Fight or Flight mode for saving you’re life.
It’s called ‘Fight or Flight’ because its preparing you to fight the danger or flee the danger. During a panic attack, our brain becomes confused because this ‘danger’ is coming from inside us. We can’t run away from ourselves so our body gears up to fight rather than flee and we release the hormone adrenaline in to our bloodstream.
(Now this would be great of we were about to run a marathon or fight a bear but what if you’re standing in the middle of Tesco or sitting in class?)
Our brains send messages to the ‘emergency wing’ of the sympathetic nervous system to release neurotransmitters and fuel to prepare our bodies for a fight.
Some effects of panic attacks:
Respiratory effects: Preparing for a fight means we need more oxygen than we normally would. Adrenaline causes hyperventilation which is the increase in the number of breaths per minute. This feels like choking, breathlessness or the inability to take a deep enough breath. This causes your chest to feel tight which can be painful. (In my case, people point out strange noises I make when I’m breathing)
Because of this rapid breathing, the blood supply to your head is reduced which can cause dizziness and confusion.
Muscular effects: If our ancestors needed to fight a dinosaur or we need to jump out of a burning building our muscles need to be instantly active. If this is happening often we feel restless and tense. One can also experience tension headaches or back strain along with many other muscular problems.
Cardiovascular effects: Adrenaline forces the heart rate to speed up and pump more forcefully. The blood is redirected away from the limbs and toward the centre to the vital organs. The diameter of the smaller vessels become narrower and the larger ones widen. So if a caveman got bitten on the arm or foot, they would be less likely to bleed to death.
Nowadays, it means your hands and feet may get very cold when your adrenaline is high. The lack of blood flow to the extremities and skin is why people look pale after a fright or bad news.
Others include:
Extreme fatigue
Suspended digestion
Excessive sweating
Nausea
Hot/cold flushes
Numbness/tingling in the extremities
Trembing/shaking
Depersonalisation
It’s pretty amazing to think of all of the invisible reactions happening inside one’s body during a panic attack isn't it?
Pretty damn magic.
