The First Panic Attack And What Happens Next

What happens after the first panic attack opens a before and after in any person’s life. It is a frightening experience that seems to come out of nowhere and manifests itself with a wide range of physical symptoms. It is so painful that you feel like you are dying; that your heart will collapse at any moment.

Those who have never had a panic attack may have many preconceived notions about this condition. It is therefore common to believe that it only affects weak, insecure people. In addition, it is also common to assume that seizures occur in very specific situations where one is very anxious, such as an upcoming public appearance or getting into an elevator or a plane, and so on.

But something everyone needs to understand about panic attacks is that they can occur at any time and for no particular reason. Some people wake up in the middle of the night wrapped in a sense of alarming panic and firmly believe that they are about to have a heart attack. Others feel it for the first time while talking on the phone, having dinner with friends or being at the grocery store.

There is also another important side of what you need to understand. Anyone can have a panic attack at any given time. For whether we believe it or not, these experiences have nothing to do with personality, age, or circumstances; only anxiety.

This feeling is normal in humans. Therefore, you need to know what is happening and what to do if / when you get your first panic attack.

What happens after the first panic attack?

There are many techniques and resources within reach to tackle anxiety. However, there is one thing that often does not come to you: Information. You do not recognize the symptoms and signs that anxiety leaves in your body and in your mind. You do not know the consequences and the way they are expressed when they become too much.

For these reasons, many do not really know what a first panic attack is like. Somehow, in your preconceived ideology, it’s something that only happens to others or experiences you’ve seen on TV.

You have seen how easily they solve it by breathing in a paper bag. It is therefore necessary to have more reliable information and a specific culture for mental illness in order to be able to intervene as quickly as possible.

Let’s look at what happens after the first panic attack.

Takes on the emergency room

When you have a panic attack for the first time, your fears grow exponentially because you do not understand what is happening. Thus, ignorance and insecurity trigger your anxiety. There is tachycardia, shortness of breath, dizziness, muscle tension, etc. Therefore, it is common for people to go to the emergency room because they think they have a heart attack.

You will be even more confused after receiving a doctor’s diagnosis. That is, they tell you that what you just experienced was in your mind. So of course you feel disturbed and in denial.

This is because the experience you just had is so real and physical that most people do not hesitate to ask for a different opinion and perform further testing and checking. As a rule, a doctor will prescribe anti-anxiety medication for a limited period of time.

The cycle of fear begins after the first panic attack

Panic attacks are a product of development, even if they begin to manifest suddenly. They are the physical trigger of a negative emotional state, which is maintained over time. Thus, those who experience them have commonly accumulated a great deal of anxiety for many months, perhaps years.

What happens after the first panic attack is secondary anxiety. This is the condition in which you will develop an intense fear of having another seizure. The intense symptoms and loss of control scare you. All of this means that you end up feeding this fear, which will lead to a vicious circle that intensifies this tendency even more.

Helplessness and the journey for help

Seeking help is another side of what happens after the first panic attack. There comes a time when you are aware of your helplessness. Sooner or later, you realize that you are losing control of your life. So the thought of experiencing a new seizure in an unexpected place and in an unexpected situation, leads you to take the first step in dealing with it.

However, you may not always be able to handle it properly. For example, some people practice yoga because they believe that relaxation and meditative techniques will help them reduce these attacks. However, such techniques do not always work.

In fact, they do not because anxiety is a complex and elusive enemy that has long been attached to their lives. Therefore, these people need more specialized concrete strategies like the ones only a therapist can offer.

Psychological therapy is the only means of reducing panic attacks and the emotional reality behind them. Preserve hope, for you will regain control to shape a more fulfilling life, gradually and with commitment.