It's no wonder you were having trouble on the road. And nowhere is the loss of control more deadly than in a fast lane that seems only an inch wider than your car, with trucks whizzing by on one side and a cement wall covered with tile on the other. A flood of adrenaline makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken, your palms perspire, and your skin tingle. It is not unusual for panic attack sufferers to think that the panic itself is going to kill them. They have been known to rush to hospital emergency rooms convinced that they were having a fatal heart attack.
Medication is often helpful, but there are many other ways to fight back.
This simple realization has reduced the severity of panic attacks for dozens of our patients. It's also important to know that having one panic attack does not necessarily mean that there will be more to come. Your heart can race and your breathing rate can double without full-blown panic setting in. You can learn to trust your body to shift into high gear without completely losing control. Count to three as you slowly fill your lungs.