According to Mayo Clinic, a panic attack is a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause. Panic attacks can be very frightening. When panic attacks occur, you might think you’re losing control, having a heart attack, or even dying.
Many people have just one or two panic attacks in their lifetimes, and the problem goes away, perhaps when a stressful situation ends. But if you’ve had recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and spent long periods in constant fear of another attack, you may have a condition called panic disorder. Although panic attacks themselves aren’t life-threatening, they can be frightening and significantly affect your quality of life. But treatment can be very effective.
Panic attack symptoms
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) defines a panic attack as “an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes.”
Panic attacks produce intense fear that begins suddenly, often with no warning. An attack typically lasts for 5 to 20 minutes. In extreme cases, symptoms may last for more than 1 hour. The experience is different for everyone, and symptoms often vary.
Common symptoms associated with a panic attack include:
• racing heart rate or palpitations
• shortness of breath
• feeling like you’re choking
• dizziness or vertigo
• lightheadedness
• nausea
• sweating or chills
• shaking or trembling
• changes in your mental state, like a feeling of derealization (feeling of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
• numbness or tingling in your hands, feet, or face
• chest pain or tightness
• fear that you might die
Sometimes a panic attack is triggered by a specific event or external stimulus. Other times, the symptoms of a panic attack occur for no clear reason. Typically, the symptoms are not proportionate to the level of danger that exists in your environment.
Because of their unpredictable nature, panic attacks can significantly affect your everyday life. Some people experience panic attacks at work, in public with friends, or even at home. You may have a panic disorder if you’ve had four or more panic attacks, or you live in fear of having another panic attack after experiencing one. In order to meet the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder, you must experience unexpected panic attacks.
What is a high?
Euphoria, commonly known as “high” is a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness, it is an amplification of pleasure, a phase where one’s essential biological needs appear to be satisfied.
Euphoria is associated with many classes of addictive drugs and it is linked with the brain reward system. Drugs of abuse have in common the fact that they serve as biological rewards. They do so because of their ability to activate endogenous brain circuitry.
Drugs like marijuana that cause euphoria activate the brain’s reward center by triggering the release of the brain chemical dopamine which surges like waves producing a high in the process. After repeated hits, the brain adjusts to this higher level of dopamine by making less of it and by reducing the number of receptors that can receive and transmit the signals it sends.
Having too much dopamine or too much dopamine concentrated in some parts of the brain and not enough in other parts is linked to being more competitive, aggressive, and having poor impulse control. It can lead to conditions that include ADHD, binge eating, addiction, and gambling.
How to stop a panic attack while high
Having a panic attack while high on illegal drugs like marijuana can be complicated. Panic attacks while high can feel like a heart attack. A study from 2001 found that marijuana can cause a heart attack, and the likelihood is increased with a panic attack.
In General, cannabinoids can temporarily influence cardiovascular function, like blood pressure. But these responses are generally mild and not life-threatening, and subjects quickly become tolerant to them. A controversial study from August 2017 from the School of Public Health at Georgia State University, concluded that marijuana use is associated with a threefold risk of death from hypertension.
While periods of high anxiety or panic attacks can cause temporary rises in blood pressure and heart rate, there is not enough evidence to confirm that anxiety disorders cause long-term hypertension — though it has been suggested in certain studies.
If you find yourself experiencing a panic attack while on a high the key to stopping or minimizing any panic attack is to focus on your external world (sights, sounds, sensations) rather than the internal signs (heart racing, scary thoughts, or rapid breathing).
Ever heard of a panic attack survival kit? If you or someone you love has dealt with panic attacks before, you know they can come on without warning. You can use these five tips to put together a small bag of items to reach for the next time a panic attack strikes.
Sensory grounding with ice or cold water: If you have a washcloth and a water bottle, you have a good start to a panic attack survival kit. Sometimes panic attacks make people feel uncomfortably hot. A damp washcloth around the neck or face can ease this feeling and give you a sensation to think about.
3 ways water can calm a panic attack:
• Hold an ice cube in your hand and focus on the sensation
• Place a cold, wet washcloth on the back of your neck
• Dunk your head into a bowl of ice water
Focus on your five senses: Focus on your external reality, rather than the symptoms. Use the five senses to ground yourself in the moment. Be curious about your environment. What can you see, hear, touch, smell, or taste?
This is where you can add tactile items to your kit: a fidget spinner, stress ball, or a squishy toy.
Warhead sour candy trick: Sucking on sour candy, like a Warhead, is another technique to shift your attention. If you don’t have any sour candies around, you might try something else with a strong flavor – hot sauce, horseradish, or wasabi – instead. Some evidence also suggests terpenes like limonene, found in lemons, can help ease the effects of THC. So if you have lemons on hand, zest and squeeze one into a glass of water. Add sugar or honey if you’re not a fan of the sour pucker.
Coping statements: A coping statement is one way you can practice soothing self-talk during a panic attack. Concentrate on the words and how they sound to get your mind off of the symptoms. Some examples of coping statements include:
• This feeling is uncomfortable but not dangerous
• This will pass
• I can get through this
• I’m not having a heart attack
You can write one or more of these coping statements down to keep in your survival kit.
Breathwork in any environment: The above tips can be difficult to do in a crowded spot or if you don’t have the kit with you. Luckily, breathwork techniques can be done anywhere, anytime. Depending on your environment, you can try progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, or square breathing.
Square breathing uses four actions, each lasting for about four seconds.
Square breathing instructions:
• Breathe in through your nose while counting to four
• Hold your breath for a count of four
• Exhale slowly to a count of four
• Hold your breath for a count of four
Repeat these four actions, for as long as you want to.
