The signs you’re having a panic attack – from chest pain to sweating, Dr Zoe reveals

THE sun is shining, lockdown is easing and, finally, we can go to the pub.

There is an expectation we should all be happy at the prospect of life returning to normal.

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This can be an anxious time for many, leaving people feeling overwhelmed[/caption]

Lots of us WILL be excited. But this can be an anxious time for many, leaving people feeling overwhelmed.

After a year of being told to stay at home, we have become used to leading quieter lives.

So as restrictions ease, it is important to take things at your own pace and recognise that some friends and family might be struggling more than you realise.

If you are feeling anxious, you could be more likely to experience panic attacks.

Dr Zoe Williams

For people who have always suffered social anxiety, lockdown was likely their comfort zone – so things going back to normal is likely to prove stressful.

Then there are lots of people who have become so conditioned to life in lockdown that they will be struck by these feelings for the first time.

I have had them in the past and at the time it can feel overwhelming – as if you are dying or having a heart attack.

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Dr Zoe reveals she has had panic attacks in the past and describes them ‘as if you are dying or having a heart attack’[/caption]

Take things at your own pace

A sense of impending doom or dread can wash over you.

Given how scary these episodes can be, it is important to understand what happens when you have a panic attack. Knowledge is the best remedy.

Symptoms vary widely but can include:

• a racing heartbeat
• chest pain
• feeling faint or nauseous
• sweating
• shortness of breath
• hot flushes or chills
• shaky limbs
• choking sensation
• feeling dizzy
• ringing ears
• pins and needles
• a need to go to the loo
• churning tummy

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Panic attacks are frightening but not dangerous, Dr Zoe advises to those suffering from them regularly to speak to a GP[/caption]

While they can be frightening, they are not dangerous.

Panic attacks are a type of fear response – an exaggeration of your body’s normal response to danger, stress or excitement.

If you are worried or find you are having these attacks regularly, speak to your GP.

Although life is getting back to normal, you don’t have to do it all at once.

If the idea of going to a busy pub worries you, try lunch with one friend at a quieter restaurant. 

If going shopping fills you with dread, try to pick quieter times to ease yourself back in.

If you want to stay at home and wait a bit longer before venturing back to ‘normality’, that is absolutely fine too.

If you do find yourself having a panic attack, or you notice a loved one is, the best thing to do is offer reassurance that everything is OK. 

Treatment for anxiety and panic attacks include talking therapies. As well as speaking to your GP, you can self-refer to psychological therapies, known as IAPT via the NHS website.

If you’re someone who is experiencing social anxiety at the moment for the first time, rest assured we humans are really adaptable.

We adapted really quickly to life in lockdown, and if you give yourself a chance to ease back into ‘normal’ life, I’m sure you’ll find you adapt back with a bit of time.

And if you are one of those people who is loving being out and about again, just bear in mind that it’s possible not all your friends and family feel the same.

Take it at your own pace and be mindful of others.

We got through lockdown together . . . we can get back to normal together too.