Can Anxiety Kill You?

Can anxiety kill you? Not necessarily but if you let it get worse, it can definitely take a toll on your mental health. Usually it happens through having panic or anxiety attacks. It can be one of the scariest and even quite dangerous experiences that a person can go through. Can anxiety kill you? Anxiety attacks can be in a form of a sudden surge of fear which can last for just a few minutes. Sometimes it can be through shortness of breath, and heart palpitations that mimic a heart attack. In this article, you’ll learn the answer to the question, can anxiety kill you?

Can Anxiety Kill You: The Panic Experience

Can anxiety kill you? The symptoms of anxiety attacks are not just the part that’s debilitating. It’s actually the feeling of not having any control. The challenge that people need to overcome is that we don’t know when the next panic attack might strike. If you’re constantly experiencing anxiety attacks, you most likely have an anxiety disorder/ panic disorder. According to statistics, around 5% of adults in the U.S. experiences panic attacks every now and then. Can anxiety kill you?

The good news is that you can lessen the severity of your panic attacks by taking treatments. In the long – run you will be able to prevent them and also manage it when it happens.

Can Anxiety Kill You: Symptoms

What makes anxiety attacks dangerous is that the symptoms and severity vary from one person to another, and also from attack to attack. What might trigger your past panic attacks doesn’t mean that it is also the same circumstances that will trigger your next one. This is why anxiety attacks can be quite tricky.

Can anxiety kill you? Most panic attacks lasts for a few minutes (10 minutes on average). However, some symptoms may last for a longer time. During these moments, a person usually has a need to flee until the attack is done. Even if the attack doesn’t seem like it’s a long time, it can still feel like eternity to the one experiencing it at the moment.

You can identify if you have panic attack symptoms if you are sweating, having nausea, feeling weak, having chest pains, hyperventilating, heart palpitations, trembling, feeling detached from your environment, and numbness among others.

Can Anxiety Kill You: The Tricky Mind

Can anxiety kill you? When a person is experiencing a full – blown panic attack, it can be quite hard to stop it. According to experts, the reason why it’s challenging is because the thought of having physical symptoms or panic attack can cause you to panic even more. This is because at this point, your minds are playing tricks on you. The physical symptoms may feel like you’re dying.

You need to learn how to make yourself calm down. The best way to do this is to focus on nothing else except your breathing. Make sure to work on slowing down your breaths. Experts say that taking slow deep breaths relaxes the mind and body. You can also count in your head for around 6 seconds to make your in – breath last longer and around 8 seconds when you breathe out. Make sure to also breathe through your nose.

Aside from breathing exercises, it’s also best that you learn relaxation techniques. Focusing all your energy on getting your body to relax is very important and handy during a panic attack.

Relaxation Techniques

What many experts suggest especially for people who are often experiencing panic attacks is that they practice meditation, breathing exercises and even yoga. This will help them focus better in the midst of a panic attack.

When it comes to treating anxiety attacks, the usual solution is through medications, exposure therapy, and psychotherapy (talk therapy).

Talk Therapy or CBT

Psychotherapy or commonly known as talk therapy can help you understand the anxiety disorder you may have, and how it can impact your life. You and your therapist will work together to create a strategy that can help decrease the severity of panic attacks.

One popular psychotherapy technique has been proven in treating anxiety attacks and anxiety disorder in general is CBT. This kind of therapy emphasizes on how one thinks when it comes to our feeling and actions.

CBT teaches patients on better ways of thinking, acting and also reacting to situations that cause anxiety. It also teaches the patient on changing a perspective when it comes to having anxiety. Through doing this one can lessen the occurrence and perhaps the severity of the condition. You will get to learn how to think positive thoughts and change your behaviors for the better.  

Understand Your Triggers

Can anxiety kill you? If therapy is not something you can access, experts recommend trying the following activities in order for you to get a better grasp of your anxiety triggers.

Write down your thoughts and feelings

Can anxiety kill you? Whenever you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, make sure to write them down. Writing is one of the best forms of therapy because you get to step out of your body for awhile and just be yourself. Journaling your thoughts and experiences or whatever you’re feeling at the moment is a form of acknowledgement. This will ultimately help you understand your inner thoughts and your mindset.

Daily Breathing Exercises

As mentioned earlier, doing breathing exercises on a daily basis is a great technique that can help you once your anxiety attack strikes. When you’re more in sync with your breathing, you become more self – aware and you can get to focus more.

Can anxiety kill you? Even if anxiety or panic attacks feel like you’re having a heart attack, it will not literally cause you to die. However, it is something serious and should be treated immediately. Make sure to contact your doctor or consult with a therapist to help you deal with the symptoms.