10 tips to help make positive habits stick
Just as bad habits are hard to break, positive habits are hard to make. Here’s 10 tips for how to make those habits stick.
Read moreAccording to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, up to 40% of the population will experience a panic attack at some point in their lifetime. Read our article on what a panic attack feels like and what can cause a panic attack to happen.
A panic attack is an episode of intense anxiety and fear that causes physical symptoms. A panic attack can occur when your flight-or-fight response is triggered, but you aren’t in immediate physical danger. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, up to 40% of the population will experience a panic attack at some point in their lifetime.
A panic attack can be very frightening, particularly if you don’t know what is happening to you.
You may feel completely overwhelmed and are likely to experience some of the following symptoms:
When you have a panic attack, the symptoms feel very intense. A panic attack can last from a few minutes up to half an hour. The intensity of an attack usually peaks in ten minutes and then it starts to subside. Read our article on how can you deal with a panic attack.
Panic attacks can occur at any time. You may be in a calm state or already anxious when it happens.
The exact causes of a panic attack aren’t clear, but it may include:
One difference between a panic attack and anxiety is how long your symptoms last. Anxiety tends to be short-lived and is caused by a specific stressful situation (e.g. you are about to give a presentation) and once the stressor goes away so does the anxiety. Panic attacks appear to happen out of the blue and aren’t necessarily triggered by a specific stressor. Panic attacks are also much more intense than feeling anxious.
A panic disorder is when someone has recurring panic attacks that are disabling. These panic attacks happen at unexpected times and the person worries for at least a month about another one returning. People with a panic disorder may significantly change their behaviour to avoid having a panic attack. Around 5% of Australians will experience a panic disorder. Having a panic attack does not mean you have a panic disorder.
If you are experiencing panic attacks, you can get help. Speak to your doctor or call one of our Suicide Call Back Service counsellors on 1300 659 467.
If it is an emergency dial 000.
Just as bad habits are hard to break, positive habits are hard to make. Here’s 10 tips for how to make those habits stick.
Read moreYou might be surprised to learn that the suicide rate for people living with bipolar is between 10-30 times higher than the general population In fact, according to the Black Dog Institute, they account for up to 25% of all suicides.
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