A panic attack usually comes without warning. Many women describe it as an intense feeling of fear and anxiety, like losing total control of your car while driving it!
Panic Attacks During Menopause
You may have heard that panic attacks are common during menopause, but what exactly is a panic attack? A panic attack is an intense feeling of fear or discomfort that comes on suddenly and unexpectedly, which can be accompanied by physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, sweating, shaking, and dizziness.
Some women may have a heart attack or stroke because the symptoms are similar to those of severe medical conditions. However, it’s important to note that panic attacks aren’t dangerous. They won’t cause permanent damage if you have one once in a while (although they might make you feel miserable!).
A panic attack can come on suddenly and without warning. It may feel like you’re having a heart attack or stroke, but it’s not dangerous.
Your Panic Attack Triggers can happen when you experience a stressful event, such as losing a loved one, a divorce, or a change in a work environment.
When you have panic attacks, several factors may trigger them:
- Stress and anxiety
- Change (getting married/divorced, moving home)
- Loss (death of someone close)
- Failure (failing an exam or losing your job)
Physical symptoms of panic attacks include feeling out of control or that you’re dying, rapid heartbeat (heart palpitations), sweating, trembling, shaking, shortness of breath Dizziness Nausea or stomach cramps, and fear that something terrible is about to happen.
The symptoms can be so severe that you think you’re having a heart attack or another illness. Panic attacks may last several minutes to an hour but usually subside within 10 minutes or less.
If you have a history of panic attacks, you must understand what they are and how to deal with them. The first step is to talk to your doctor about what triggers your panic attacks and how to prevent them from happening again.
Making Changes to Help You Cope with Panic Attacks During Menopause
- Identify your triggers.
- Practice breathing techniques.
- Learn positive self-talk.
- Meditate when you feel overwhelmed by anxiety and panic attacks during menopause, which may help reduce their frequency and intensity over time (can also be done in conjunction with the first three steps).
- Eat a hormone-balancing diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B6 (fruits and vegetables are excellent sources for all of these), as well as lean proteins like chicken breasts or low-fat dairy products. Watching your diet will help balance out your hormones so they don’t fluctuate so much from one day to the next—an important step if you want to prevent these symptoms from happening frequently!
- Exercise is a great way to help manage anxiety, stress, and depression during menopause. It’s also important for overall health because it helps reduce the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease and keep your weight in check (which can also help with symptoms like hot flashes).
Remedies for a Panic Attack During Menopause
There are many ways to deal with panic attacks, but one of the most effective is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT targets the root cause of your anxiety by reprogramming negative thoughts and behaviors. In addition, it uses simple breathing exercises, positive self-talk, and meditation to help you cope with stressors.
CBT will also teach you how to challenge catastrophic thinking so that when you experience an unexpected stressful event in the future or have thoughts about what might happen, you can see them for what they are. For example, having thoughts or predictions based on past experiences (not based on reality). This skill can help you avoid unnecessary worry over things that haven’t happened yet but could potentially occur.
How to deal with a Panic Attack
- Identifying your triggers, breathing techniques, positive self-talk, meditating, eating a hormone-balancing diet, and getting enough sleep are among the best ways to deal with panic attacks in menopause.
- Breathe deeply when you feel a panic attack coming on, which will help slow down your heart rate and decrease the likelihood of having an attack.
- Use positive self-talk to tell yourself that you’re going to be okay and this feeling will pass soon. It may not seem like it at first, but eventually, these words help calm us down when we’re having an attack.
- You can also try talking with family members or friends about how they cope with panic attacks. Talking with someone will help you have role models who had gone through similar situations before their menopause began, during their period of transition into postmenopausal women (if they weren’t already).
- Meditation can be a great way to deal with menopause-induced panic attacks. Try to focus on your breathing while sitting quietly in a quiet room, or use an app on your smartphone with guided meditation exercises to help you relax. You’ll notice that the more you practice these techniques, the easier it becomes for you to do them when you feel anxious.
Conclusion
The most important thing to remember is that panic attacks are widespread. So many women go through them and can overcome them. If you’re having one now, don’t be too hard on yourself because it will pass soon. Just take some deep breaths and focus on calming down until the panic subsides—it will happen!
Connect with other amazing women through our social media accounts, a place where we share our experiences, a safe place where Sisters Support Sisters, with a few laughs along the way. Join us.
I would love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to add your comments below 💜
BUT DON’T LEAVE JUST YET!
Getting the facts will take out the guessing. Check THIS out!
NEW TO OUR SITE?
We have loads of good stuff to feel and look good. Start HERE!
