Panic Attack Prevention Hacks for PTSD Survivors

During a panic attack, PTSD may be the cause. I’ve talked about this a few times, my trauma was back in first grade. My teacher used to pull me out of my chair by my hair. She used to do this consistently. I believe I buried the memory, so I wouldn’t have to deal with it. That only worked for so long.

It started showing up as anxiety, and then panic attacks. That’s why I don’t like being around kids, because sometimes they act wild, screaming at the top of their lungs. That triggers my PTSD and anxiety. Sometimes I’ll have panic attacks.

Surviving PTSD is a great accomplishment. If you can learn to live with it, you’re definitely on the right path to freedom. On the other hand, some people do not make it to the road of freedom. They’re trapped in this vortex, and can’t escape it. It can engulf their whole world.

Can PTSD flashbacks cause a panic attack?

The answer is yes. I have flashbacks of being mocked by my teacher and the other students. I won’t say peers, because they were never my friends. They learned at an early age that it was OK to mock someone and get away with it. Bullying was never talked about then, but it happened.

Some of my flashbacks are about being yelled at by another girl on the school bus. I was crying, of course. Some people have dreams of flashbacks that cause them to have a panic attack. I don’t remember when the panic attacks started, but I do remember a few times that the panic attack preceded a flashback.

I don’t understand how cruel a teacher can be to a student. She was supposed to protect her students. I need to go back to therapy, but I can’t afford it. All these flashbacks are popping up, and I don’t know how to handle them.

What is a PTSD panic attack like?

Basically, a PTSD panic attack is having a memory pop up out of nowhere, and it’s so detrimental, it causes you to lose touch with reality for a while. It’s like when people have out-of-body experiences when they’re clinically dead, but come back. You’re watching yourself panicking.

Sometimes, they can be so intense that you pass out. Or you relive the trauma over and over. Veterans can attest to that. It breaks your peace of mind into fragmented pieces that scatter everywhere. You try to pick up the pieces, but they’re scattered all around.

As a child experiencing trauma, I tried to shove those memories down, but recently they came back up. Nobody will listen to me if I try to talk about it. As far as I know, they’ll probably think I made it up.

PTSD triggers

Basically any reminders of your past trauma, like:

👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼 People – linked to the person who had the control over you

📍 Places – associated to the trauma

📦 Things – reminding you of the trauma

🤬 Situations – that may induce uncontrollable emotions. e.g. arguments

🚧 Boundaries – having them pushed or tested

💥 Senses – sensitive to noises (loud bangs) or intense visuals (flashing lights)

📆 Dates – memorable dates, like anniversaries, birthdays

🛌 Dreams – nightmares where you relive the trauma

🤝 Connections – difficulty trusting new people

And your response to a trigger is either:

Physical:

🔹 Flashbacks of memories

🔹 Difficulty sleeping

🔹 Hypersensitivity to your surroundings

🔹 Bodily symptoms (such as headaches, stomachaches, or muscle tension)

🔹 Problems remembering both good and bad memories

🔹 Avoiding social situations, people, or places

🔹 Not feeling safe in your relationships

🔹 Using coping methods to self soothe (like drugs and alcohol)

OR

Emotional:

🔸 Intrusive thoughts

🔸 Depressed, self-blaming, and ashamed feelings

🔸 Extreme interchanging emotional responses

🔸 Fear and panic that surge out of nowhere

🔸 Disconnected and isolated from your network

🔸 Fixation on the people associated with the trauma

🔸 Altered views

PTSD Coping Strategies

Keep a Pet

I feel lonely now because I don’t have an animal in my life right now. I love cats. I’ve always had a cat in my life, and now that I haven’t for about two years, I feel lost. My cats throughout my lifetime were always there for me during good and bad. They always comforted me during my panic attacks and anxiety in general.

Stress Inoculation Therapy

Stress Inoculation Therapy (SIT) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that helps people manage and deal with stress. The idea behind SIT is similar to how a vaccine works—by gradually learning and practicing coping strategies, individuals can build resilience and become better prepared to handle stress.

SIT is often used to help with anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, and work-related stress. It teaches people how to manage stress better and prepares them to handle future challenges more effectively.

Brief Eclectic Therapy

Brief Eclectic Therapy (BET) is a short-term, structured psychotherapy that combines techniques from different approaches to treat specific issues like trauma and PTSD. It focuses on providing effective treatment in a time-efficient way.

BET combines methods from psychodynamic therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and other approaches. It helps people work through trauma, manage PTSD symptoms, and regain control of their lives.

Key Features of BET:

Time-Limited: BET typically takes place over about 16 sessions, offering a focused and efficient approach.
Trauma-Focused: This therapy is designed to help people process and cope with traumatic events.

Narrative Exposure Therapy

Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a short-term, trauma-focused therapy that helps people process and heal from traumatic experiences. It’s especially helpful for those who have faced multiple or complex traumas, like refugees, war survivors, or victims of prolonged abuse.

NET works well for people who have been through multiple traumas, like survivors of war, torture, human trafficking, or domestic violence. Research shows it can reduce PTSD symptoms, improve emotional control, and boost overall well-being.

Key Features of Narrative Exposure Therapy:

Focus on Life Story: NET focuses on building a detailed life story, highlighting traumatic events. The aim is to place these events in the context of the person’s overall life, helping them understand and process their experiences.
Trauma Processing:NET helps individuals process traumatic memories by revisiting and recounting them in a safe, structured way. This reduces the emotional intensity and distress linked to those events.
Dual Attention: In therapy, individuals focus on staying present while remembering past traumatic events. This approach helps lessen the intense emotional impact of those memories.

Prolonged exposure

Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy is a proven and effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) that helps people face and work through trauma-related memories, emotions, and situations they’ve been avoiding because of fear or distress.

Eye-movement Desensitization and Processing (EMDR)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy that helps people process and heal from trauma and distressing memories. Created by Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s, EMDR is especially effective for treating PTSD but can also help with anxiety, depression, and phobias.

How EMDR Works:

Traumatic memories are often stored in the brain in a way that keeps them stuck, causing distress when they are triggered.
EMDR helps the brain process these memories, making them less distressing and easier to manage.
Bilateral stimulation is believed to mimic how the brain processes information during REM sleep, helping with emotional healing.

Medication

Common Medications for PTSD:

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs):
- SSRIs are the first-line medications for PTSD and are FDA-approved for this condition.
- Examples:
  - Sertraline (Zoloft)
  - Paroxetine (Paxil)
- How They Help: These medications regulate serotonin levels in the brain, reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts.
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs):
- SNRIs are also used to treat PTSD, especially when depression is a significant symptom.
- Example:
  - Venlafaxine (Effexor XR)
- How They Help: They increase both serotonin and norepinephrine levels, improving mood and reducing hyperarousal.
Other Antidepressants:
- If SSRIs or SNRIs are not effective, other antidepressants may be considered.
- Examples:
  - Mirtazapine (Remeron)
  - Amitriptyline (Elavil)
- How They Help: These medications can help with mood regulation, sleep, and anxiety.
Anti-Anxiety Medications (Used with Caution):
- Benzodiazepines (e.g., lorazepam, clonazepam) are sometimes prescribed for short-term relief of severe anxiety but are not recommended for long-term use due to the risk of dependence.
- How They Help: They provide temporary relief from acute anxiety but do not address the underlying PTSD symptoms.
Atypical Antipsychotics (Adjunctive Treatment):
- In some cases, atypical antipsychotics may be added to the treatment plan, especially if symptoms like severe agitation or intrusive thoughts persist.
- Examples:
  - Quetiapine (Seroquel)
  - Risperidone (Risperdal)
- How They Help: They can help stabilize mood and reduce severe symptoms.

Sum It All Up

Panic attack PTSD is coming into its own with me. I’m now starting to have flashbacks of early childhood. Something I knew was there, but avoided it. When trauma happens and you can’t deal with it at the time, your mind suppresses those memories. When your mind feels like you can handle bits and pieces, it will release those memories.

But for some, it comes flooding back like a tidal wave. That’s when the panic attacks come into play. You’re so overloaded, your mind cracks. You’re living in two different realities. You can’t escape the pain that is tormenting you.

There are some that can handle the trauma and process it, and there are some who can’t. Trauma can either make you or break you. Either you survive or succumb to it. Peace and always love. Until next time…