by Mike Bond

Created on: March 13, 2010   Last Updated: March 08, 2011

We should be careful when we talk about Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks in the same breath.They're really not the same. Panic Attacks last about ten to fifteen minutes, and depending on the cause, may be extremely frightening or relatively mild.

 Even at their mildest, though, they're still most unpleasant, especially if you've never suffered one before. The most terrifying panic attack I ever saw was one where this friend of mine suffered from COPD.

Somehow, he broke his arm, I don't know how, but his oxygen came detached from the main unit. The poor man went completely ballistic. This was panic such as I'd never seen. His wife, a trained nurse, and myself, re-attached the tubing, but it took us about ten minutes before he was completely calm.

I honestly don't know how it happened, but the main thing is not to panic. If the patient sees you panic, then he or she will go through the roof. At no time was he in danger of dying. It was just an extremely rapid and accelerated condition for which there was no real reason - except for the poor man involved.

If you're on your own, the likelihood of such an episode is slight to the point of being non-existent. In this particular case, either his wife or I may have stood on his air line, he felt the tug, and this immediately threw him into a panic.

The more likely venues for panic attacks these days are when you find yourself in a crowded room, in which case you're suffering what is now called agoraphobia, or in a shopping mall where you find yourself being carried along by crowd. It's so important to understand that panic attacks aren't entities. They live in the mind.They aren't going to suddenly leap out and attack you.

The best way to deal with a panic attack is to 'lean into it.' If you've had one before, then you know what's coming, and if you  know what's coming, you can deal with it. Yes, you'll feel the sweating palms of the hands, the palpitations. Your face is probably pouring with persperation.

But what does it all mean? Absolutely nothing! Do not, whatever you do, try to run away from it. The reason for this is that if you do, then your brain will associate that particular spot as a place of which you should be frightened. Every time you pass that spot, therefore, the panic will cut in.  

Anxiety is a little different and usually lasts longer than the panic attack which causes you short term fear. The anxiety attack, on the other hand, manifests itself by your suddenly thinking; "My God,

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