How to recognise a panic attack and help someone through it

For people who have never experienced one before, a panic attack can feel like a medical emergency.

The symptoms can arrive without warning: a pounding heart, dizziness, sweating, chest tightness and the overwhelming sense that something is seriously wrong.

It's why many people experiencing a panic attack for the first time fear they are having a heart attack.

Psychologist Dr Sophie Gwinnett says that while it can feel frightening, panic attacks are a bit like turbulence on a plane, "uncomfortable, but not dangerous".

Also known as anxiety attacks, panic attacks can affect anyone, regardless of age, background or whether they have a history of anxiety.

TV Presenter Alison Hammond recently spoke out about suffering a panic attack on live TV while filming an episode of ITV's This Morning, highlighting just how sudden and frightening the experience can be.

According to the MIND mental health charity, panic attacks are an extreme anxiety response. They can develop quickly, and come with very intense symptoms.

These are both physical and mental.

Gwinnett, from Wolverhampton, said people who experience them often feel like their heart is racing, they feel a tightness in their chest and struggle to catch their breath.

"It's very frequently misinterpreted as a heart attack," Gwinnett said.

Because the symptoms can closely resemble those of a heart problem, she said people experiencing them for the first time should seek urgent medical attention.

"If this is the first time you've experienced these symptoms, dial 999 and get yourself to Accident and Emergency as soon as possible."

People who regularly experience panic attacks and recognise the symptoms may be able to treat it as a panic attack in the first instance.

However, Gwinnett said any episode that feels different from previous attacks should be treated seriously.

"If the symptoms feel different, get yourself to hospital."

When a panic attack happens, people often become focused on the physical sensations they are experiencing, said Gwinnett.

But, if it is safe to do so, stay where you are and try to slow your breathing.

She also advises focusing on your surroundings rather than what's happening inside your body.

"What is there around you in your environment?" she said. "Often what we can do is focus on the big things going on in your body.

Reminding yourself that the feelings are temporary can help reduce the fear that often fuels the attack.

The NHS said most panic attacks can last between five and 20 minutes but some have been reported to last up to an hour.

Supporting someone during a panic attack does not require special expertise, according to the psychologist.

Gwinnett said: "The most important thing to do is reassure them. Reassure them that it's going to pass.

"Just reassure yourself this is a panic attack and it's going to pass. They don't typically last long."

She recommends staying with the person, speaking calmly and offering kind words of encouragement.

Helping them regulate their breathing can also be useful.

"You can keep saying kind words. Stay with them. Help them to slow their breathing by counting their in-breath and out-breath."

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