Are Panic Attacks Dangerous?

Are panic attacks dangerous? Can panic attacks kill you? Now these are questions I used to ask myself a lot.

Fear will only intensify the attack

In fact, I believe that wondering if panic attacks were dangerous added to my own anticipatory anxiety, which in turn made my panic attacks more acute and more frequent.

The reason for it was, that I was afraid of panic attacks because I believed that perhaps having several panic attacks, or having panic attacks for a long period of time (months or years) was somehow dangerous.

Believing that a panic attack was dangerous made me fear them even more. Adding fear of a panic attack, made the panic attack even worse, and made me fear that each future more.

I remember a certain visit to the doctor's office that proved to be a breakthrough for me.

I wrote down a list of questions to ask the doctor... a list of everything I could think of that I wanted answered at the time. I prioritized that list (with respect for the doctor's time) and asked the most important questions I wanted answered first.

One of my first questions was "are panic attacks dangerous?". He was more than happy to answer that question, and also answered all of my other questions.

The result was that I had a chance to write down his answers, most of which provided me with some reassurance, particularly that in my case panic attacks were nothing to be feared.

I continued with treatment, taking medications such as SSRI's, and continued making changes in my life, learning to cope with stress, and balancing all of life's daily demands including a busy career.

After receiving treatment for a while, a thought occurred to me, and it seemed to be so obvious that I was amazed I never actually realized it before.

It's hard to think rationally, during a panic attack

For me, a large part of the panic portion of a panic attack was rooted in the belief that something was actually wrong. This fear would always take hold after the panic attack had been triggered.

This fear was quite insidious. During an episode of panic, rational thinking was thrown out the window.

However, learning to think rationally through a panic attack was a key coping strategy for me, and ultimately helped me become panic free altogether.

I remember talking to my doctor and asking that very same question of "Are panic attacks dangerous?". His response to me was that a panic attack was not dangerous.

The Merck Manual also states that panic attacks are not dangerous right on their website in a "did you know" section of the page itself.

However, I think you should always talk to your doctor, and you should ask him/her directly in regards to whether or not panic attacks are dangerous.

For me completely acknowledging panic attacks as I had them, and thinking rationally through them, really helped let go of the fear that was associated with them.

Once the fear was gone, the physical symptoms were a little easier to cope with. In time, they became easier and easier to deal with, and eventually I didn't have to deal with them ever again (although I wouldn't care if I had to).

Rational thought, a lot of practice relaxing, and understanding panic attacks, were my keys to becoming panic free.

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