Whatever You Do, Don’t Panic
Up to a third of men will
suffer from an anxiety disorder or panic attacks in their lifetime. But as real-life responsibilities truly start
to bite in your thirties, you’re more vulnerable than ever. Use our timeline to survive any breakdown 0-3 MINS
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE You’re short of breath and your heart rate spikes. You’re trembling and, in an evolutionary response, your body redirects blood to muscles and organs that can help you overcome a threat. It’s designed to maximise your odds of survival, but it can lead you to misinterpret a minor office crisis as a matter of life and death. WHAT’S HAPPENING
A panic attack occurs when the mind makes a powerfully negative interpretation of normal events. When your boss sets you an impossible deadline, for example, your hypothalamus activates your pituitary and adrenal glands,
which causes stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol to flood your system: the ‘fight or flight’ response.
YOUR DEFENCE
A US study found that refocusing the mind on simple tasks can calm you. The solution can be as mundane as counting the number of tiles on your office ceiling until the panic passes. 3 MINS – 2 HRS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE Your breathing normalises and your heart rate falls. ‘What was that? Am I dying?’ you wonder. You’re not.
WHAT’S HAPPENING Adrenaline has a half-life of three minutes, so the initial panic soon passes. Cortisol, however, sticks around for longer. It can take two hours for your more chronic feelings of stress to subside.
YOUR DEFENCE
Your brain is associating the current situation with a sense of panic. Staring at your inbox will do nothing to rest your overactive endocrine system. Take yourself away from the situation: leave your desk for a 10-minute break and divert your attention to what’s around you, even if it’s just what’s being served in the office canteen. Eventually, your cortisol levels will even out and you can return to your desk on a more even keel. 1 WEEK
WHAT IT FEELS LIKE Anxiety can easily extend beyond a specific stimulus and hang over you once the stressful situation has passed. Unexplained chest pains and a sense of fear are symptoms that your anxiety is a chronic problem. WHAT’S HAPPENING These heightened anxieties mean that your hypothalamus is unable to switch off. In its state of constant agitation, it’ll keep ordering the release of adrenaline and cortisol; with levels set to surge at any point, the simplest upset can burst the dam.
YOUR DEFENCE
In severe cases, your GP may prescribe antianxiety drugs along with beta blockers to steady your heart rate. Aside from that, here are a few effective lifestyle prescriptions: omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish, which curb adrenal activation caused by stress; the cortisolslashing B vits in steak; and a lunchtime run, which produces moodboosting endorphins while making use of the extra adrenaline. Outrun your panic: flight, in this case, might be the best way to fight back.