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How Long Does a Panic Attack Last?

Source: Paul Douglass MIAH Acc. D.Hyp. Adv. - Anxiety therapist specialising in Pure Hypnoanalysis in London, England

The answer to this question, of course, largely depends on the person who is having the panic attack.

Some people consistently have short panic attacks, some people regularly have relatively long panic attacks, and of course, some people have some of each.

Because a panic attack is usually triggered off by an event or situation, the length of the panic attack can not only depend on how quickly that particular persons recovers from the panic attack, but also how long that ‘trigger’ is present.

So for example, someone who regularly has a panic attack when they are driving, can pull over, stop the car, and remove themselves from the situation. In this case, the panic attack can then start to subside almost immediately.

In a situation like this, the panic attack can be over in a matter of seconds.

In another example, someone might experience panic attacks when there is a thunderstorm for example, and a thunderstorm might last for hours.

On occasions where someone feels that they have had a panic attack that has lasted for longer than this, days for example, then it’s quite likely that they have actually experienced a series of panic attacks that have seemingly ‘merged together’ to form what seems like one long panic attack.

This can be an indication that there is a panic disorder present.

Because panic attacks are largely caused by a situation triggering off an underlying anxiety, they tend to respond well to the types of therapy that seek to deal with that underlying anxiety (such as pure hypnoanalysis for example).

Source: Paul Douglass MIAH Acc. D.Hyp. Adv. - Anxiety therapist specialising in Pure Hypnoanalysis in London, England

Date Added: 24th of July 2007

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