The network influencer Lial Eli uploaded a painful post yesterday (Monday), in which she talked about a severe anxiety attack she had.
She documented the attack in real time in a series of stories she uploaded on her account, and then shared with the surfers the tips she received and helped her deal with the situation.
An anxiety attack can be an unpleasant situation, and can last for a long time if it is not treated properly.
Does sharing online help, and how do you cope in real time?
We checked with experts in the field.
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What is an anxiety attack?
An anxiety attack or panic attack is a sudden burst of intense fear and physical discomfort that peaks within a few minutes.
The attack is accompanied by physiological symptoms such as difficulty breathing, rapid pulse and sweating and emotional and cognitive symptoms such as fear of losing control, going crazy and dying, and sometimes also a feeling of disconnection from reality.
These symptoms arise suddenly and reach their peak within ten minutes.
The panic attack itself can be a response to a painful memory (post-traumatic stress disorder) or exposure to a threatening object (phobia).
disconnect from the orthodox system
Limor Spitz, a child and adult psychologist, separates sharing online from dealing with anxiety attacks.
Regarding the sharing itself, she said: "The network is a very complex field. In any case, there are those for whom this kind of sharing is good. If it is a network influencer, then there is something positive here, just talking about anxiety. This talk allows the issue to be legitimized by others as well, so it is good to share that you are going through an attack And there is such a thing as anxiety."
Regarding dealing with the attack itself, Spitz brought several pieces of advice:
move away from the source of the anxiety - for example, get down from the high place that caused the anxiety.
Listen to music - studies show that music has a very positive effect.
Run a relaxing meditation app on your phone and listen to it.
Focus outward on something unrelated to anxiety.
Here the intention is to actually focus outside of the mind, outside of the person, on a mirror or something else positive and focus on it in this way we disconnect from the anxious part of the mind that bothers us and this is relaxing.
Tell yourself good and calming things.
A girl is meditating.
Illustration, photo: Getty Images
"The point is to direct the attention from the person's anxious system outward to something else," she explains.
"We all deal with anxieties"
Professor Yoni Gaz - clinical psychologist and lecturer at Ahva College and deputy director of the Be'er Sheva Mental Health Hospital says that "the big secret: we all face mental conditions, hardships, traumas, anxieties, mood swings, the question is when does it become a disorder that hurts us, those around us, in our functioning. The key words are recognition, sharing, care, and acceptance, and perhaps this is the meaning of being a human being. Being a human being in a society that often has superheroes and perfect models. A human being who recognizes suffering and tries to understand its meaning, sometimes learns to live with him and not just to get rid of an annoying symptom."
Panic attacks are very common.
About ten percent of the population has experienced panic attacks, and at a given moment about three percent of the population suffers from panic disorder.
Listening to research music has a positive effect.
Illustration, photo: Getty Images
The proven psychological treatments focus on identifying the panic cycle that may start a false alarm of physical reactions identified as dangerous.
There are treatments that focus on identifying the wrong interpretation of the physical sensations and also emphasize the reflective observation of the symptom and its meaning leading to stopping the cycle of panic.
Drug treatments will focus mainly on antidepressants.
In conclusion, Professor Gaz says: "It is important to maintain flexibility, adaptability and acceptance of our disability. Remember that sometimes we are afraid of ghosts from our past that continue to accompany us and we can live by them or with them and alongside them. Life in its uncertainty will continue to accompany us until the certain end."
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