Mental health nurse: neither body nor mind likes uncertainty
Mental health nurse Britta Jürgenson explains how to tell anxiety attacks apart from panic attacks and what can ease their intensity. She stresses that understanding the cause of anxiety and having an action plan helps the body and mind feel safer.
Mental health nurse Britta Jürgenson said on the ETV programme "Terevisioon" that intense anxiety can cause shortness of breath, a racing heart and a sense that something bad is about to happen. She explained that an anxiety attack can happen to anyone, for instance while waiting for something new or feeling uncertain, whereas a panic attack is a more severe condition requiring serious intervention — the person feels much worse and fears something serious may happen to them, including losing consciousness or dying.
Easing anxiety
According to Jürgenson, understanding what triggers the anxiety can itself reduce its intensity. If the cause cannot be identified, she recommends focusing on how to get out of the state by engaging the senses to shift attention. As an example, she described an exercise of identifying five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two smells you can notice, and one taste you can sense.
Signs of a panic attack
During a panic attack, a person may feel that something very serious is happening to their health, such as a heart attack. Jürgenson explained that the difference between a panic attack and another health issue is that a panic attack becomes intense very quickly, with many symptoms appearing at once, but the intensity also subsides just as fast. In case of doubt, she advised seeking advice via the emergency helpline number.
Everyday recommendations
While anxiety is a normal reaction, steps can be taken to reduce its intensity by tending to one's overall mental well-being — staying physically active, eating well, getting enough sleep, taking breaks from screens, and seeking positive experiences. For those prone to frequent anxiety, Jürgenson advises analysing what triggers it most and developing an action plan for when it happens again. She noted that having a plan signals to the body and mind that there is an answer and no need for fear, since the body and mind need certainty and dislike the uncertainty that anxiety brings.
