7 campaign ideas to support organisations working to help people suffering from panic attacks

In today's world, and especially after the pandemic years, panics are affecting more and more people. At least one in five people has experienced that sudden attack of intense fear in which they feel they are losing control of their body and even think they are having a heart attack. Many people have only one or two panic attacks in their lifetime and the problem goes away after the stressful situation they are in is over. But in most cases they recur repeatedly and over a long period of time. Then we talk about panic disorder, which is not life-threatening, but can lead to a point where it impairs quality of life. Therefore, there are enough ways to have a beneficial effect and to reach a stage where the attacks can be managed easily and in time.

Seek help and set up your own fundraising campaign now to tackle panic attacks.

What are the main symptoms by which we recognise a panic attack

Panic attacks are characteristic in that they start suddenly, whether you're behind the wheel, in a business meeting, at the office or at home. They very often happen in the evening, especially if you live alone, because at night the anxiety intensifies. The duration of an attack varies, as does the frequency of its occurrence. This can also be said of the symptoms, but nevertheless they overlap in a large number of cases. Most often a panic attack is recognized by the sense of danger, fear of death, rapid pulse, sweating, shortness of breath, trembling, nausea, hot flashes, chest pain, dizziness or fainting, numbness of the limbs and even chills. Once it has appeared, the fear of the next one is born. Then specific situations in which it might occur begin to be avoided. The symptoms of a panic attack often resemble symptoms of other serious health problems, and many people who don't know exactly what is happening to them resort to emergency medical care. There's nothing wrong with this, especially if you feel you can't control the attack, because in a situation like this it's very important to have someone to reassure you that it's not dangerous and you're not dying from it.

Sometimes symptoms of panic disorder can also occur in children, but more often they start in the late teenage years or early adulthood, affecting more women than men. As with anxiety, we can talk about risk factors that trigger panic attacks. These include major stress, loss of a loved one, serious illness, some traumatic event, major life change, abuse of excitable nervous system substances. People who suffer from panic disorder are more likely to suffer from depression, attempt suicide, or abuse alcohol or drugs. And really - if left untreated, panic attacks and panic disorder can affect almost every area of your life. You'll start to feel inadequate in performing even the most ordinary daily activities. But their duration can also lead to the development of a particular phobia, to avoidance of particular situations, to dissociation, to problems at work, to depression and even to suicidal thoughts.

How to reduce moments of crisis

The good news is that panic disorders can be managed very well with the help of psychotherapy and medication - either alone or in combination. But in both cases, consultation with a specialist is needed, as well as long-term therapy. The road to controlling panic attacks, especially when they are very frequent, is a long one and also requires some practices that you can apply in moments of crisis or with which you can improve your daily habits.

• Breathing

Probably the first thing you hear in moments of panic is "breathe". Yes, there are different breathing techniques that help calm you down when you start to feel anxious and prevent a crisis. Deep abdominal breathing, which should be done slowly and gently, is very effective in these cases.

• More sport

Physical exercise helps for any stressful situation and activities like running, walking, swimming and yoga can help you relax. Even if you spend half an hour a day exercising (you can do it at home), it will certainly improve both your physical and mental health.

• Meditation

This relaxation technique is one of the most calming to the mind, but should be done regularly. You don't have to spend a lot of time, 10-15 minutes in the morning or at night before bed is enough to get rid of negative thoughts, at least for a little while.

• Good sleep

Lack of it often leads to anxiety, exhaustion and stress, so you need to find ways to improve its quality and duration. Relaxation techniques, a soothing cup of tea or a warm bath can be just some of the habits you can create before bed.

• Eating

A healthy diet with regular meals also helps to maintain good energy and body tone, and this also affects anxiety. It is a good idea to avoid caffeinated drinks, which further stimulate the nervous system.

• Share

If you know what causes your anxiety, it may be easier to find ways to manage it. You may find it difficult to explain to people why you feel this way, but talking to someone can help you find a solution. In times of crisis, it is important to have a close person or friend you can call to talk to because it helps in a time of crisis. If you don't have these people, you can look for a self-help group.

How to organise a campaign to support people or organisations that are struggling with this problem

Many studies show that one of the things that helps with panic disorder is caring for someone else or doing good for someone else. So we suggest a couple of ways you can organise a campaign to support a friend or, what's more, an organisation that works to help people affected by panic disorder, even if it's not you who suffers from this problem, but someone close to you.

• Become a volunteer

This can be expressed in small gestures to people who are in need or crisis, or volunteering to a specific organization that works with such people. You can become a mentor by stepping into a listening role because, as mentioned earlier, sharing is one of the things that helps to manage panic attacks.

• Share with community/friends

There are still people who don't realize how important mental health is. Therefore, you can organize a discussion in your close circle (neighbors, colleagues, friends) to raise this issue. You could tell your personal story or that of a friend. In this way you will not only contribute to awareness of the problem, but also to possibly helping people in crisis.

- Organise an event

You can involve your community in fundraising by organizing an event. It could bea small concert, a wine tasting, or something competitive (like board games or some type of quiz) that will not only help raise more awareness about panic attacks, but also raise an amount of money that you can donate to an organization.

• Involve your employer in the idea

There are many companies that not only pay attention to the mental health of their employees, but also get involved in a number of charity events. So you could speak to your HR manager or line manager to present your idea, share who you want to help and how the company can also get involved with a donation or their own fundraising event.

• Talk to psychologists

Psychotherapy is one way to deal with panic attacks, so you may find one or more psychologists who would volunteer to help an organization and work with patients who don't have financial resources. That way they would have access to specialized help.

• Use a fundraising platform

Sometimes the funds to treat panic disorder are not at all small, so you can support an organization that helps affected people by organizing a crowdfunding campaign. Through the PavelAndreev.ORG online platform, you'll be able to do this quickly and easily. All you have to do is choose a specific organization you want to help to more easily attract donors by telling its story. PavelAndreev.ORG allows you to track how the campaign is progressing so you are aware of how actively you can share about it with your community using social networks.

• Harness the power of social networks

This is how you can easily promote your fundraising campaign on the PavelAndreev.ORG platform. Plus, you'll reach people who want to become donors more easily, so always add a link to the platform in your posts to make it as easy as possible for them. This is where you can spark a discussion about panic attacks to provoke other people to share if they have this problem. You can also create a hashtag to unite the purpose of your campaign and engage the community with its