Bipolar Panic Attacks: Managing Panic Attacks For Better Outcomes

Healthful Vitality | 1/11/2025 | Bipolar Panic Attacks: Managing Panic Attacks For Better Outcomes.

Bipolar disorder is a mental condition affecting around 4.4% of American adults at some point in their life. The main characteristics of the condition include abrupt changes in moods, energy, and concentration making it hard for a person to conduct daily operations. Many people with the condition suffer from bipolar panic attacks making their life even more difficult.

Usually, panic disorder and bipolar disorder are different mental conditions. Studies however show a connection between the two conditions such that there is often comorbidity. Since the conditions usually exist together people with bipolar experience panic attacks more often and need to learn to recognize bipolar panic attacks and manage them.

What Does A Bipolar Panic Attack Look Like?

Panic attacks are sometimes confused with anxiety or heart attacks. However, they are different and can be identified by considering the following symptoms:

• Sweating
• Increased heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pains
• Shaking and chills
• Hot flashes
• Headaches and dizziness
• Hyperventilation
• Dry mouth
• Cramping

Often these symptoms can occur at any time including when a person is resting.

Bipolar Manic Vs. Bipolar Panic Attacks

A central element of bipolar disorder is the existence of manic episodes. These episodes often include having intense feelings that are out of control. Manic episodes include emotional highs that are usually followed by depression or emotional lows.

Panic attacks on the other hand usually include having intense fear. The repeated occurrence of intense fear is what is called a panic attack.  It is crucial to understand the difference between bipolar manic attacks and bipolar panic attacks for you to control your life better.

The symptoms of mania are usually similar to the symptoms of anxiety such as restlessness, lack of sleep, and racing thoughts. However, the following symptoms are only specific to manic episodes in Bipolar disorder:

• Being extremely active with a lot of energy
• Having a high sex drive
• Denying one’s behavior
• Having unrealistic views of your abilities
• Having a euphoric mood
• Acting on impulse such as impulse buying.

These symptoms usually occur regularly followed by a depressive episode. If you are unaware of your bipolar status, look out for the above symptoms and depressive episodes before considering a proper diagnosis.

Bipolar panic attacks can occur at any time including in the depressive or manic states. The panic attacks however often occur in the manic states and may include having the following symptoms:

• Rapid heart rate
• Sweating
• Shaking
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Fear of death
• The feeling of losing control
• Derealisation
• Depersonalization

If you experience more than four of the above symptoms during a manic state then you are experiencing a bipolar panic attack.

How To Calm Down A Bipolar Panic Attack

Calming down an episode of panic is challenging for people with bipolar. When a person is experiencing racing thoughts it is often difficult to get them to slow down and calm their minds. Nonetheless, it is worth it to try and calm yourself if you are experiencing a panic attack.

A great tip for getting through a panic attack is to try as much as possible to calm your thoughts. You can do so by reminding yourself that you are only going through an episode and it shall pass.

There are many exercises for managing panic attacks that you can also use when experiencing a bipolar panic attack. One particular exercise is the five senses grounding exercise.

The five senses exercise entails naming things according to your five senses. You carry it out in the following ways:

• Name five things you can see
• Name Four things you can feel
• Name Three things you can hear
• Name Two things you smell
• Name One thing you can taste

The essence of the exercise is getting you back to the present moment. It is a great exercise that can help you get through racing thoughts and focus on the present. The exercise uses mindfulness to manage a panic attack.

You can make it more effective by first closing your eyes for a minute to decrease the amount of stimuli that are triggering your panic attacks. As you close your eyes engage in visualization before opening your eyes again and engaging in the five senses exercise.

How Do You Manage Bipolar Panic Attacks?

Bipolar is usually a serious mental condition affecting a person’s quality of life. It may make you unable to work or attend school especially when you can’t relate well with other people. Managing bipolar mostly requires a lot of support and professional intervention.

You may already know various exercises that can calm a panic attack. However, most of these exercises may be hard to implement when you have bipolar disorder. The best way to manage panic attacks associated with bipolar is to get professional help.

First, you should consider visiting a psychiatrist for evaluation and assessment so they can determine the best way to help you. They will come up with a treatment plan to manage the current state of your condition. While considering this step remember that bipolar and panic attacks are both manageable conditions.

In a professional setting, management of panic attacks in bipolar may involve talk therapy or using medications. The choice of treatment will be considered depending on the severity of the situation. When you are experiencing panic plus manic episodes and significant depression then you might need various treatment strategies to help your situation.

If you start experimenting with bipolar panic attacks while in the course of treatment for bipolar disorder then it’s time you discuss with your therapist about the effectiveness of the treatment plan. For many people experiencing panic attacks only implies that the medications or the treatment plan is not sufficiently managing the condition.

Behavioral Therapy

Behavioral therapy includes different strategies whose aim is modifying people’s behavior. It includes different therapies that focus on identifying harmful behaviors and helping an individual get rid of the behaviors. Behavioral therapy is usually useful in managing panic in bipolar disorder.

During such treatment, a patient may be exposed to various triggers and let the brain learn how to deal with them. It entails letting your brain learn that even though some things in life are uncomfortable, they soon come to pass and that is part of life.

Applying behavioral therapy strategies often requires help from a provider and support from family and friends. Often the first few days will be challenging since exposure to a trigger may certainly cause a panic attack. After a few times of exposure, you will realize that you have started learning how to manage it.

Tips To Help With Mental Issues

The effects of any mental conditions are usually dire and can affect your life significantly. Even as you consider treatment you can still experience these effects that will disrupt your life. You can improve treatment outcomes by considering the following tips that will improve your mental health:

Have Adequate Sleep

Lack of enough sleep and insomnia have a profound impact on mental health. If you experience poor sleeping patterns you may also experience a lot of panic and manic episodes. During sleep, your mind rests and calms itself giving you a chance to wake up energized with fresh thoughts to influence your day.

Conditions like bipolar disorder may also make sleeping a troubling experience. You can however use strategies to improve your sleeping. Consider having a bedtime routine such as soothing music or switching off lights to improve the quality of your sleep.

Eat Well

Your diet contributes tremendously to your mental health. Ensure you follow a good diet plan that will ensure you have all the nutrients to support your brain function.

Avoid Alcohol And Drugs

Alcohol and drugs are things that will alter your brain function. You are likely to experience more manic and panic attacks if you are using drugs and alcohol.  Drugs and alcohol will also make your treatment plan to be ineffective. If you have an addiction problem be sure to discuss it with your provider so they can help you deal with the addiction too and maximize chances of a successful treatment.

Exercise

Exercise is good for overall health as it helps keep many diseases at bay. When it comes to mental health, exercise can help you filter out bad thoughts and focus on those that matter. During exercising you can unwind and focus on a single goal.

Exercise also helps your body to produce serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that is responsible for relaxation and stabilizing your mood. Your brain needs more serotonin to process and create more receptors to process. The results will be a relaxed mood and the ability to manage challenging situations.

Another importance of exercise is that it helps improve the quality of your sleep.  The relaxing feeling you get after exercising is essential since it will help you sleep well and improve your brain function.

Get Support

Managing mental conditions in isolation only makes it more challenging. Support from friends and family often makes you feel valued and loved. These feelings give you the motivation you need to work on yourself.

You should know that panic attacks are normal and common. However bipolar panic attacks may be severe and cause a lot of problems. However, they are manageable if you get a good treatment plan with help from a provider.

Related Article:

Why Exercise Is a Powerful Tool for Managing Bipolar Disorder?