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Elena Puig Guitart, Psychologist: "Nobody Dies From an Anxiety Attack. It Will Last 5, 10, or 20 Minutes, But It Will Pa
🇦🇷 Argentina /Conflict & Security

Elena Puig Guitart, Psychologist: "Nobody Dies From an Anxiety Attack. It Will Last 5, 10, or 20 Minutes, But It Will Pass"

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

Interview Named sources Context piece
  • Psychologist Elena Puig Guitart states that panic attacks are not fatal and typically last between 5 to 20 minutes.
  • She emphasizes that the voluntary acceptance of panic symptoms can reduce the body's resistance and shorten the duration of the attack.
  • Guitart's advice aims to demystify anxiety and empower individuals to manage panic attacks more effectively.

Panic attacks, while intensely distressing, are not life-threatening and have a defined duration, according to psychologist Elena Puig Guitart. She clarifies that these episodes, often characterized by overwhelming fear and physical symptoms, typically resolve within 5 to 20 minutes.

Guitart offers a key strategy for managing these attacks: the voluntary acceptance of symptoms. She explains that resisting the physical sensations associated with a panic attack often intensifies the experience. By choosing to accept the symptoms without struggle, individuals can reduce their body's fight-or-flight response, thereby shortening the attack's duration.

Nobody dies from an anxiety attack. It will last 5, 10, or 20 minutes, but it will pass.

— Elena Puig GuitartPsychologist Elena Puig Guitart explaining the temporary nature of panic attacks.

Her insights aim to reframe the experience of panic attacks, reducing the fear of their intensity and duration. By understanding that these attacks are temporary and manageable, individuals can approach them with greater confidence and less apprehension, ultimately leading to better coping mechanisms.

Voluntary acceptance of symptoms reduces the body's resistance.

— Elena Puig GuitartPsychologist Elena Puig Guitart advising on a technique to manage panic attacks.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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