How to Stop Panic Attacks - 7 Methods
Copyright (c) 2010 Peter RubelPanic attacks are terrifying
. Fear seizes one's mind. Then there's the heart beating hard in your chest, rapid breathing, tensed feelings, dry mouth, sweating, dizziness, light-headedness, pains in the abdomen, thinking you are going to die. If symptoms vary, you still get the picture.If you are reading this, I assume you have come to realize that your panic attack was not a heart attack. The two can easily be confused. Perhaps you were even diagnosed as not having had a heart attack.I. Recognize what a panic attack isThat is step one in any plan to stop panic attacks: Understand that your attacks are not a sign that you are going to die. They can drain you of energy and be part of larger problems. They demand attention and treatment. But they are not fatal.II. Breathing focusThere's a lot to handle during a panic attack. In an attack, you need to focus on controlling it. One of the most powerful things to do to stop an attack is to focus on breathing. Done rightly, this can accomplish a few positive things at the same time.a. If you focus your mind on your breathing, you turn your mind away from thoughts that make you feel more anxious. You distract yourself.b. Slower, controlled breathing can decrease your anxiety symptoms. Hyperventilation upsets proper pH and the oxygen/carbon dioxide ratio in your brain (and elsewhere), which often causes dizziness, a feeling of unreality or dying, and numbness, each of which in turn raises anxiety level. Slower breathing restores the proper pH and the oxygen/carbon dioxide ratio for your activity level and short circuits these anxiety-producing feelings.c. Slower, deep, and controlled breathing can serve as a calming influence. It helps you remember to relax your neck and upper body muscles. The long and deep exhale is often relaxing.III. Take nutritional things that calm you downYou may already take prescription drugs, maybe even ones used to treat anxiety or depression. If this is the case, you need to talk to your doctor before taking any nutritional supplements for anxiety and panic. There may be complications. Or in some cases, drugs may increase your level of anxiety or deplete some nutritional element in your body. A doctor needs to handle these issues.But if you are not on any prescription drugs, a variety of vitamins, herbs, amino acids, minerals, and aromatherapy and homeopathy materials are known for their mild calming, sedating influence.A bit of reading, trial and error may be needed to find the most effective supplements or foods to lessen your anxiety. But if you have something on hand at the beginning of an attack (or in a particularly stressful situation like giving a speech or driving), you may want to take something to help restrain your anxiety.IV. ExercisePhysical exercise while undergoing an attack may be neither practical nor advisable, depending on circumstances and severity. However, in some cases a little bit of activity like walking or rocking may divert anxious energies and distract anxious thoughts.More commonly, exercise between attacks raises endorphin levels, hence mood, in the brain and strengthens the body in removing lactic acid from the brain and nerve tissues, possibly making for a more favorable pH for calm in some.V. RelaxIf your schedule includes things you enjoy, that can help carry you through difficult times. It is not that we avoid responsibility, but that responsibility includes periods of relaxation.Listen to music that calms you. Work at a favorite hobby. Go for a walk in a quiet, pretty place. Meditate. Periodically do whatever serves to reduce your blood pressure and give yourself a break from a frenetic pace.Relaxation certainly includes disciplined sleeping. This means relaxing before bed, going to bed at a reasonable hour regularly, keeping the bedroom free of noise and light as much as possible (even a clock radio light shining in the eyes decreases sleep quality), and sleeping long enough.VI. Avoid taking stimulantsAnxiety sufferers generally should avoid alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. The latter can be found in soft drinks even in varieties where one may not expect it. Caffeine and other stimulants may also be found in energy drinks and supplements (e.g., guarana). The L-theanine in green tea helps counter caffeine, by the way.Whether one realizes it or not, those suffering from panic attacks often live in a state of heightened anxiety not far enough from panic. Why bother taking stimulants when they may kick you over into panic?For some, video games or other electronic media can be too stimulating (or for others, relaxing).Alcohol may serve to suppress wound-up nerves, but it can also depress mood, which anxiety sufferers hardly need.VII. Therapy and the Long TermPanic attack onset may be irrational, but usually there are underlying causes. Over the long haul, addressing these causes or probable causes is often necessary.A traumatic experience, habits of negative thinking, relationship and character issues, excessive stress (e.g., toxins in one's living environment, emotional or substance abuse, job stress and so on) may need to be identified and addressed.Therapy can be professional, such as the integrative Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), or more or less self-administered, such as Emotion Freeing Technique (EFT). A good friend, parent, work supervisor, or minister may be helpful. Changing jobs or location may be called for.Generally, negative thinking must be identified as it arises and countered with believable positive affirmations. Mental exercises, a deliberate plan, combining different short and long term strategies, and discipline may be required, with lasting improvement as a very reachable goal.
How to Stop Panic Attacks - 7 Methods
By: Peter Rubel
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