subject: Overcoming Anxiety And Panic Attacks - 3 Simple Ways To Beat Anxiety Attacks [print this page] Panic attacks are often called anxiety attacks, but general anxiety becomes known as a 'condition' should it last for some time, e.g. many months. So general anxiety is one thing and anxiety or panic attacks is another.
Panic attacks generally happen when your anxiety levels are higher than normal, so that added stress such as an exam, shopping in a crowded supermarket, driving in the rush-hour, etc., can drive your anxiety over into an attack. And the attack can occur sometime after you've been faced with that extra stress.
What's happening here is that your body's ancient defense mechanism has misinterpreted your high anxiety as meaning that you're in danger, and so triggers it's hormonal response to help you better fight or run to safety; called it's 'fight or flight' response. The symptoms you experience during an anxiety attack are just the result of that response, no more, no less.
So you are in no danger at all. It is a fact that panic attacks cannot cause you any harm, and you certainly aren't about to die. Remember this and hold onto it because it'll help you deal with panic attacks when they occur.
But what about general anxiety? Well, this is a condition where someone on a daily basis, and over an extended period of time, worries and stresses about things and issues way beyond their real importance. People without general anxiety can handle these everyday issues and stresses and just move on; it's just a part of everyday life. But someone with general anxiety cannot, so they live in a state of constant fear, always fearing the worst.
Drug-based medication -- e.g. tranquilizers, antidepressants, etc., -- is the usual treatment handed out by doctors. But these just address the symptoms by controlling your 'mood' and helping to 'calm' you. And they have a series of really bad side effects which includes dependency problems. So folks with anxiety are increasingly using natural remedies to treat their condition.
Here are 3 totally natural ways for you to overcome your anxiety and panic attacks...
1 - There are tons of herbal and homeopathic home remedies that you can use, such as chamomile, kava kava, St. John's wort, valerian, lycopodium, gelsemium, arnica, etc. Get to know them and their benefits by talking to homeopathy and herbal professionals near you.
2 - Use aromatherapy. This uses essential oils that are massaged into your body or inhaled. They are not to be ingested as the remedies in tip 1 above. The application of aromatherapy helps to improve your emotional and mental health, as well as your physical health. Once again, it's probably better to seek out a professional.
3 - Many people find that acupuncture can be effective in overcoming anxiety and panic attacks. This traditional Chinese medicine utilises needles that are as thin as hairs and are inserted into specific spots called 'accupuncture points.' I'm sure you have a specialist near you.
These three natural tips can help you overcome anxiety, or at the very least help you to manage it better. But there is an underlying issue that is very difficult to eliminate and which makes it very difficult to actually cure your anxiety and prevent panic attacks...
Your very real fear of having the next panic attack helps to keep your anxiety levels high. You may be aware of your fear, or it may be in your subconscious, nevertheless it's there and is holding your cure back. And the result is that this fear can actually trigger another attack, which raises your anxiety even more, so results in another attack, and so on.
It is a vicious anxiety cycle that you need to break out of in order to prevent further panic attacks, so that you can then concentrate on curing your general anxiety and getting your life back together again.
