You might believe there is no way to learn how to stop a panic attack once it starts, but there actually is. Doing so is not necessarily easy and it isn’t guaranteed to always work, but by putting into practice a few tips and tricks, you might be able to end your attacks before they become too unpleasant. It is no doubt hard to concentrate on anything apart from the anxiety you’re experiencing while you’re in the midst of a panic attack, but over time you can learn to switch your mind’s focus on ending your attacks.
A panic attack is a terrifying experience that involves intense feelings of fear, helplessness, impending doom or humiliation combined with physical sensations such as a pounding heart, hot or cold flushes, sweating or tremors. Overwhelming fear or feelings of inadequacy are the origins of panic attacks, which occur when the mind cannot overcome these thoughts as they reach their peak of intensity. Most people have had a panic attack or two in their lives when confronted with a stressful or unexpected situation. However, when panic and anxiety attacks become frequent and uncontrollable, or are combined with avoidance behavior and social isolation, it is time to seek help and take appropriate steps to prevent the development of panic disorder.
Before thinking of an anxiety attack as of something tragic, it is important to realize that panic attacks are a very frequent occurrence and there are natural ways to reduce their intensity or prevent them from happening again. We live in times when people think that there are pills for every physical or mental problem.
However, few people know that there are effective techniques that will help you learn how to stop panic attacks naturally or prevent them from occurring in the future. Mayo Clinic recommends taking steps to control and prevent your panic attacks as soon as you begin having them. Doing this gives you the best chance to stop panic attacks for good.
Here are 10 simple ways to reduce anxiety and panick attacks effectively.
1. Accept the situation as it is and remember that you will be OK.
The sensation of losing control over your body can amplify a panic attack and facilitate its progression. Don’t image a terrible catastrophe when you feel panic start to take over your body, and try to accept the situation as it is. A good tip is to visualize yourself as if you were a distant observer of the situation and simplify your thoughts. It will prevent a panic attack from reaching its peak due to your negative thoughts and limit its intensity until it eventually disappears. Dealing with anxiety does not mean that you have to fight with your thoughts, because engaging in a battle with your brain will only make it worse. Instead, accept your anxiety, do your best to visualize the situation and simplify your thoughts.
2. Deep breathing naturally reduces the intensity of panic and anxiety.
Anxiety is usually associated with hyperventilation, which is taking frequent, shallow breaths. It is not an effective way to breathe because your lungs do not receive a full load of air, which further facilitates the increase of anxiety. Taking deep and slow breaths simulates a situation where your body is relaxed, which causes the brain to reduce the intensity of panic and lowers the level of adrenaline. You can also concentrate on your breathing and even count your deep breaths, which will distract your mind from negative thoughts and fear.
3. Understand what happens with your body during a panic attack and embrace adrenaline rather than fight it.
During a panic attack, negative thoughts and anxiety cause the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which is a part of your nervous system that engages in the stress response. The sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal glands to produce an increased amount of adrenaline that is released suddenly into the bloodstream. The effects of adrenaline include the elevation of heart rate and blood pressure, an enhanced production of heat, which causes sweating, and an amplification of avoidance behavior.
Anxiety caused by increased levels of adrenaline is a protective mechanism against external threats, which forces the brain to choose between escaping from the situation or fighting to overcome it. However, adrenaline is also released during physical exercise, games, when people are enthusiastic or are in love. The only difference between those situations and panic are your thoughts and how you perceive your environment. By visualizing the entire process of panic attack progression, you can help your brain to redirect its resources and adrenaline towards being enthusiastic and productive.
4. Try to distract yourself to shift your attention away from the panic attack.
Although you may feel as if anxiety and the adrenaline surge make you lose control of your body and mind, recognizing the early signs of panic and distracting your attention through counting, taking a walk or singing a song in your head can help stop a panic attack without medication. When experiencing a panic attack, people usually focus their attention on their body sensations and thoughts rather than on the external environment. Recognizing the occurrence and using distractions to shift the attention away from your body and mind towards external stimuli will help you stop panic attacks.
5. Use humor to overcome the unpleasant situation.
Although you may hardly feel like laughing during a panic attack, taking a humorous approach may prove extremely effective in stopping a panic or anxiety attack naturally. Think of a funny event from your past or simply try to amuse yourself when visualizing the situation that causes you panic. If the people around you notice that you are having trouble with anxiety and you feel embarrassed and self conscious, a great way to stop the panic attack is to publicly admit that you are nervous and present it as a joke. It will eliminate the psychological tension and will stop the panic attack from growing in intensity. Additionally, the people around you will perceive you as an open-minded, flexible person with a sense of humor rather than an anxious or fearful individual.
6. Do not avoid situations where you previously experienced panic attacks.
The first impulse when experiencing a panic attack is to escape from the situation, which may lead to the development of avoidance behavior in the future. Actually, avoidance behavior will reinforce your panic attacks and will make you a good candidate for panic disorder. Instead of trying to escape and avoid the situation, try to focus your mind on something else, find a place to sit nearby to regroup, or ask for help if your physical symptoms are severe enough. Running away and avoiding the situation will reinforce your fear and will trigger other panic attacks in similar situations.
7. Learning and practicing deep breathing, meditation, yoga and other relaxation techniques prevents panic attacks in the future.
Stopping Panic Attacks Through Relaxation Techniques
One of the hardest things about dealing with panic attacks are the symptoms that go along with them. Shortness of breath anxiety is not unlikely when you’re having panic attacks. If you can put an end to these symptoms, you are well on your way to help cure panic attacks. It may take lots of practice before you have the method for stopping panic attacks down pat, but you can do it. First of all, you’ll need to try to isolate yourself from other people while the attack is going on. You should also find a quiet space with little activity going on so you can really work to switch your mind’s focus over to your anxiety symptoms. Concentrate very hard on breathing slowly and deeply. Doing this should also help with anxiety chest pain symptoms, which some people do experience and find incredibly scary. You should focus on your muscles and try to relax each one starting with your arms and torso and going all the way down to your feet. This is one of the best methods to explore when trying to learn how to stop a panic attack, and you will get better at these methods of relaxation the more you do them as you try to learn how to stop panic attacks.
Meditation, yoga and certain oriental martial arts help cultivate a sense of relaxation, peaceful alertness and confidence in your mind. These techniques will train your mind to calm itself whenever the situation is about to become tense and the chances of panic attacks increase. Although meditation and yoga will not help you stop a panic attack immediately, they will train your mind and body and make you more confident and prepared when facing panic in the future. Martial arts like tai chi and qi gong are focused more on health benefits, self-defense and mind relaxation rather than on aggressive strikes or attacks, and are beneficial in stopping panic attacks from happening again by reducing anxiety levels.
8. Thinking about a place, a person or an event that made you happy and enthusiastic can help stop panic attacks naturally.
Whenever you feel that terrifying surge of adrenaline that paralyzes your mind, try to think about something that caused you to be happy and joyful. Visualize in your mind the person or the place that made you smile in as much detail as possible. Although it is unlikely that you will transform the panic attack into a pleasant daydreaming experience, you will certainly reduce its intensity and make it disappear faster. This imagination technique is also helpful to create a positive attitude and focus on beneficial things in your life rather than being obsessed with anxiety, failure and feelings of incompetence.
9. Try to view criticism and negative evaluation directed towards you from a different perspective.
People who have panic attacks frequently perceive criticism or negative evaluations as a catastrophe or a tragic occurrence. It creates psychological tension, fear, anticipation of humiliation or negative evaluation, which frequently culminate in a full-blown panic attack. Without knowing it, some people reinforce their panic attacks through their negative thoughts and an unhealthy perspective. Instead, try to view criticism and negative evaluations as a personal point of view of the person who talks to you rather than a well-established fact that should create unnecessary anxiety. Even when the person who criticizes you is right about the negative things he or she says about you, it is still not something tragic, but an opportunity to learn, improve yourself and be flexible about your beliefs.
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20569787]
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when faced with a stressful or anxious situation.
Panic attacks frequently arise due to thoughts of helplessness, incompetence or inadequacy. When confronted with a difficult task or a challenging situation, people who are vulnerable to anxiety attacks frequently hesitate to ask for help or admit that they need guidance. It causes additional anxiety that may culminate in a panic attack. When you feel the first symptoms, try not to perceive asking for help as humiliation or incompetence, but rather as proof of your flexibility and willingness to collaborate with your peers. Learning to ask for help in a polite manner will naturally reduce anxiety and will stop the panic attack from reaching its peak.
By following these 10 simple techniques, you will increase your self-confidence, lower your anxiety and become more trained in dealing with panic attacks in the future. Additionally, regular exercise can lower your adrenaline levels, which will reduce the intensity of anxiety attacks. A healthy diet will provide high-quality nutrients such as vitamins, antioxidants and minerals to increase your productivity and mental well-being. Make sure to avoid social isolation and depressive thoughts by communicating with your friends, which is beneficial in reducing anxiety and increasing your self-esteem.
Medicines Used to Stop Panic Attack Symptoms
Doctors often prescribe sedative medications to help people deal with their panic attack symptoms. If you have panic attacks regularly, you should see your doctor about a prescription for these drugs. Some of the most reputable drugs used that may be taken while in the midst of a panic attack are Xanax and Klonopin. It’s important to note that there is a possibility of side effects with these drugs as there are with all prescription drugs, and you should make sure that you inform your doctor of any other prescription medication you are on because medicines tend to interact with each other in various ways, some of which may be life-threatening. According to WebMD, doctors also occasionally prescribe drugs like Prozac, Lexapro, and Zoloft to prevent the frequency of your panic attacks. However, these medicines may not be useful to stop panic attacks once they start.
Treating Panic Disorder Through General Lifestyle Change
If you want to learn how to reduce the risk of panic attack episodes from occurring again, you should consider some lifestyle changes in addition to all of the tips and advice mentioned above. You might notice a decrease in the frequency of your attacks if you eat healthy, get plenty of exercise, fresh air, get enough sleep at night, and make a real effort to reduce the amount of stress in your day to day life. All of these things could not only be causing your panic attacks, but also making your panic attacks much more severe.
References
[http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/panic-attacks/DS00338/DSECTION=symptoms]
[http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/panic-attacks/DS00338/DSECTION=alternative-medicine]
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20338080]
[http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070]
[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20569787]
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