Approximately 19 million Americans suffer from at least one panic attack in their lifetimes. A panic attack is a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety that comes on without much or any warning, lasts from seconds to as much as half an hour, and is often described as one of the most intensely frightening and unsettling experiences a person can have.
Panic attacks were once dismissed as just stress or nerves, but doctors now acknowledge that it is a real medical condition. Moreover, it is a condition that, if not treated, can be thoroughly disruptive to one’s social life and emotional wellbeing, as well as posing significant physical risks.
Most people who suffer panic attacks will only have one or two in a lifetime, but some people suffer chronic panic attacks, or panic disorder. This is a medical condition that should be diagnosed and treated by a medical professional. Sometimes medication can alleviate symptoms, and at other times psychological therapy is needed.
It is also possible to help yourself through some of the distress of panic attacks. Following are some of the actions you can take to help yourself mitigate some of the anxiety and fear that comes with panic attacks.
Know the physical symptoms: List the symptoms you experience when you suffer a panic attack. A symptom diary is helpful here; in which you can record the time and duration of the attack, the symptoms, and the events surrounding the attack. This can help you determine what triggers your panic attacks, which can then enable you to avoid or deal with it.
Understand your body’s reaction to stress: Individuals respond to stressful situations in different ways. The flight-or-fight response, when triggered, will yield different results depending on the individual. Again, you can use your diary to record how your body responds to various stress or panic attack producing situations.
Change your attitude: Once you know how you react to various situations, work to change how you view them. A good rule of thumb here is, develop the attitude “If I can fix it, I fix it; If I can’t fix it, I don’t worry about it.” This might seem cold and callous, but it’s a very pragmatic approach to life that alleviates a lot of stress. Practice positive visualization to counteract negative emotions or thoughts which could help contribute to additional panic attacks.
Learn to breathe: Practice breathing slowly and deeply through your nose. Minimize rapid mouth breathing that can cause you to hyperventilate, which can increase discomfort and stress.
Learn to relax: Take up yoga or meditation as a way to cast off the day’s frustration. Tensing and then relaxing the muscles of the body is an effective way to ease physical stress and enhance mental and emotional wellbeing.
There are a number of websites that offer advice on relieving anxiety and stopping panic attacks, as well as a number of books that list stress reduction and fear mitigation techniques. There are literally thousands of sites devoted exclusively to offering advice on controlling, coping with, and overcoming panic attacks with self help and/or drug treatment. Some of the advice offered is complicated and has not been subject to clinical testing. Most, however, is common sense advice regarding knowing what causes panic attacks, and develop mental coping methods to alleviate anxiety. What will work for some won’t for others, so the best advice anyone can offer is, if you suffer panic attacks, learn as much as possible about how your body and mind responds to stress and develop techniques that suit your unique situation.
Left unaddressed, panic attacks, or worse, chronic panic attacks or panic disorder, can totally destroy your social life and make your personal life a living hell. The bottom line of most of the panic attack self help advice is that to overcome panic attacks you have to take control of your own life, rather than letting feelings of anxiety and fear take control. Knowing what triggers fear or anxiety in your mind, and how your body reacts to such triggers, is the first step in removing the burden of panic attacks from your life.
To learn more about how to overcome panic attacks please review the Panic Puzzle Program, available for $70.
