We live in a stressed filled society, worried about the stock market, rising gas prices, how to make our paychecks stretch to the end of the month, it's no wonder that many people suffer from panic attacks. Panic attacks are real, and left unchecked, can lead to further health problems.
In order to deal with panic attacks, you must first realize what is happening; you're not going crazy, you're not having a heart attack, you're not about to die, it's simply that the stress of life has momentarily overwhelmed you. What we're going here is providing you the ability to recognize and cope with a panic attack, allowing you to move forward with your life.
If you've ever experienced a panic attack, you already know the symptoms moments before the onset of a panic attack. Knowing this, you can be better prepared and plan ahead, this way you'll know exactly what to do the next time these symptoms rear their head.
At no point in this article, are we offering medical advice, merely sharing with you what has worked for others, and may work for you. If you have questions about the techniques we share, please check with your health care professional.
Do you remember when you were a child, and got mad at someone, you may have heard the analogy about counting to 10 before taking any actions. What we're doing in essence by counting to 10, is giving our bodies an opportunity to relax, releasing the anxiety, allowing us to recover from anger or fear. When you begin to experience a panic attack, slow down, control your breathing and relax, the world is not going to end, and shortly this will only be a memory
Some people have difficulty learning a breathing exercise, if this is your case, please talk with your health care professional, ask them to recommend a behavioral therapist. For most of us the key factor is simply to relax, take a deep breath, hold it for a moment, then exhale slowly.
If you'll take a moment to learn this technique, breathing deeply in, holding it for a moment, then letting your breath flow outwards, you'll find you can accomplish marvelous tasks. As you breathe outwards, imagine all your troubles, anxieties, and negative thoughts flowing outward with your breath. Practices it daily, believing it is working, and you will find yourself growing more relaxed, better able to deal with the stresses of life.
Learn to lean on others when necessary, and develop a close circle of friends (a telephone friendship list), did you can call during troubled times. Tell them in advance that you might call them feeling and sounding frantic, that they shouldn't be alarmed, merely speaking to you soothingly and giving you someone to talk with. These can be friends or associates, even healthcare professionals, assuming you got the permission ahead of time. This allows you to have somewhere to turn when the world seems to be going crazy.
Try using association... You'll accomplish this by remembering the details of what worked previously when you had a panic attack, then simply do that same thing again. Make it easy on yourself, and create a list, a positive witness of what works, and what doesn't, then read this list yourself when necessary. It might be necessary to read the list out loud during a pending panic attack, or simply think mentally of what is on the list, both methods work. However one will probably be a better choice for you.
In addition to the above, make a list of positive reinforcing statements that will counteract negative thoughts, i.e., if your negative thought is," the world is closing in on me", then think or read to yourself, "today is a beautiful day, the sun is shining and it's a wonderful place to be".
All of us will at one time or another experience anxiety, it's a normal reaction to stress, and it's a part of modern day life. However, panic attacks are when we suffer sudden surges of overwhelming, uncontrollable fear that seems to come for no obvious reason. Don't feel alone; statistics say that one out of every 75 people will experience a panic attack.
You're not alone, a panic attack need not be debilitating, merely something you'll learn to manage, then eventually to overcome
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