5 Ways To Control Your Panic Attacks

5 Ways to Control Your Panic Attacks

Millions of people all over the world suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. Many factors contribute to these attacks. Diet, disease, lack of exercise, drug and alcohol abuse and medications can all lead to panic attacks. Sometimes, anxiety attacks are inherited or developed because of the environment in which you were raised.

Panic attacks can strike in a variety of ways. For some people it happens when they engage in a particular activity such as flying or driving in an unfamiliar city. For others the attacks can happen late at night (nocturnal panic attacks) or seemingly at random.

There are a few effective ways to deal with an attack when it happens. These methods can provide temporary relief or at least help you “ride it out”.

1. Breathing Exercises

Breathe slowly through the nose and exhale slowly through the mouth. Use both the diaphragm and abdomen. Don’t breathe too quickly as this could trigger hyperventilation and actually make the panic attack worse.

2. Repeating Affirmations

Choose a rational statement like “No one has ever died from a panic attack” or “This will pass and I will be fine” and repeat it to yourself over and over slowly. This repetition can have a meditative effect.

3. Acceptance

If your familiar with Zen meditation, you may already know how to do this. This simply involves understanding what the attack is. Accepting that it is a part of you and letting it pass rather than fighting it.

4. Talking

Talking to your husband, wife or another supportive person can help focus your mind on the other person instead of the attack. If nothing else, it will be comforting to have another person with you until the attack passes.

5. Medication

When all else fails, drugs can be prescribed to treat panic attacks. These are usually SSRIs (antidepressants) and possibly benzodiazepines, a powerful psychoactive. Unfortunately, both of these drugs have substantial side effects and may not work for everyone.

A Long Term Approach to Dealing with Panic Attacks

All of the methods above can provide temporary relief from panic attacks can help you cope, but there is a better option than simply coping. Practical and effective drug-free self-treatments are available that can help you get your anxiety attacks under control and permanently reduce their frequency and severity.

Visit our website to learn more about safe, natural ways to stop panic attacks and general anxiety.

Steven K. Goodwin is a health and fitness writer for Health-Summit – an online magazine for physical health and mental well-being.

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Tags: SSRIs, panic attacks, anxiety attack, anxiety and panic attacks, panic attack, Nocturnal Panic Attacks, benzodiazepines