One of the first steps in learning how to control panic attacks is understanding that even though a panic attack can certainly be frightening at the time, there is no danger that you are going to die from it or that you will be hurt. While many people may feel as though they are going to lose control or go crazy during an attack, this is not actually accurate. Your body is simply responding in a biological manner to a perceived threat. The symptoms you experience during a panic attack are simply your body’s way of releasing the energy you will need to either remain and fight the danger that is perceived or flee from it. Even though you may feel as though you might be having a heart attack, losing control or going crazy, this is not the case. Work on re-training your mind to understand that none of this is going to happen.

It is also important to focus on slowing down in order to learn how to control panic attacks. One of the most common symptoms of a panic attack is an increased rate of breathing and heart rate. You can learn to control this; however, by regularly practicing breathing techniques and exercises. This will help to calm your racing thoughts as well as physically slow down your body. You can do this by inhaling and exhaling slowly and counting as you do so. As your body begins to calm and slow down many of the symptoms associated with panic attacks will also decrease including trembling, dizziness, confusion, muscle aches and tingling.

Other ways in which you can control panic attacks including contacting someone from your support system when you begin to feel first symptoms of a panic attack. This can help you to immediately take control of the situation. Even if you must speak to the person on the phone rather than in person, explaining how you are feeling can provide a good deal of comfort to immediately ease the situation.

Taking a walk to burn off the excess energy and adrenaline your body is releasing can also prove to be quite helpful.

Occupying your mind with something else when you begin to feel anxious is another great way to control panic attacks. Good ways you can do this include noticing details of what else is going on around you and listening to music. Even these simple acts can help to take your mind off the possibility of a panic attack and focus it on something more positive.

With these techniques and guidelines you can learn how to control panic attacks and begin to make the journey toward recovery.

If you for instance were startled when you were walking to your car in an empty parking lot, you may have experienced all the typical symptoms of a panic attack, like heart pounding, sweating, nausea and shortness of breath. As uncomfortable as this episode might have been, you don’t feel like you need to learn to control your panic attacks, because you know you were just having a natural mental and physical reaction to a situation that scared you.

If, however, you find yourself having this same panic reaction every time you walk to your car at night, you are probably suffering from anxiety and it might be necessary for you to take some measures to learn to deal with and control panic attacks.

When you start working on controlling you panic attacks, it is important that you realize that control can be a slippery slope when it comes to panic and anxiety because one of the problems with anxiety sufferers is that they try so hard to control their world.

To avoid situations you are scared of is not to control panic attacks; avoiding certain situations because you might have a panic attack is very common for anxiety sufferers, and it helps make their anxiety worse, not better. Controlling your environment in an attempt to control panic attacks is actually a very common part of anxiety disorder and it can make you situation so bad in the long run that you can develop agoraphobia and find yourself completely housebound.

Agoraphobia develops as the attempts to control anxiety makes you avoid more and more places and situations. This behavior enforces your fears and confirms to your subconscious mind that there is something to be afraid of. The loner you avoid something, and the more situations you avoid, the smaller your world grows. Agoraphobics are afraid to leave their house; some will only go out to certain places and only when accompanied with a spouse, family member or close friend they feel very close to, others are completely housebound and do not leave their house at all. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, as many as one third of people who suffer from panic disorder develop agoraphobia.

It is important to learn to control panic attacks, as they can be extremely limiting and hurt your overall quality of life. Controlling panic attacks usually includes learning to accept your panic attacks and to start working on the behavior you have that is keeping your panic disorder alive.

This article will separate your suspicions from the real truth. When having a panic attacks you may think you are experimenting a heart attacks or other illnesses which is totally wrong. If you suspect that you have been experimenting a panic attacks lately, here are 5 common signs to confirm your suspicion:

1. Heartbeat Races. It is most likely during a panic attack, for the heartbeat to increase considerably, beating way faster than normal. You may also have irregular beats, and pain in the chest, which can be unsettling.

2. Shortness of breath usually occurs in panic attacks. There is nothing to be scared of, you may feel like suffocating, it is just a normal symptom of general anxiety disorder.

3. You feel like going crazy or totally losing control. Often in anxiety attacks you may feel like losing control, or have the feeling that you might faint in any minute. It most likely that this will not happen, if you try to control your thoughts. The conditions of the attack can generate significant levels of fear, that usually perpetuates the sensation that one is losing control.

4. Dizziness. It usually occurs because the anxiety sufferer feel overwhelmed. One good fast relief for dizziness is to relax your body and try to eliminate your fear, by inducing positive thoughts. A fresh orange juice or a mint tea will help you reduce the levels of dizziness easily.

5. Fatigue.

However the list of symptoms goes on, these are just some of the most common symptoms of a panic attack. They can be very scary and upsetting for someone going through them. Have you ever felt such symptoms? They may well signify an anxiety attack. There are several online programs that can help you stop anxiety and panic attacks naturally and permanently for good.

There are varying degrees of attack and the most severe can invoke some scary situations for people and have lasting effects. When asked, many sufferers said that the attack was totally irrational. Although one factor which sometimes seems to trigger panic attacks is a depleted amount of sugar in the bloodstream. There has also been a study carried out that shows that panic attacks could be linked to puberty. The fact that there is many times not an obvious reason for a panic attack is of course not much consolation to the sufferer.

One way that sufferers manage their panic attacks is by getting to know and using various relaxation strategies. As for medication, antidepressants are widely used to treat panic attacks. Unfortunately, research has shown that there is no one solution which is effective for every person. Expert opinion says that a good way to avoid having panic attacks is to reduce the stress levels in your life

If the sufferer does not get treatment they may carry on having panic attacks for years. When the patient has been diagnosed, this disorder normally responds well to treatment, but how long the treatment takes depends on the individual. Unfortunately many people respond well to a course of treatment but then experience panic attacks as they get older, whereas others only need one course to get rid of it for good. If you are a sufferer of panic attacks it may seem hard to believe at this point, but with the correct treatment you can be free. As always, if you have any concerns, consult a qualified professional.

Mary was so afraid. Every time she started to go out, she would get that awful feeling in the pit of her stomach and she became terrified that another panic attack was coming or that some other, unknown terrible thing was going to happen. Her doctor had prescribed her medication, but that left her feeling dizzy and spaced out, almost as bad as the attacks felt.

Panic attacks are very widespread, in the US as well as all over the globe. Only in the US it is the most common mental illness in the U.S. with 19.1 million (13.3%) of the adult U.S. population (ages 18-54) affected.

What are the physical symptoms of a panic attack?

Some of the symptoms that you may experience when having a panic attack include:

Chest pain

Fainting

Choking

Sweating

Shaking or trembling

Stomach pain, often accompanied by nausea

In addition to the physical symptoms, other effects might be feeling detached from the world and a feeling of light headedness.

Doctors and researchers are constantly looking for new treatments every day simply because such a large percentage of the population suffers from panic attacks and anxiety.

The current treatments that are available for panic attacks and anxiety disorders range from anti-depressants, to cognitive behavior therapy, herbal remedies and alternative treatments such as hypnosis.

Unfortunately, many people are prescribed medications that have little effect or unpleasant side effects, and they can spend endless hours in therapy with little to show for it. They still suffer from panic attacks and anxiety.

Here are some practical panic attack treatments that can help alleviate and inhibit panic attacks.

1. Acceptance and acknowledgment – When you know all information about your condition the next obvious step is to acknowledge that you have panic attacks. In this manner, it is easier for you to accept your condition.

2. Staying in the present – Do not be indulge yourself with “What If” thoughts. Keep in mind that you have this condition and the best thing to do is to deal with it pro-actively. Thinking of what might have been does not solve anything.

3. Diaphragmatic breathing or abdominal breathing – This may sound very basic but a number of people do not breathe properly. Some people breathe through their mouths which is a big NO NO. You should breathe through your nose using the diaphragm and abdomen. Inhale and exhale slowly. This actually relaxes the muscles and nerves. Thus, eliminating any symptoms of panic attacks.

4. Lying down – This is a preventive method since it is highly possible that a person suffering from panic attack might faint. This will avoid any serious injuries.

5. Talking to a supportive person – Since panic attacks are mainly caused by anxiety then it is best to talk about your worries or problems to a family member or close friend. It is also best to talk to somebody who has suffered from anxiety attacks. In this manner, best practices will be shared and will be easier to apply in your situation.

6. Going with the flow – Always remember that the panic attack will dissipate in a couple of minutes and will not be lingering for hours. Fighting the symptoms will do more harm to you. Just relax and breathe properly.

7. Keeping a diary – This may sound awkward but it helps a lot in monitoring your panic attacks. This will help you determine what time of the day, what situations or scenarios trigger your panic attacks. This will also help you deal with yourself especially if you already need to consult a physician.

If you have been following the panic attack treatments above and still do not see any improvement, then it is possible that you have a more serious medical condition that needs immediate medical attention.

When I started having panic attacks, I went to the university health center. This old doctor waddled into the room, checked my vitals, and asked me what was wrong. I told him I thought I had a brain tumor, cancer, or impending heart attack. He did a range of tests and everything came back normal. Then he prescribed me Xanax and told me to take 3 1mg pills per day, end of problem for him! I followed the prescription and quickly realized I would not graduate if I continued taking these pills. So I put them aside, and eventually became dependent on them to relax (which is another story altogether). As for medical treatment, it is quite common to prescribe Xanax or another benzodiazepine. Unfortunately, a tolerance is built up quickly to these drugs and, as in my example, they can be habit forming. Other doctors prefer to prescribe antidepressants, which may be effective for some people after months or years of adjusting the dosage to get the desired effect.

Another popular panic attack treatment is called Interoceptive Desensitization. What happens here is, the doctor will try to induce the symptoms of a panic attack one by one in a controlled setting so that you gradually do not have anxiety surrounding the symptoms. For example, the doctor may spin you around in a chair to make you dizzy. Or the doctor may have you breathe through a straw to simulate airway constriction. I’ve heard of some people having success with these techniques, but this type of therapy is often criticized as being outdated and ineffective.

The final category of treatments include techniques that are designed to either break the pattern of a panic attack, or have some physiological effect on the body which will reduce the secretion of “fight or flight” adrenaline. These are more controversial, newer methods, but they enjoy wide popularity due to the quick results they offer. The first technique is known as the One Move technique. What this does is quickly break the “anxiety cycle” which means you eliminate the fear of having another panic attack. It is the most popular online treatment for eliminating anxiety and panic attacks. The second method, which is rapidly becoming popular is the Linden Method. This method is a series of simple practices which affect an organ in the brain, called the Amygdala, which is 100% responsible for anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, OCD, and PTSD.

After graduating college (no thanks to the Xanax), my panic attacks subsided on their own for several years. Then, when my wife became pregnant with our first child, they resumed again. Seeking treatment, I went to a new doctor and was prescribed Xanax again! It helped me to keep the edge off for awhile, but it rapidly started destroying my life, even though I was taking it exactly as prescribed. I dumped it in the sink and sought help on the internet. Now it has been 4 years (and 3 children) since my last panic attack.

You would be surprised at how many people visit the emergency room because of a heart attack when the reality is they are only experiencing a panic attack. That will give you an idea of how intense the symptoms of a panic attack can be.

First let’s look at the different physical symptoms that indicate you might be having a panic attack.

Shortness of breath

Trembling or shaking

Sweating

Tightness of the chest

Inability to focus or sit still

Chills or hot flashes

Not only do people experience physical symptoms with panic attacks, but there are psychological symptoms as well. Here is a list of the most common psychological symptoms people experience when having a panic attack or experience while expecting a panic attack to happen:

Fear of losing control

Fear of dying

Agoraphobia or fear of public places

Feelings of unreality

Depression

Potential tendency to turn to substance abuse

For people dealing with recurring panic attacks it can be difficult for family members or loved ones to fully understand what you are going through if they have never experienced a panic attack before.

Sometimes you may feel like you are forced to face the panic attacks alone because your closest friends and family may think you are simply trying to get attention or may quickly lose patience with you because they don’t see it as a big problem.

It’s important to understand that you are not alone in your dealings with panic attacks or anxiety disorder. Many people commonly experience these types of symptoms throughout their lives. Some more than others, but you are not as alone as you may think you are when dealing with these type of problems.

Rest assured panic attacks are not as life threatening as some people think them to be. The cure for panic attacks lies in how you handle the panic attack symptoms. Controlling your thoughts is the key to controlling the power the symptoms have over your mind and body.

If you are unsure whether or not the symptoms are from a panic attack it is a good idea to visit your doctor to get checked out. Even if you are absolutely sure you are experiencing a panic attack it doesn’t hurt to have a doctor investigate the symptoms you are experiencing.

Most importantly remember that panic attacks can be treated without the use of medication, and most people just need someone to help guide them in the right direction.

In fact, if you have never experienced this before, you may wonder if you are having a heart attack or going to die. Panic attacks can be extremely difficult to deal with, even when you do completely understand what is happening.  When you visit a doctor about the symptoms they love to prescribe drugs for the problem.

You can, however, learn how to overcome panic attacks without the use of dangerous medications. There are ways to manage and reduce your symptoms.

The first step is to also learn how to recognize triggers and head them off before you experience a full blown attack.

First, you really need to recognize the symptoms of a panic attack. This could include excessive sweating, nausea, very fast heart rate, cramping, chest pains and hyperventilating.

That’s just a short list and it’s possible that you also have other symptoms as well. The first thing to do is track what your own symptoms are so that you can better manage. Then you can take steps on how to overcome panic attacks.

Also, don’t feel embarrassed if you initially think that your symptoms are something more serious. If you do suspect you are in the throes of a heart attack, only to discover you have a panic disorder, take it as a learning experience. You will have received a proper diagnosis and will be able to move on from there.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.There are several things that will probably be an option for you in seeking treatment.

First, there are medications available for managing the symptoms. However, you can actually become dependent on pharmaceutical drugs, so only use them as a temporary or emergency measure.

Many believe that better alternatives on how to overcome panic attacks include herbs, relaxation techniques and cognitive behavior therapy.

The latter actually helps you break down why you are reacting to stressors the way you are and reprogram yourself to respond in a more healthy way.

Many people also get relief from talk or group therapy.

Herbs that have been known to help include St. John’s Wort, Valerian root and even homeopathic preparations. Use caution with herbal use because of many undocumented side-effects and unpredictable reactions to prescription medications you may be taking.

When you experience a panic attack, your body feels out of control. You feel afraid, shaky and unsure. It can be an absolutely debilitating condition.

However, you can learn how to overcome panic attacks. Don’t be afraid to seek help.

Explore your treatment options with your doctor or health provider. Ask you physician if he/she will support you first trying natural remedies before moving to medications, except for short term or emergency treatment.

You can gain relief through natural techniques and therapy. Perhaps even through herbal supplements, if your doctor approves. By understanding your condition, you can obtain lasting relief when you learn how to overcome panic attacks with a method or technique that works for you.

This article was presented by Panic Defence, the UK’s leading name in combating panic and anxiety. If you would like a <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.panichandbook.com”>free download</a> with easy and effective tips to end panic, visit www.panichandbook.com now.

Needless to say, this can damage your lifestyle, friendships, love-life and even threaten job performance.

This results of panic attacks are that the sufferer will often withdraw from normal everyday activities, such as:

* Planning holidays or travel.

* Leaving your home, or being alone.

* Making appointments or socializing with people, for fear that you might have to excuse yourself half way through.

* Giving a speech or presentation, for fear of having a panic attack.

Common Symptoms Of A Panic Attack

If you are unsure whether you, or someone you love is suffering with a panic attack, then here are some common symptoms that you should look for:

* A Racing Heart

* Chest Pain

* Palpitations

* Difficulty breathing

* Headaches

* Sweats

* Bowel Troubles

* Nausea

* General Fatigue

* Dizziness

* Insomnia

* Butterflies in the Stomach

* Difficulty Swallowing

* Constant Fear Of Impending Doom

* Depression

* Agoraphobia

* Sudden Panic

* Irritability

* Social Nervousness

* Feelings Like You Are Going Crazy Or Losing Control

* Feeling Alone And Out Of Place

* Believing That There Is No Hope Of Normality

* Social Phobia

* Disturbing Dreams And Thoughts

This is not a complete list but any combination of the symptoms mentioned there should very well point to panic attack as the cause. If you are suffering with these symptoms you should take action to get your attacks under control before they increase in frequency.

Immediate Action You Can Take To Help Panic Attacks

Many people have found it helpful to learn what can exacerbate anxiety and lead to panic attacks. Simple items such as food can amplify anxiety, or make a panic attack much more probable.

Foods like:

1 Processed Foods (lunch meats, chips, packaged snacks)

2 Caffeine (in coffee, tea, chocolate)

3 Energy Drinks (Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar etc.)

4 Sugar (in the form of sucrose, glucose, corn syrup)

The Truth About Alcohol And Panic Attacks

Though having a stiff drink may seem like an obvious way to “calm the nerves,” you need to understand that alcohol dehydrates the body and this causes the body to feel tired and fatigued. It also reduces blood sugar levels and causes vitamin depletion as well.

Even though you may feel relaxed, after it wears off, anxiety may actually get worse.

This article was presented by Panic Defence, the UK’s leading name in combating panic and anxiety. If you would like a <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.panichandbook.com”>free download</a> with easy and effective tips to end panic, visit www.panichandbook.com now.