Knowing how to deal with panic attacks is important if you are constantly having episodes or suffer from severe anxiety. Fortunately, most cases are not severe enough to warrant any type of medical attention or prescription drugs. Using simple techniques at home, you can significantly reduce symptoms when it comes to dealing with panic attacks.
Common symptoms explained & what may be triggering it
The causes of these episodes are often difficult to pinpoint as there could be a number of reasons why you might feel high levels of anxiety. Some reasons might include some type of emotional trauma such as loss of a loved one or feeling fearful during certain situations. In fact, these attacks can occur at just about any time when you might least expect it.
Common symptoms of anxiety attacks include a feeling of tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, excessive sweating or shaking, dizziness, nausea and even lightheadedness. Dealing with anxiety attacks is therefore essential if you start to notice these symptoms on a frequent basis. Every individual is different so these episodes can occur once a month or even several times a day.
Anticipation or negative thoughts often triggers such episodes
Medication for panic attacks is generally reserved for those individuals who suffer from severe anxiety or depression. More often than not, your situation can typically be rectified by implementing a few techniques right in your home. You should only consult a doctor if you are continuing to have episodes of panic or if the following methods do not prove successful.
A majority of panic attack related incidents are driven by anticipation and the thoughts of the individual of what could happen. Most people stress about events that could happen to them as they imagine the worst case scenario. However, when you come face to face with reality most circumstances are often exaggerated to the point where the imagined scenario is not likely to happen at all.
Dealing with panic attacks starts with the mind
Self help for panic attacks always begins with a state of mind and what you think is crucial as it can either make the attack worse or it could make it better. If you constantly anticipate failures or if you are always fearful that something bad will happen, then your anxiety levels will go up. Focus on your immediate surrounds and take one step at time to solve the problem that you are presented with.
There’s no point in denying an anxiety attack so recognize that you are having a panic attack and accept that it is happening to you. Always remind yourself that they are self limiting and that you are going to be just fine. Be especially careful not to attach another fear on top of the anxiety you are already feeling such as the fear of fainting, losing control, going mad or even dying.
Distract your mind from destructive thoughts
The more thoughts you have such as those listed above, the more your body will react as if you really are in danger so it will only elevate anxiety levels even more. Effective ways to deal with panic attacks include distracting your mind from such negative thoughts and imaging something much more pleasant. Before you know, the episode will soon pass and you’ll come to realize that you are just fine.
Our ancestors often intentionally avoided engaging in combat with certain creatures or going alone on the fields as they followed their survival instincts. Today, it’s much more common for people to avoid certain situations for fear of the unknown or what could happen. However, to deal with panic attacks it is recommended not to do so as this only confirms your feelings that something bad is going to happen.
Do not avoid or escape from whatever is causing you anxiety
When it comes to how to deal with panic attacks, it’s important to stop and think while you consider your options. If you are constantly making decisions based on how you feel then you will never find out for yourself that what you are facing is not all that bad. Most of the time, it’s not the action that is causing you to feel anxious but rather it is your thoughts that are contributing to it.
So for every time that you intentionally avoid or escape from a particular situation, it gives you less opportunity to actually do something about it. If you are fearful of heights for example, you might never go up a skyscraper or look down a cliff for fear of falling. However, if you take small baby steps then you can slowly start to overcome your fear and ultimately prevent panic attacks from occurring.
Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing
Additional methods on how to deal with panic attacks include practicing breathing techniques. A common symptom of anxiety attacks is hyperventilation in which your body takes in too much air. If you find this happening to you, then take a few minutes to slowly breathe in and out. It’s also essential that you relieve any tension in your muscles and to be in a relaxed state of mind.
While practicing diaphragmatic skills can be difficult in the middle of an episode, you might find it helpful to lie down on your back for a little bit while you practice. Then once you get better at it, you can practice while sitting, walking or even while having a conversation with someone. If you need to distract your mind while breathing, you can always count your breathes or think of something more pleasant.
The recovery process will vary between individuals
The recovery process is dependent on you changing the way you perceive and how you behave towards a particular situation. Learning how to deal with panic attacks therefore does take time and patience but it will be very much worth it in the end. Controlling and even embracing these episodes can help a greatly deal to quickly get over the symptoms.
Just remember to take it easy and give yourself credit for small successes that you may have. Avoid being over critical of yourself and even call on a friend to help you through your problems. Above all, things do take time so it’s important to be committed to recovery. Be sure to implement these steps if you are serious about learning how to deal with panic attacks.
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