Panic attacks are a frequent problem for some individuals, and occasional problems for others. Understanding the cause of these attacks can help to ease your feelings of anxiety, regardless of the severity of your attack. Once you understand the causes, some simple methods can be implemented to overcome the attacks. Read on to learn more about these methods...
How to Deal With a Panic Attack
1 - Breathing
The first thing you should do when experiencing a panic / anxiety attack is to stop and breathe. While this method sounds quite simple, it is amazing just how many people forget to truly implement it. Make your breaths conscious, long, and deep. Through the nose is best, as it has a calming effect on your body. This type of breathing will slow your heart rate and help ease any feelings of anxiety. This can be a quick and effective method for dealing with any panic attack.
2 - Meditation
Consider the benefits of meditation. Meditation puts your mind in a restful state, and helps to calm feelings of anxiety. Meditation need not be planned, extensive, or difficult. Even just taking ten minutes to close your eyes and focus on a positive thought can help. If you are feeling more ambitious, try taking a regularly scheduled yoga class. This can be a great proactive method for dealing with anxiety attacks.
3 - Medication
Sometimes relaxation efforts are not enough to completely calm an attack. If you are frequently experiencing attacks or having a very difficult time dealing with them, medication might help. This is the time to involve your doctor; and make an educated decision about the drug therapies that can help you. There are several different medications on the market, each individual in character, and one just might prove effective in calming your attacks.
4 - Therapies
In conjunction with medications, sometimes therapies are effective in treating reoccurring panic attacks. There are several different methods of therapy available, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Therapy. Therapy involves visits to a trained specialist, and usually occurs on an on-going basis, for several months. Discuss therapy sessions with your physician if your anxiety attacks are severe, or you are not effectively dealing with them on your own.
5 - Positive Thinking
As a final thought, always make sure to incorporate positive thinking and stress reduction methods into your daily life. Negative thinking breeds stress, and stress is most certainly a culprit in causing reoccurring panic attacks. If you can work toward thinking positively, and reducing those elements in your life that make you feel negative, you will effectively decrease the number of panic attacks that you experience. This is an important step to take, and will work well in conjunction with any medication and/or therapy choices you might make.
Panic attacks are always scary and sometimes even life altering. They are not impossible to control, if you understand the triggers and take steps to prevent symptoms from worsening. In this article, you have been provided with some valuable tips that can help you to deal with any level of panic attacks, from minor to severe. Use these methods wisely and you are sure to find that coping with your symptoms becomes easier, making attacks less severe and less frequent.
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