Overcome Panic Attacks
If you suffer from panic disorder, you may think that you can’t overcome panic attacks but this is simply not true. Panic can be controlled and if you think you are suffering from repeated attacks then the best thing to do is to seek professional help. There are ways, however, in which you can give yourself a ‘kick-start’ (so to speak) and help your treatment along. Here are five self-help tips to get you started.
Relaxation
A panic attack is an explosion of extreme fear and panic leaving you feeling anxious and tense. Once you have attacks it is quite likely you’ll start to fear the next one coming. This will just start a terrible cycle as tension will build in anticipation of an attack which will possibly cause the next episode. More control can be gained if you practice relaxation methods such as yoga or meditation. Breathing techniques can also help. By using a constant and steady breathing, you can make your breathing rhythm return to normal and thereby, hopefully, help your feeling of panic subside.
Exercise
A little bit of exercise can do you no end of good. Exercise, especially aerobic, releases both endorphins which give you a sense of well-being and serotonin, which is a neurochemical found to be of lower levels in people who suffer from panic attacks – this aids physical and emotional responses.
Avoid Stimulants
Another way to help yourself is to cut out stimulants in your life in general. That means reducing or even cutting out completely things like coffee, alcohol and drugs. You may think that imbibing these helps your symptoms but they don’t – they merely aggravate them. It’s hard to stop using these stimulants especially if you have become addicted to them but the effort will be well rewarded.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is a way for the body to rejuvenate itself and disruption of this is bound to upset the body’s natural cycle and rhythm. Everyone’s heard about ‘burning the candle at both ends’ and no matter how you look at it, your mind and body both need the rest and relaxation that sleep can bring. Therefore, getting a good night’s sleep by going to bed not too late and getting up at a regular time will give yourself time to balance out and heal.
Positive Focus
People who suffer from panic attacks often have a very good imagination but during an attack this may not be beneficial especially when your imagination magnifies and concentrates on negative thoughts. If you can train your imagination, though, you can turn these negative thoughts and visions to a more positive direction. You can practice thinking about situations which encourage relaxed feelings of well-being such as lying on a beach by a crystal blue sea or drifting lazily along a river with the sun gently warming your face. After a time you will get used to thinking in a more positive way and this can only have a good effect when you have to overcome the effect of a panic attack.
These methods are not a quick or easy way to overcome panic attacks but, with a little practice and perseverance, you’ll find that they really do have an effect.
