A panic attack can be one of the most frightening experiences of your life. The fear is so real that even though you may know there is nothing to worry about, it is often still as scary as a near death experience. Worst of all, attempts at controlling panic attacks usually backfire and make them worse. But there is hope, if you have the right knowledge, you can successfully control these attacks.
One thing I’ve always been grateful for (and always will be grateful for) is the modern age we live in today. We are all so lucky to have the solution to our problems at our fingertips, and panic attacks are included in that list. A few decades ago, people weren’t so lucky. Panic attacks were dismissed as mere stress. People who suffered from frequent panic attacks had no answers to their problems. Today there are medications, treatments, therapy, and even a whole host of relaxation methods that have helped many, many people with this problem. Now I won’t be going into a comprehensive instruction on getting rid of your panic attacks in this article, but I will give you a few quality tips for controlling panic attacks when they happen.
One of the first steps you need to take in controlling panic attacks is to be aware that the panic attack, although very frightening, will not kill you. It will certainly be unpleasant, but it WILL pass. Know this at as deep of a level you can. And it is certainly easy to know this on a logical level if you understand more about them.
A panic attack is your body going into overdrive. Adrenaline is going through your body and your heart is pumping extra heard. And it’s all caused by a major stress trigger. It’s a mechanism in our bodies that’s meant to protect us. You probably had a great, great, great, great, great X10 ancestor that found panic attacks very helpful when he was being attacked by that wild animal. That extra energy and pump of adrenaline saved his life.
Surely by now you understand that a panic attack isn’t life threatening, and it may not help you out at all (seemingly). But this is the first crucial step. Eventually, you will understand this fact at a much deeper emotional level and although you may still experience a panic attack, it will not have the hold over you it once did, and you will be well on your way to controlling panic attacks.
Another tip that can help immensely is having a few breathing and relaxation exercises handy. One simple breathing technique is breathing in through your nose at a count of three, (count slowly) holding your breath for a count of three, and breathing out at a count of three, and repeat. Practice this whenever you have a spare moment. Maybe you have a long bus ride to work, take the time to practice your breathing. The more you practice this relaxed and controlled breathing (and at the same time you’re training yourself to focus on your breathing which will help keep your mind off your anxieties), the better you will get at it, and if and when a panic attack hits, you will be able to at the very least, relax a bit and bring things down a notch.