Yes! They are very real. And yes, they do account for 20 percent of all emergency room visits in hospitals. But to a person who has never experienced one, it’s hard to describe them in words. In an odd way, there seems to be no words available to express the feelings tumbling wildly throughout your system during this time.
And fear not, you’re certainly not alone, millions of people suffer from regular panic attacks just in the United States alone (and many of them needlessly wondering how to stop them). But answering the question of how to stop panic attacks isn’t completely straightforward. There are many different views on this topic and the reason for this has to do with the state of panic attack treatment today.
The State of Panic Attack Treatment Today
There are so many schools of thought in how to stop panic attacks, and they all have their merits. Why? Well mainly because of the surprisingly short “official” history of panic attacks.
Panic attacks have an interesting, if relatively short "official" history in modern medicine. Without a doubt, people throughout history — from the known to the unknown — have suffered from symptoms whose description sounded like today’s panic attack episode.
But believe it or not, it wasn’t until 1980 that the medical community put any type of name to the symptoms. Until then, not knowing what to make of it, they virtually ignored them. Doctors preferred to dismiss those who complained of them.
Medical books didn’t mention the episodes. And those who suffered with them did so quietly, only increasing the fear that they were going crazy. Sure you could stumble upon an occasional support group. But for most people, admitting to such a problem — which at that point had no real name — was a brave move.
Thankfully, all that has changed. Doctors now realize it’s an all too common problem. It has gained a description in medical texts and diagnostic manuals. But more than that, there are now ways to help you from ever having another one again and solve your problem of how to stop panic attacks.
How to Stop Panic Attacks:
Medication – Medication is the conventional method in treating panic attack. But this is only in cases of panic attack disorder. That is, you can only qualify for treatment of prescription medication if you symptoms are serious enough. If you’ve only had one panic attack in your life and it isn’t prevalent in your life, you probably won’t qualify for that bottle of Xanex.
Therapies – There are many different therapies that have become prevalent in the treatment of panic attacks and they have actually all been very successful. There are actually a number of therapies including cognitive, behavioral, and psychodynamic therapy. Many people prefer therapy over medication because of all the negative side effects of prescription meds.
Natural Methods – There are also a whole host of natural methods in which people can stop panic attacks. These ideas range from anxiety reducing exercises such as yoga, meditation, positive visualization, etc, to health related ideas (and these do work) such as reducing caffeine and exercising more, to the use of natural herbs to treat panic attacks.
So what should I do?
The first thing you should do if you’re suffering from panic attacks is to figure out exactly what the problem is. Go to the doctor and find out if you are actually having panic attacks. It’s entirely possible that you have a serious heart condition and you’re not going to be able to treat that with therapy.