Ways You Can Beat Panic Attacks
For most people, overcoming panic attacks is as easy as putting into practice an a few simple tools so that they can regain control of their life. Without a doubt, you’re going to want to speak with your doctor before proceeding. They can help you understand what triggers your panic attacks and this can help you turn the irrational fears that trigger the attacks into a more normal response to those situations. You are definitely not alone in dealing with this and talking to friends and family can also help give clues about what it is that triggers your attacks.
Once you have a handle on what is triggering your panic attacks, you can start to replace the negative associations with positive ones. These positive thoughts will come to supplant the negative ones, allowing you to realize that there is no real danger to you. Breathing exercises can also help a lot during these situations:
First, think about a particular circumstance that triggers your attacks. Draw your breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. Do this slowly. At first it will be quite difficult because your natural tendency during a panic attack is to breath too fast. This is called hyperventilation and it is one of the more unpleasant and physical symptoms of panic attacks. By controlling your breathing, you slow your heart rate down and you will be able to regain rational control of your faculties.
Begin practicing this type of breathing and concentrate on controlled breathing. Just focus on the breathing and feel the air come in and out of your lungs. The idea is for you to regain control of your physical symptoms. Once you’ve gotten the breathing down, try and do it for longer periods of time. At first, just try ten breaths in and out with no thoughts. If a negative thought does cross your mind, go back and start again until you can do all ten breaths without any negative thoughts. With practice, you’ll be able to allay the symptoms of your panic attacks prior to their making your life miserable.
You can also try herbal and alternative remedies to combat panic attacks. Some people have also had great success with hypnotherapy using a technique called neuro-linguistic programming or NLP for short. Basically, this employs the use of hypnosis with positive language associations.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (or CBT for short) has also proven to be helpful for many folks. Some people only need a half- dozen treatments with a person trained to employ the therapy. The idea of CBT is to identify your negative thoughts and behaviors and replace them with positive and balanced ones.
One thing is clear – it’s possible to overcome anxiety attacks – you do not have to shut yourself away. Many treatments do not involve taking prescriptions and will help you immensely. You’ll be able to build your own toolbox of panic attack defenses that will allow you to exact greater control over your life. Your panic attacks will become controllable and eventually you will be free of them altogether.
When I was first told I was having panic attacks, I researched everything I could get my hands on. A good place to utilize for 10 easy methods of overcoming panic attacks can be found here