Tips for Panic Attacks

Because your panic attacks can strike anywhere without warning, you will be at their mercy until you have some tips for panic attacks to help shorten or eliminate them entirely. Here are seven of the most effective tips for panic attacks:

Tips for Panic Attacks Number One:

There's no better way to stop an attack in its tracks than by taking control of the physical processes that the panic attack is trying to hijack. Begin with your breathing:

The minute you begin to feel uneasy, force yourself to relax by taking control of your breathing pattern by breathing from your belly. Take slow, deep breaths which give these your brain time to reset its chemical processes, and helps infuse your body with a feeling of calm.

Begin by moving your shoulders around to relax and detention that has built up in your upper back. Warm your hands by rubbing them together and then placed one hand over the other on your abdomen, with the lower hand on your navel.

Inhaling slowly and deeply through your nose, you’ll notice your abdomen rising. When you can't hold any more air, hold your breath for a count of five. Then form an “O” with your lips, and very slowly exhale. You'll feel your shoulders relaxing even more as you release the air. Once your lungs are empty, slowly count to five and repeat the process two more times. Focus either on your breathing, or on a relaxing image. Close your eyes if you need to keep from being distracted.

Tips for Panic Attacks Number Two:

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for people fighting panic attacks is that they find their symptoms so frightening that their panic only increases. Almost anyone faced with a pounding heart, tingling extremities, shortness of breath, and the other signs of a panic attack will naturally be alarmed.

If, however, you've been through panic attacks and know what they feel like, simply try focusing your attention away from the symptoms. Pick up a book or magazine, or listen to some of your favorite music. If you're away from home, focus on the scenery or the clothing of the people around you. Simply keep looking around and repeating to yourself the names of everything you see (don't do this out loud if you're in a crowd!)

Your brain will eventually catch on that there is nothing threatening out there, and your symptoms will subside.

Tips for Panic Attacks Number Three:

Flop! Have you ever watched Silly Putty "relax" after a kid is done playing with it? No matter how it was twisted and shaped, it eventually returns to a shapeless puddle. When a panic attack coming on, your muscles will tense into a "fight-or-flight" state of readiness. As soon as you sense them doing that, choose to relax instead.

Sit down, ball your hands into fists, and rest one forearm on each thigh. Breathe deeply as you tighten and lift your shoulders, holding your breath and tensing your shoulders while counting to three. Exhale through your lips while lowering your shoulders, relaxing your fists, and turning your palms face up. Slowly drop your head toward your thighs as your neck muscles stretch. Then raise your hand slowly, inhaling through your nose and holding your breath for 3 seconds. As you exhale, let every one of your muscles relax until you feel completely shapeless. Keep repeating the effort until you know you have beaten the panic attack!

Tips for Panic Attacks Number Four:

Take an honest look at your diet! If you are prone to panic attacks because heredity made you more sensitive than other people to the potential threats in your surroundings, the last thing you should do is fill your body with stimulants like caffeine, refined sugar, or nicotine.

The majority of people who drink coffee do so for the buzz they get from the caffeine, but for you, caffeine may mean not only an upset stomach and a loss of focus, but an increased risk for panic attacks. Caffeine is not only in coffee; it's in tea, chocolate, cola, and headache medications!

Do you add sugar your coffee, and gulp it down with your sweetened breakfast cereal? That’s heaping a double whammy on your ability to battle panic attacks! The quick energy which sugar supplies is always followed by a drop in blood sugar, and low blood sugar signals your body to release adrenaline. Adrenaline is the hormone which starts the panic attack cycle.

So why not lose the refined sugar and substitute complex carbohydrates like whole grains? You’ll get their vitamins and minerals, and the fiber which makes them digest far more slowly than refined carbohydrates, preventing those adrenaline-producing blood sugar crashes!

Tips for Panic Attacks Number Five:

Decompress. Decompressing simply means coming up with your own ritual to wipe your emotional slate clean when you've been in a stressful situation. You can choose whatever you like. Reading, taking up a quiet hobby, or simply sitting and listening to some relaxing music or taking in a peaceful view are all great possibilities. Don't fall into the trap of using alcohol as your decompression tool!

Tips for Panic Attacks Number Six:

Be prepared. While you're learning the techniques in making the lifestyle changes which will help you conquer your panic attacks, be sure that you always have emergency contact numbers, including your doctor's, with you in case you should suffer an attack in a strange place.

Tips for Panic Attacks Number Seven:

Do whatever it takes! If you are taking medication or your panic attacks, make sure you have it with you at all times, and don't be ashamed to carry along a personal "warm-and-fuzzy” with which you can distract yourself if you feel panic building. It could be a book of inspirational sayings, a photograph of one of your loved ones, or even a beloved toy.

A panic attack can make you feel as helpless as you did when you were sure there were monsters under the bed, with these tips for panic attacks you can fight back the way you wanted to then!

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