March 24th, 2009
Getting Through Panic Attacks
An anxiety disorder can be a helpless and frustrating condition to deal with on your own. A Panic attack can strike at any time and they are highlighted by sudden but yet aggressive feelings of fear for what seems like no reason at all, a sense of apprehension, and possibly even feelings of uncontrollable terror. These attacks can last for a few minutes or they can last even longer. If you are unprepared these can be very frightening moments.
Your doctor can help you in controlling these attacks when you feel them coming on but there are also some steps you can take on your own that will help you bring your panic attacks under control and make them subside as quickly as possible.
If you feel an anxiety attack coming on, the first thing you need to do is gain control of your breathing. Panic attacks are punctuated by shallow and rapid breathing which does not allow the proper flow of oxygen to the bloodstream and throughout the body. This can result in dizziness and muscle tension or muscle spasms. Take deep breaths and attempt to get your breathing back to the normal deep breathing that is necessary for proper oxygen intake. Proper breathing will help you to control your attack better and deflect some of the effects that can prolong your attack such as light headedness and nausea.
There are ways you can learn to gain control of the muscle functions of your body that will allow you to counteract any Panic Disorders such as a panic attack should one arise. There are age old methods such as yoga and then there are other methods such as progressive muscle relaxation which will teach you to gain control of your body and counteract the effects of an attack.
Another way you can help yourself reduce your Anxiety Attacks is to attempt to avoid situations where you feel stress or situations that can cause you apprehension or fear. This is not always a reliable way to avoid attacks as they are sometimes unpredictable but if you can reduce the situations in your life where an attack could occur then it can allow you to exercise better control over your body and help to keep you out of situations where an attack may strike.
You can assist yourself in avoiding stressful situations by keeping a log of situations that have traditionally triggered attacks in the past and then do your best to avoid those situations in the future. Having a detailed account of what may have triggered your condition in the past can help you to possibly understand why these attacks keep happening and what you can do to reduce your exposure to situations that could bring about stress or tension. Many of the causes of attacks are subconscious so it would take a detailed exploration of the causes of attacks to understand what situations your body and mind consider stressful.
Sometimes life just throws you curves and you need to learn how to handle them better by developing life coping skills. It is no small thing to tell someone to learn to handle life’s bumps better but it is essential to your health that you learn to deal with life situations and reduce your Anxiety Attacks.
