Secret to Stop Panic Attacks Fast
When you are having a panic attack the only thing that you want in the world is for it to end, or for you to be able to get away to a safe place. I know this because I have been there, many many times. I have found through trial and error the secret to stop panic attacks are a few simple techniques to calm myself down and to bring myself back into the precious present moment.
I am assuming that if you are reading this that you have experienced a panic attack or someone you care about has had one and you want to help them. The panic attack experience is one of the worst experiences a person can go through so any information that can help to end one should be tried at least once. If you get good enough at doing these techniques you can even stop panic attacks for good.
Since this article is on stopping a panic or anxiety attack I’m not going to go into the symptoms that you will be having. But the secret to ending a panic attack is to go after those symptoms and slow and eventually stop them, thus ending the panic attack episode.
The first thing that I do when I am having a panic attack is to reassure myself that this is harmless. It feels terrible and anxious but no one has ever died from a panic attack. It is just chemicals being released throughout my body by my mind that has misintepreted the situation. No matter how scared I am or anxious or shaking and trembling, these are only reactions to the chemicals my brain has sent to my body to survive a dangerous event. I am not in a dangerous situation, so I can just go with the flow.
The next thing that I do is a breathing exercise. You should really practice this at times when you aren’t having a panic attack to be most effective. It is like everything else, the more you practice the better that you get at it. My breathing exercise has been proven to change your physiological status - so to return you to a more normal feeling. I simply inhale through my nose counting to 2, hold for a second, and breath normally out my mouth counting to 4. I do this a minimum of 10 times. If I haven’t settled down by then, I do another 10 repetitions. I also close my eyes when appropriate, that is, if I’m not driving, and visualize the numbers as I count them. This really takes your mind away from the panic attack.
The third thing I do is to think of positive things that will make me happy or have made me happy in the past. Something as simple as playing with my cat or remembering a happy event from the past when I was really excited about something. I also blend in with my positive thoughts that this is only anxiety, nothing more. I remind myself that I have had this before and it has never hurt me, just made me feel uncomfortable. Then I think about how good it will be in 10 minutes or so when this is over.
The last thing I do is to try to relax. This is usually difficult for me, depending on where I am at the time of the panic attack. If I am at home or a place where I can lay down and close my eyes than I do that. If not, than I try to relax by concentrating on what thoughts are going through my mind and trying to stop thinking. To completely stop your thoughts is more difficult than it sounds, but again, with practice you can get pretty good at this. It is almost a meditation, so if you practice meditating you can slip into this mode much easier. If you can’t shut your mind off, then focus completely on your breathing. I mean, think about the breath going in and going out. This will take over your mind and than you can try to think of nothing.
So those are the tricks I use to stop panic attacks when I have one. I hope that you can use these as effectively as I have and go on with your day and your life. The best thing would be to cure your panic attacks forever. There are various ways to do this but it is up to you to choose your method. There are books available, and videos, and of course, you can seek the help of a doctor. Whatever way you choose, I hope that you do this sooner rather than later. The longer you take the more entrenched panic attacks can become.
