How to Deal With Panic Attacks

Anyone who’s been through one wants to know how to deal with anxiety episodes.  Here are a few tips to at least get you started on successfully moving beyond anxiety attacks.

It’s possible to get beyond these attacks  They’ll be ancient history.

To begin, know that it’s important to make an appointment with your physician if you haven’t already.  There are illnesses that can mimic a panic episode but aren’t.  You need to be certain you don’t have anything like that. 

After you’ve done that and you’ve had the physical evaluation and the diagnosis has been established, you can now deal with the feelings of anxiety.

Here Are Some Ways To Do It

You most likely have already heard about it but I’ll mention deep breathing again here because it is a good foundation.  For whatever reason, most people don’t breath deeply enough.  With anxiety] [disorders deep breathing is even more important because rapis, shallow breathing worsens the physical symptoms.

Also, paying attention to your breathing shifts your attention away from your automatic thoughts.

You can get more information on How to Stop a Panic Attack at that link.  Here I want to give you a very useful approach.

Stop the Automatic Thoughts

Anxiety can become a vicious cycle because the first minor symptoms trigger the fear that a full-blown attack might be starting.   This in turn worsens the symptoms, which…  

You see how that might go.

A way to halt this cycle is to take the perspective of like a third party observer rather than the person experiencing the symptoms. 

Because you’ve seen your doctor and had a thorough check-up, you know as a fact that you don’t have a physical problem.

You’ve also had these episodes before and know that as horrible as they seem you survive them.

Use this knowledge to give yourself permission to just what you’re feeling instead of getting caught up in it.  You’ve had a panic attack in the past and you got through so you realize you’ll likely survive this.

Observe the episode almost like you’re someone else rather than the one in the middle of it.  Focusing on fear about the anxiety attack will only make it worse.

Some people are able to adapt this detached attitude by imagining they’re watching themselves on a stage rather than getting completely caught up in the situation.  This detached attitudehelps them keep perspective and know that their fear isn’t caused by an actual physical danger.

Having survived anxiety events in the past without long-term consequences is a valid reason reason to question the validity of the current panic attack.

Psychologists often use these rational thoughts to help people defuse the fearful thoughts that accompany an anxiety attack.

However you can do it on your own even without a therapist.

A Great Resource

Of course this is only one way to go.  I found a review of an excellent program to free yourself from panic attacks that I highly recommend you check out.  Just follow that link.

Keep in mind that by not identifying with the panic attack you reduce its effect on you.

One of the best things to combact panic attacks is to become knowledgable.  Free yourself from panic and anxiety.  Go to Panic Attack Release.