How to Stop Panic Attacks

We all have fears, it is part of being humans. However, not everyone can
deal with these fears in a logical, healthy way. The fear of something
happening takes over their lives and they find it difficult to do daily
activities. Panic Attacks can get so severe that people affected by them
find living their lives challenging. Many do not know how to stop panic
attacks and symptoms worsen over time. There are a few tips that can help
stop Panic Attacks before they start.

Tip #1 - Breathing is one of the most important ways to stop Panic Attacks.
Focus on how long each breath is taking, try to inhale and exhale in equal
intervals and pay close attention to the way you are breathing. This will
not only help your mind and body to relax, but it will take your mind off
having a panic attack.

Tip #2 -When you feel a panic attack coming on, you can stop it. Take an
object and focus all of your attention on verbalizing its details. Describe
everything you see just as it is, its height, color and any particular
markings. It is very difficult to have a panic attack while focusing on
measurement, patterns or color. Even if sight is not your strongest sense,
any detailed description will work as long as what your senses are picking
up is what is being verbalized.

Tip #3 - Eliminating stimulants can be very helpful when stopping panic
attacks. Any products that contain caffeine can affect a person in the same
way as having an actual panic attack. Those who suffer from these attacks
may feel anxious and have higher heart rates and caffeine will only make
these symptoms worse.

Tip #4 -When things get too overwhelming or hard to handle, take a break.
Leaving the situation can be beneficial because it may get rid of whatever
is causing the panic attack. It can even be as simple as taking a walk; you
may just need to physically relocate. Getting out works well because you are
also getting exercise. People who suffer from panic attacks usually have
more levels of adrenaline and exercising can reduce these levels.

Tip #5 - The most important tip in how to stop panic attacks is to not think
of them. Of course, this is easier said than done, but if you constantly
think you will have a panic attack, chances are, you will have one. It is
important to keep busy and focus your mind on other things. Things like
puzzles or reading can help keep the mind stimulated and sharp.

Dealing with panic attacks can be very scary and emotionally draining. It is
important to know how to stop them, otherwise they can take over your life
and you will miss out on all the good things. If you find dealing with them
to overwhelming, it is best to get professional help.

Symptoms of Panic Attacks

One of the biggest causes of Panic Attacks is, fearing one will happen.
Those who have experienced Panic Attacks before generally find ignoring the
fact that another could happen at any time to be very difficult and they
become consumed with this fear. Panic Attacks bring about symptoms, but all
they are is symptoms! Contrary to what many people believe, symptoms cannot
hurt you and actually can be ignored. Symptoms of panic attacks can increase
fear, but they are not something you have to deal with all the time.

The symptoms of panic attacks themselves are due to changes in the body when
stress is experienced. One of the symptoms is rapid heartbeat and so, it is
possible for the person to feel they will die or their heart will explode.
There is an irrational fear, but in reality, no one has ever died from
symptoms of panic attacks. Symptoms can make panic attacks worse so it is
crucial to understand these symptoms and their irrelevance.

Many times, symptoms include numbness in the arms or legs. This is common
among those who suffer from panic attacks and can continue to increase
stress levels. This particular symptom is caused by the tension that can
build in the body when going through a panic attack. Tension itself can be
the cause of many symptoms that are experienced and many people complain of
muscle discomfort, headaches or migraines.

Some people have worse panic attacks because they do not realize that
symptoms of panic attacks are nothing more than that. They may feel that
they are symptoms of another disease and the fear of something else being
wrong or having other illnesses can increase the amount and the severity of
panic attacks. Some symptoms can instill terror because many do not feel
they are the result of panicking and the person affected may feel anxious
that there is more wrong than there actually is.

Some common symptoms of panic attacks include, dizziness or unsteadiness,
fear of losing control, rapid heartbeat, skin losing color, chills or hot
flashes, shortness of breath or a choking sensation. Since panic attacks are
characterized by paranoia, it is important to remember that not all people
experience the same symptoms and if you have some that are not listed, it
does not mean you are suffering from a worse illness. There are many
symptoms of panic attacks and it is difficult to name them all. However, if
you are experiencing four or more, you may want to seek professional help.

It is important to be educated about the symptoms of panic attacks and how
to prevent them. The more you understand your symptoms and realize that they
cannot cause you any harm, the easier it will be to handle any attacks.

Symptoms of a panic Attack

You can suffer from Panic Attacks at any stage of your life and these sudden feelings of terror one gets can strike without any warning.  As well as a Panic Attack occurring during the day you could even suffer them at night as you sleep.  Generally people who suffer from this disorder will experience some but not all the symptoms of a Panic Attack when it occurs.

Panic attacks will normally only last for a short period of time around 10 minutes if you have one.  However, sometimes you may find that some of the symptoms associated with such attacks may last for quite a bit longer.  Certainly once you have had one panic attack you are at a greater risk of suffering from others in the future.  For those who have to deal with panic attacks quite regularly then they are suffering from the condition which is referred to as Panic Disorder.

There are not only physical symptoms that a sufferer of panic attacks will have to deal with, but there are the mental ones as well.  Below we take a look at the symptoms of a panic attack which a sufferer needs to be aware so that they know when an attack is occurring.

1.  You may when you are having a panic attack feel dizzy and apprehensive.  Often you may find yourself panicking when there isn’t anything for you to panic about.  Sometimes the dizzy can lead to you feeling weak and in some cases if it becomes a severe attack you may faint.

2. Sometimes you may find it hard to breathe when an attack occurs as there seems to be some kind of restriction to your chest and may be your throat.  The constriction of the chest is often caused by your body trying to combat the surge of adrenalin within the body.

3. You will find that your heart rate is much faster than normal in order to try and pump more oxygen around the body.  Because your body is using up more oxygen then you find yourself beginning to hyperventilate (you are breathing much faster and deeper).  This is because your body is trying to get more oxygen into it in order to replace that which has been lost.

4. When you suffer a panic attack you may start to feel disassociated from the things around you.   Sometimes it can feel as you are moving away from things that are real or your vision becomes tunneled.  Although these kinds of symptoms are also associated with a person having a heartache one needs to be aware that when they occur with a panic attack they won’t hurt you. 

Although the symptoms of a panic attack may seem frightening to those who have them it is important for you to remember that the attack can be controlled.  The first thing to do when you feel that an attack is approaching is to start breathing very slowly and very deeply.  Even this can provide you with the ability to get the panic attack under control and you will hopefully begin to feel better shortly afterwards.