Experience with anxiety teaches that it is never helpful to say “it’s only a panic attack” to somebody suffering through one. In addition to causing shortness of breath, muscle pain and vomiting, a panic attack can mimic cardiac arrest and other serious health problems. Emergency room patients are often brought to the hospital unnecessarily, honestly afraid that their unpleasant and frightening symptoms are indicative of impending death, rather than emotional distress. Being aware of the symptoms and learning how to cope with panic attacks will make it easier to stay out of the emergency room.
The first step to coping with panic attacks is to recognize the sympoms that come with the onset of an attack. Knowledge of what is normal during one is critical in order to be able to make logical, informed decisions about whether there is any genuine life threatening danger. Hormonal reactions to stress include flooding the body with what it needs to defend itself in a dangerous situation. This hormone increases heart rate, flushes the skin and can cause heavy perspiration. Chest pain and queasiness are also common signs of anxiety. Believing that you are ill, dying or going crazy are psychological symptoms that often accompany a panic attack.
Once you have established that you are in fact having an anxiety attack, rather than a physical crisis, find a quiet place to sit. No matter what anybody has told you, your emotions belong to you. Acknowledging, accepting, or even welcoming them, will help you move on to the next step where you may begin doing something to make them go away. As you sit peacefully and come to terms with your experiences, remember that you should never feel guilty or ashamed about your emotions. Negativity will be of no use as help for curing panic attacks.
Possessing a selection of practical techniques to know how to cope with panic attacks will help prevent escalating negative emotions. Many people permit their minds to create increasingly overwhelming fears as the terror grows. For example, somebody afraid of public speaking may have concerns about perspiration and blushing in front of an audience. This fear may escalate to being afraid of being laughed at. Believe in your ability to ignore the “what if”, as these questions rarely lead you to useful information. Let logic safely guide you, even if the anxiety is giving you conflicting instructions. Remembering that it is unlikely that anybody will even notice your red cheeks is helpful for learning how to stop blushing.
Talk to somebody you trust about your fears. If your friend reassures you that your triggers are harmless, choosing to expose yourself to these experiences in small, controlled amounts can help you to become more desensitized to their hold over you. As you do, accept that the fear is a valid expression of your emotions, but that these are not based on facts. Trust yourself to be able to work through these feelings and come out in a better place. Learning some new methods for facing your particular triggers can help you get through difficult moments. For people struggling with claustrophobia, a small fan blowing air directly toward the face can help relieve the overwhelming sensation of being trapped and running out of air.
Calm breaths are not effective for curing panic attacks, however, breathing exercises may help reduce the hormone rush that triggers them. Deep breaths that come from our belly and fully expand your lungs will help reduce the effects of hyperventilation. These breathing exercises may also help with learning the cure for blushing. Close your eyes and imagine your body being filled with life giving oxygen, filling your lungs and spreading to your extremities and relaxing your limbs. An added bonus of controlled breathing is to distract you from falling into the trap of dwelling on what else can go wrong, accidentally adding to the list of things you are feeling afraid of.
In order to be able to work on curing panic attacks, you need show patience for yourself. A full blown anxiety disorder didn’t appear without warning overnight and is very unlikely to vanish as quickly as that. Congratulate yourself for each bit of progress and forgive yourself for any understandable and slips.
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