Coping With Panic Attacks – A Few Tips You Should Know   

Coping with panic attacks can seem like something out of reach to some individuals.  Panic attacks are real and affect a large percentage of the population.  Some of these individuals have not been able to conquer this disorder.  Here are some ways that you can start today.  Don’t give up if you don’t get immediate relief.  It will take time to master these suggestions and make them a useful tool in your arsenal in coping with panic attacks.

In order to deal with a panic attack, it helps to understand what it is.  It is a sudden rush of intense anxiety and/or worries which causes symptomatic response in the body such as increased heart rate, stomach discomfort, sweating and chest tightness. 

It can also interrupt your active perception of the world and interfere with your sleep patterns.  They are usually unannounced and random in nature.  The physical reactions also include the increase of hormones such as adrenalin in the body to react to the attack.

For those of you who think that panic attacks are neurotic episodes, ask a sufferer how they feel during one.  The symptoms are genuine and debilitating.  The APA (American Psychological Association) has determined that panic attacks last about a half an hour, although there are exceptions.  Severe panic attacks can lead to agoraphobia, a fear of being around people, in open spaces or in social situations.

As in any program of recovery, the patient must admit that they have a disorder that needs treatment.  There may very well be an underlying condition which is triggering the attack, such as an unresolved childhood trauma.  Without taking these first steps, you can’t begin to try and deal with coping with panic attacks.  There are millions of sufferers worldwide and more and more people understand this disorder each day so you aren’t alone.

Spend time learning about panic attacks and try to find out if there are any times in your life that you could have suffered a trauma that could be the underlying trigger of your panic attacks.  Remember that panic attacks are physiological.  The attack is your body’s response to something psychological.  It is a mechanism similar to fight or flight.  Your body is trying to protect itself from something dangerous or threatening.

Control is the key in getting through a panic attack.  Shut your eyes and leave them closed for about ten to fifteen seconds.  Reassure yourself that the fear is not rational.  Breathe deeply and remind yourself that there is a solution to this problem.  As you breathe, you will feel your body start to relax.  If you haven’t consulted a medical professional yet, it is strongly encouraged that you do so.  Your physician can train you additional techniques and prescribe medication to help you get through a severe panic attack.

As you understand your panic attacks more, you will need to desensitize yourself to the triggers that bring them on.  Exposing yourself to the stimuli that brings them on will allow you to learn to cope with them and develop better ways of coping with panic attacks.  As time progresses, you will hopefully deal with whatever is causing your attacks and put them in your past for good.

There are numerous other techniques to cope with panic attacks.  As you do more research, you will find out the best ways and methods for you in coping with panic attacks.

If you want to learn more about how to handle your panic attacks, go here: http://www.betteranxietyremedies.com/CopingwithPanicAttacksSolution.asp

Resources:

Wikipedia Anxiety Page - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety