My Fitness Edge

A panic attack may seem irrational for most people, but for those who are suffering from, it is a terrible experience comparable only to dying. The intense level of anxiety and fear that is experienced during each episode is simply unbearable. Here are some tips that could help stop panic attacks.

It has been said that panic attacks are among the most intense, most frightening experiences an individual can live through. No matter how frightening or debilitating this experience though, there are plenty of things you can do to stop these from ever occurring again. For one, you can familiarize yourself with the symptoms.

The classic symptoms of panic attack include breathlessness or heavy breathing, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, nausea, numbing sensation throughout the body, sense of losing control, of going crazy and of dying, flashing vision or tunnel vision, and a sense of impending doom. As many patients describe panic symptoms in general, an episode of panic is similar to the experience of dying in an agonizing, frightening way.

Fortunately however, these symptoms are not harmful or dangerous. You will live through them, unscathed, unharmed, although a bit shaken.

You are more likely to cope with the symptoms if you know how to identify them. You can react better and you can help your body with reducing the symptoms. You can exercise more calm and reason if you understand that it is something you can handle.

Second, try not to fight your way out of the symptoms. The more you try to fight with the symptoms, the more likely these will worsen. This is because your body will try to produce a chemical called adrenaline which can make your symptoms worse.

Instead, try to be as calm as possible and allow the symptoms to play their tricks on you. And while you’re at it, try to keep your mind away from the experience. Focus on your environment instead. Look for things that could distract you. Eventually, the symptoms will subside.

Last, practice relaxation and breathing techniques. During an attack, among the most important things to do is to relax and to control your breathing. Some techniques that could you could use to stop a panic attack are breathing techniques and the techniques taught in cognitive behavioral therapy.

Although each attack can only last for up to a few minutes (rarely does panic attack last for hours), the sensations are frighteningly intense enough to make the sufferer feel like he’s been going through with the symptoms for like hours. By following the suggestions above, you can minimize the intensity of each episode.