Attacks of panic can come on quickly and be quite intense. Preparing for them can lessen their impact or prevent them altogether. According to one report, about 13%Trusted Source of individuals will have a panic attack at some point in their lives.
Although it is impossible to know when a panic attack will come in advance, being prepared for one can help the sufferer feel more in command of the situation and make it easier to deal with.
In this piece, we'll discuss techniques for halting a panic attack and general strategies for dealing with worry. There will also be a discussion on how to assist someone experiencing a panic attack.
Curing Your Panic Attack
Fearful panic episodes can strike at any time and can be debilitating. Here are 12 techniques that may help you prevent or lessen the severity of panic attacks. Some could benefit you now, while others might aid you in the long run.
Go To A Therapist
Those who suffer from panic attacks or panic disorders can often find relief via cognitive-behavioural therapy and other forms of treatment. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) aims to help you develop more adaptive responses to stressful circumstances by altering your perspective.
Individuals or groups, virtually or in person, and for varying amounts of time, can all benefit from cognitive behavioural therapy. In exposure-based CBT, you and your therapist gradually increase your exposure to whatever sets off your anxiety attacks. In addition to modifying your actions, CBT has been shown to impact the mental structures that underlie your panic attacks.
In 2018 observed that participants who underwent four weeks of exposure-based CBT saw alterations in their brain networks associated with panic attacks. Nonetheless, this was a preliminary study, and further work is required.
Use Deep Breathing
While shallow breathing is a common characteristic of panic attacks and can worsen anxiety, deep breathing helps alleviate panic attacks in progress. Forty persons participated in either a treatment group that practised deep or diaphragmatic breathing or a control group; the study was published in 2017.
Those who trained themselves to focus on their breathing for 20 hours reported gains in their concentration and general happiness. Cortisol levels in the blood were also lower, indicating less stress in this population. However, these techniques may be helpful for those who suffer from panic episodes but do not have panic disorder, like the study participants.
Researchers from a different group discovered the same thing with slow breathing. They theorized that it might alleviate stress, anxiety, sadness, rage, and bewilderment while enhancing sensations of calm, ease, and vigilance.
Realize You Have A Panic Attack
Knowing that you are experiencing a panic attack rather than a heart attack will help you reassure yourself that the feeling will pass and that you are fine. Eliminate the dread that you are dying or something terrible is about to happen, which both indicate a panic attack. This can free up your attention for use in other symptom-reduction strategies. Although avoiding panic attack triggers is not always feasible, being aware of what sets off your attacks can help you recognize them for what they are.
Shut Your Eyes
Intense or many stimuli might bring on a panic attack. Rapid-fire conversation and another sensory overload might worsen an anxiety attack. If you have a panic attack, closing your eyes might help you feel less overwhelmed by the outside world. This might help you tune out distractions and concentrate on your breath.
Pay Attention
Meditation on present experiences might help you centre yourself in the world as it truly is. You can use this to battle the feelings of disconnection and isolation accompanying a panic attack.
- being fully present at the moment
- being aware of your current emotional condition
- meditation as a means of relieving tension and unwinding
Find A Focal Point
When experiencing a panic attack, some people find it helpful to concentrate intensely on a single task. Select something visible and take in as much information as possible about it. The clock's hand may seem to jerk when it ticks, and it may also appear to be slightly off-center. Identify the object's size, shape, colour, and pattern to yourself. Please put all your attention on it, and your panic attacks can start to fade.
Practice Muscular Relaxation
Tension in the muscles is a standard indicator of anxiety and learning to relax your muscles before an anxiety attack can help you feel better and calm down faster. The goal of progressive muscle relaxation is to relax the body as a whole, which focuses on easing tension in smaller groups of muscles at a time.
