Suffering a panic attack is a terrifying experience that can leave you wondering if you’ve just had a heart attack. However scary these panic attacks may be, it is important for you to realize that they cannot hurt you and that they are part of a condition, known as panic disorder, that affects millions of people. Understanding the physical and mental aspects of panic attacks and their underlying causes can help you to deal with them more calmly and rationally. The tips in this article are designed to give you all the information you need on the nature of panic attacks and the best prevention techniques and coping mechanisms.

Using tactics to distract yourself during a panic attack can help you calm down faster. Try counting backwards from 100 as quickly as you can. Work on a complex math problem. Turn on the radio, and sing along to a song that you know. Concentrate on eating an apple. Do a crossword puzzle. Anything that requires focus and clear thinking is going to help you take your mind off of your anxiety and channel it into an activity that will help you relax.

If you experience panic attacks, you may find it useful to carry “insurance” in the form of some type of anti-anxiety medication. Medicines such as clonazepam in very small, occasional doses can be extremely effective in quickly calming a panic attack. They are not meant to be taken daily and should, of course, be taken under a doctor’s instructions.

If you experience fear when having an attack, ask yourself if there’s something or someone in your surroundings that you should be fearing. Ask yourself if there is actually someone there who can harm you. It’s likely that you are actually safe and nothing bad will really happen.

When you are having a panic attack think about the reason you’re having one. What have you eaten today? Who did you spend time with? What were you thinking about just before it happened? Once you feel better, try to write down everything that might have affected your state of mind and led up to the panic attack and then narrow down the reasons.

Visualize yourself lying in a field of bubbles when you have your next panic attack. As they begin to burst you are able to move lower and lower into the pile of bubbles. The pile is never-ending so you know you are fully supported, relaxed, and surrounded by joy and love.

If you are beginning to feel some stress and feel a panic attack coming on, cup your hands and put them over your nose and mouth as you breathe. This action will simulate the action of breathing into a paper bag but is a lot more discrete.

Take a self-analysis before you have an attack. Finding the root causes of your fear can be enlightening. Look into what is causing your fear and share these deep fears with someone you trust. When you share and explore the root causes of your fear, it loses the power over your mind.

Believe it or not, practicing good posture is one way to lessen the occurrence of panic attacks. When you subconsciously move into a defensive position, your mind reacts with feelings of fear. Likewise, such positions often create tension in the body and obstruct your ability to breathe deeply and clearly. By reminding yourself to open your posture and relax whenever possible, you help to counteract a common trigger of panic attacks.

Go to the car wash to get rid of a panic attack. Scrub your car to a gorgeous shine and get every little detail clean. Get out a toothbrush and really scrub the tiny bits, and then when you’re done look at what you’ve accomplished and be proud of your hard work!

It is best not to worry too much about panic attacks and the feelings associated with them. It is best to avoid thinking about what causes your attacks and how difficult it is to deal with one. The thoughts alone can be the catalyst to start a full-blown panic attack! The underlying concept involves the power of suggestion in that simply letting the thought of panic attack enter your mind prevents you from pondering anything else.

Start with art! Art is an amazing way to express your feelings in a medium which no one but you has to understand. You can write poetry or paint a picture, and it doesn’t even matter if it’s good. If you don’t want to share it, you can literally burn it when you’re done!

Being informed about panic disorder and panic attacks is an important part of overcoming them. If you know exactly what is causing your distress and are aware of the physical symptoms that you are going to experience during an attack, you can feel calmer and more relaxed in the knowledge that you aren’t having a heart attack or other life-threatening experience. Moreover, you can take steps to alleviate the severity of an attack, when armed with the right knowledge.

Say Goodbye To The Misery Of Panic Attacks With This Helpful Information was originally published on Spring