Panic attacks can be a frightening occurrence in your life. When you have a panic attack, you might feel like you are having a heart attack or worse, feel as if you are dying. Here are some effective ways to deal with panic attacks so that you are better equipped to handle them.

To help you get through a panic attack it’s important to work on your breathing technique. Grab a paper bag or cup your hands and then breathe slowly in and out while covering your mouth. This will help you relax and your panic attack should pass and end very quickly.

If you want to limit the number of panic attacks your child experiences you should choose the foods you feed them carefully. Highly processed foods can make your child’s blood sugar to spike and lead to their panic attacks. Feeding your child healthy foods can help them to be as healthy as they can be and diminish their panic attacks.

During a panic attack it’s great to concentrate on what is great about yourself. Remember what you’re good at, or things you’ve done for others lately. Maybe you’re a kind person, or you have great empathy. All of the things about you which are amazing are what makes you you, so embrace them!

It’s a scary thing to see your child having a panic attack. The first thing that you should do is to try to get them to slow their breathing down. Many anxiety attacks consist of rapid breathing. You child may not be able to gain their composure without the help of your guidance.

If you begin to feel panic attacks when you are in high pressure situations like public speaking events, then you should try to understand that the situation is only temporary and that life goes on. As you get placed in more situations like these, you will become more relaxed and happy.

Change your environment when you feel a panic attack coming on. When you start feeling those familiar feelings, walk away and go to another location. Removing yourself from a situation might be enough to calm you down. Simply leaving the space where the panic attack began could disrupt the panic attack altogether.

Calm yourself during a panic attack with relaxing, positive thoughts. Visualize yourself in your favorite place on Earth, surrounded by people you love, doing something you enjoy more than anything else. You might imagine yourself at Niagara Falls at the Butterfly Conservatory, watching all of the gorgeous creatures flit around.

Consider imagining yourself as a boxer when you have a panic attack. Create a monster in front of you that is made up of all your bad feelings and stress. Now, beat the heck out of him. Knock off his arms, legs, eyes, antennae, and every part of his body until he’s nothing but a lump of goo on the ground.

If you’re feeling a panic attack come on, do something! Wash the dishes, take a bath, go for a long walk, but make sure you do something that either burns up your excess energy or helps to calm you down. Take the long walk and then follow it up with the long bath!

Panic attacks feel different for each person, to know if you suffer from them, here are some common panic attack symptoms: hyperventilation, dizziness, heightened or irrational fear, chest pain, an erratic heartbeat, rising heat in your face, impaired vision, and tingling in your extremities. While each person experiences panic in a different way, knowing the signs of an oncoming attack can help you to prepare yourself.

Constantly monitor your anxiety level. It is important that you are aware of these things in order to reduce anxiety and stress. This self-awareness may afford you the advantage of preempting attacks by enacting control as you sense anxiety rising. If you do suffer a panic attack, the increased awareness will help you end it more quickly.

Analyze your panic attack when you have one and concentrate on each symptom. If you’re breathing fast accept that it’s happening and then consciously try to slow it down. Next, look at your muscle groups and see if they’re clenched. If they are, breathe deeply and relax each one. You’ll find your analysis outlasts the attack.

When panic attacks start to be coupled with obsessive behaviors, like having to turn off a light three times to ensure that your child doesn’t die, it’s time to seek professional help. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder affects millions of people and can be treated, but you have to get help as the first step to the cure.

Having a panic attack is a terrible feeling, but if you use these tips you may be able to reduce the severity of an attack. Find out all that you can about panic attacks, so that you know more about your body and how best to cope with these attacks.

Fending Off Panic: Tips From People Who’ve Been There was originally published on Spring