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Tips for Panic Attack Relief

One out of every ten Americans suffers from panic attacks. Most commonly caused by hereditary factors or stress, they are debilitating to their victims. Untreated, panic attacks can lead to phobias like agoraphobia, heightened anxiety and stress levels and general disruption in one’s social and work life.

There are a variety of treatments available, a combination of cognitive-behavior therapy and medication seem to be the most effective. However, successful treatment takes time, and in order to fully overcome a panic disorder, one must take an active role in their therapy.

Below are some tips for panic attack relief that will possibly even prevent them altogether.

Stay in the Moment

To ponder the past or anticipate the future only invites fear and anxiety. Possible scenarios of things that could happen will often flood the mind. It doesn’t help you, especially if you suffer from panic attacks, to worry needlessly over things that have not even happened yet. Even worse, do not dwell on things that already happened in the past. If you are unhappy with a situation, take active steps to rectify it, but do not replay past actions over and over in your mind.

Accept Your Fear and Panic

Another one of the great tips for panic attack relief is that if you start to feel anxious or a panic attack begins, take a deep breath and accept those feelings for what they are. Tell yourself that you are experiencing fear, anxiety or panic and let it run its course.

Make Lists 

Sometimes writing down the things you fear, contrasted with a list of things that make you feel calm and happy can give you something to think about if your start to panic. A list of only calming and happy things can be helpful on its own, to read when you start to feel the anxiety rise.

Breathe!

Stop and breathe. Close your eyes and mentally relax, take deep breaths from your diaphragm and envision calming images in your mind. You may want to practice this technique in less stressful situations so that you will feel more comfortable using it when you need it.

Aromatherapy

Oils of lavender, ylang ylang, sage and other herbs and flowers can have an extremely soothing effect when applied to pulse points on your neck or wrists.

Don’t “What If…?”

Needless worrying will not help you in time of anxiety, nor will it help the situation you are worrying about. This is one of many tips for panic attack relief that help you to not let your imagination take off with ideas of all the things that could go wrong. At worst, think of all the things that could go right! Best yet, nip these thoughts in the bud and start your deep breathing and relaxing.

Avoid Avoiding

While it is tempting to just avoid situations that make you feel anxious, it only serves to reinforce the idea that there is something wrong and scary about these situations. Telling yourself that it is your panic attack and not the place or situation in question that is stressful can help you stay integrated in your work and activities to the point where you may not associate anxiety with them anymore. While there are many more many more methods and hints to help you handle your anxiety, hopefully these tips for panic attack relief are found useful and invigorating.