Panic Attacks – How To Stop Them?
A panic attack is an anxiety disorder. Often she ambushes you. You are not prepared for it. The fear comes all of a sudden. You sweat, you breathe heavily, you feel sick and your heart is racing. Corresponding attacks usually last between 5 and 20 up to 30 minutes. In the following article, we get to know about How to stop a panic attack? So, don’t skip the article, from anywhere and read it carefully.
Panic attacks come so suddenly that you can no longer just go to the doctor. It is therefore important that you yourself know exactly what to do when the time comes again. Of course, it would be even better if you knew how to prevent panic attacks.
10 measures against panic attacks
We describe 14 measures that can help you survive a panic attack and make it as rare as possible. Point 4 is not a measure recommended by us but gives a brief insight into the conventional medical medication that is prescribed for panic attacks.
1. Recognize and accept the current state
First of all, it is important that you can recognize when you are having a panic attack and not believe that your life is actually in danger to stop a panic attack. If you have had a panic attack at least once, you will know what it feels like, what thoughts you had about it, and what feelings you were feeling.
If the ghost should repeat itself, recognize it in time and remind yourself that the last panic attack was over within a short time – and nothing had happened to you. So tell yourself, okay, this is a panic attack. I know that. It will be over soon. Because panic attacks are very short-lived.
In addition, do not stress or blame yourself for having panic attacks. It’s just the way it is. So there is no point in fighting it. It is much more effective to accept the panic attack as an instant part of your life, as a task that needs to be mastered with a lot of calm and patience, but also with practice of the measures presented here.
When do I need to get help?
However, if you are having a panic attack for the very first time, it is best to see your doctor as soon as possible, as panic attacks can also be signs of serious illness, such as a heart attack or stroke. If the panic attack lasts longer than usual or gets worse than usual, you should seek help. The same applies when panic attacks determine life and possibly even prevent you from working and deteriorate the overall quality of life.
2. Breathe calmly, slowly, and deeply
If you are afraid and panic, you breathe quickly, superficially, and hectically. On the other hand, those who breathe slowly and deeply cannot be afraid to stop a panic attack – they say. Because a calm breath signals to the rest of the body: Everything is fine, no need to panic!
So concentrate on your breath and breathe calmly, deeply, and slowly. Count slowly to four as you inhale and count slowly to four as you exhale. This way you can get your panic attack under control.
3. Inhale lavender oil
The lavender essential oil has long been used to relieve anxiety. It has a calming and relaxing effect. Always carry a vial of lavender essential oil with you and inhale the scent from it when you feel a panic attack is approaching to stop a panic attack. You can also dab a drop or two on the back of your hand or wrist and inhale the scent from there.
4. Be careful with conventional medicine drugs
If you see your doctor about panic attacks, you will usually be prescribed psychotropic drugs. With psychotropic drugs, however, keep in mind that some of them (especially the benzodiazepines mentioned) can have an enormous addictive potential to stop a panic attack, which means that you have to increase the dose again and again in order to achieve an effect, as the body develops a certain tolerance towards the drugs.
However, the higher the dose and the more often you have to use the remedies, the stronger is their side effects (tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, limited ability to think).
5. Make sure you are calm
Optical or acoustic stimuli can intensify panic attacks. If possible, find a quiet place if you have a panic attack. Leave shops, offices, bars – or wherever you are and go e.g. B. to the toilet, where you feel unobserved and can lean your back against a wall. This gives a feeling of stability and security. Close your eyes to focus on your breathing and other strategies to ease the attack.
6. Find your triggers
In some cases, panic attacks occur due to certain triggers, such as closed, narrow spaces, crowds, being alone, or also due to certain worries, e.g. B. Money worries when another bill flutters into the house that you know you can’t pay.
7. Get moving!
Some people find it a great relief not to sit or stand still during a panic attack, but to move or even just walk around the block. That way, the mind, and body cannot focus as much on the panic, the muscles cannot tense up as much, and the body can do what it would naturally do with panic and fear of death: run away.
8. Do mindfulness training
During a panic attack, one is disconnected from reality. You are in a world of your own. Mindfulness training helps you to ground yourself, to find your way back into reality. You are consciously turning your attention away from the source of fear or worry to other things.
9. Use techniques that relax the muscles
Since panic attacks are always accompanied by enormous muscle tension, relaxation techniques that focus on the muscles are extremely important to prevent panic attacks. But you can also use these techniques if you have a panic attack – but only if you have already mastered the process.
10. Live a healthy life!
Panic attacks are less likely to be affected by those who nourish their bodies well and keep them in good physical shape. Such a healthy lifestyle includes a healthy diet, adequate sleep, and regular drinking of water, as well as quitting smoking and reducing coffee and alcohol.
Also read: how to deal with a narcissistic