Controlling Panic Attacks - Self help

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If you suffer from panic attacks that can manifest themselves as if from nowhere, and not always for any immediately apparent understandable reason, and have no way of controlling them, you will understandably live in constant fear of when the next attack might hit you. In this situation, controlling panic attacks should be top of your priority list and this article is designed to point you in the right direction to that end.

The first thing that you should be aware of is that you are not alone. In the United States alone, 18.1% of the population suffers from severe anxiety disorders; in statistical terms this relates to over 40 million adults between the ages of 18 to 54. Many of these people have already learnt how to go about controlling panic attacks in order to allow themselves to get on with their lives, without living in constant fear of when the next attack will occur, whilst in the meantime a cure for their exact anxiety related problem  is being sought or pursued.

Firstly you must realize that panic attacks are a very real problem. Don’t be fooled by the words “panic attack” into thinking that this is just some sort of silly mind game that will go away of its own accord. It will not. In actual fact, it will only get worse if left untreated. The frequency of the attacks will increase, as will their severity, and that is precisely why controlling panic attacks is so very important.

There is no magic to controlling panic attacks. The techniques are simple and easy. It’s just a process of knowing what these techniques are, and knowing how to apply them.

In the first instance, you should see your doctor. He/she may not be able to give you a medicine to make the panic attacks go away but he/she will be able to: (a) confirm the diagnosis, (c) check for any underlying physical causes (hypoglycemia, allergies, dietary problems etc), and (d) work together with you to help build a program for controlling panic attacks. As we said earlier, this is not rocket science. The sort of things that you need to do include:

• Controlling your worry by selecting a time of day (or night) to set aside specifically for letting your worry loose. But channel that worry positively. Do not dwell on what might happen; think about what you will do.
• Learn some relaxation techniques: muscle relaxation, massage, yoga, deep breathing exercises. Muscle relaxation simply involves choosing a muscle, tensing it/them for a few seconds and then relaxing it/them. You can work your whole body a bit at a time; try starting with you feet.
• Ensure you get sufficient sleep
• Avoid drug abuse (including alcohol)
• Cut out caffeine
• Begin confronting your anxieties in your chosen time slot and start by imagining solving the problem; try thinking positively
• Take any medication your doctor may give you
• Seek counseling and/or join any forum/discussion groups; you can search for these online. A problem shared is a problem halved.

Controlling panic attacks is a good therapy in itself because it is a positive step that you, yourself are taking. It is the first and most important step on the road to getting back in control

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