How to Stop Panic Attacks

If you experience panic attacks there are methods that you can learn that will help stop them. The key to controlling your panic attacks is to confront your fear and feel as though you want to experience a panic attack. By doing this you can disempower the fear before it can develop into a fully blown panic attack. As crazy and scary as this sounds this method does actually work. Your fear is what draws the panic towards you. So shift your awareness away from the fear and instead focus on wanting to experience another panic attack. The wanting helps to push the panic away and reduces the power that the fear has over you. A panic attack is the result of being in a fearful situation where you feel that you have no control over what is happening to you. Panic attacks begin at the moment that you feel that you are no longer in control of the present situation. Some people who have panic attacks will avoid fearful situations but this is no solution as it just causes the fear to persist. In order to overcome the fear you have to confront the fear. You will probably find this very frightening to begin with but with repetition you will notice that your fear will start to diminish. Panic attack sufferers will dread the scary sensations that arrive with each attack and they will often believe that what they are experiencing is harmful or that they might even die. Please be reassured that you cannot be harmed by panic attacks as they are only sensations. This is a medically proven fact. The mind of a panic or anxiety suffer will often be filled with worry. This causes attention to become focused at the top of the head. It will help you to alleviate your anxiety if you try to become more centred as this will draw attention away from your head. Try to spend some time pursuing a relaxing hobby or learning meditation, Tai Chi or yoga for example. Learning how to relax is crucial to overcoming your anxiety. Panic attacks often begin with a shortness of breath. You can stop a panic attack by practising breathing exercises that are designed to slow your breathing. The next time you feel the onset of a panic attack try and focus your attention on your breathing and slow it down by taking longer and deeper breaths. This will slow down your heart rate which will have increased due to the panic and will restore calm. Try and exhale as much air as you can from your lungs as this will help you to breathe more deeply on the next in breath. When you breathe slow and deep you will find that it helps to calm your mind. Panic attacks can be triggered if you have experienced trauma in the past when the unconscious memory becomes associated with something that you are experiencing in the present. You should try and focus on what is going on in the present moment rather than dwell on things from the past or worries about the future. You can do this by paying more attention to what is going on around you. Pay attention to the colours, sound and smells. Try touching objects to experience how they feel or stroke an animal. Aromatherapy oils such as lavender have a calming and soothing effect on the body and mind if you smell them. They are good to carry with you if you suffer from anxiety. There is a great natural aid for anxiety and it is called "Rescue Remedy" which is a Bach Flower essence and can be purchased in health food stores. Keeping an anxiety journal is a good idea where you write notes about the things that you most fear. Next to all the things that your find fearful you should write down something that would calm that fear. The idea is that when you experience these fears the next time, you repeat the things to yourself that would calm your fear. There is no need for you to continue living with panic attacks. This article has suggested a few techniques that you can use to control your panic and anxiety. You can learn to overcome panic and anxiety and regain control over your life. For more information on how to stop panic attacks please visit www.saybyetopanic.com