Going for a walk and talking to people are two ways to reverse the onset of panic attacks.
While panic attacks used to be written off as nerves or people incapable of handling stress, they are now recognized as a legitimate medical condition. Medication is available for sufferers of chronic panic attacks. If you feel that you suffer from a medical condition such as anxiety, seek the advice of a medical professional. If you only suffer from occasional bouts of anxiety, there are at-home preventative measures you can take to keep your panic at bay.
Identify the Cause
Usually panic attacks have a specific trigger. The best way to keep from having panic attacks is to identify that trigger and either deal with it through counseling or self-help methods, or to avoid that trigger. While avoiding certain triggers isn't always possible, at least understanding what is causing your panic will allow you to recognize what is happening sooner at the onset of an attack and change your circumstances to avoid allowing that attack to run its full course.
Learn About the Condition
Understanding as much as possible about what is physically happening during a panic attack can help alleviate some of the feelings of fear that occur during one. Sufferers of panic attacks often feel like they are going to die, pass out or have a heart attack. A panic attack cannot actually cause any of those things to happen, so take a deep breath and remind yourself that nothing bad is going to happen to you physically.
Take Care of Your Body
Try exercising on a regular basis to help ease your anxiety. The hormones released during and after exercise give people a positive "high." Doing yoga or meditation exercises are also helpful for reducing the incidence of panic attacks. Get enough sleep so you are better equipped to handle whatever life throws at you each day. Avoid chemical triggers of panic. Stimulants like caffeine, depressants like alcohol and illegal drugs of both varieties are all known to increase the frequency of or worsen panic attacks. Keep your mind and body clear to help keep your panic attacks to a minimum.
Reverse the Initial Feelings of Panic
If you have taken all of the recommended lifestyle approaches to minimize panic attacks and still find yourself at the onset of one, try to calm yourself back down. Some people drink water or tea to force their breathing to slow down. Others recommend laying down and focusing on slowing the breath, and others force hyperventilation. The fastest way to calm yourself down at the onset of a panic attack is to focus on your breathing and fill and empty your lungs as completely and slowly as possible. This will force your thoughts off of the panic and onto your breath, and physically reverse the fight-or-flight reaction of your body's system initiated by panic. Try different methods of stopping panic and find what works for you at the onset of an attack. Keep the methods that are best for you written somewhere safe and handy so you can get to it quickly if you need to.
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