Signs of a panic
attack
Panic attacks usually happen when you
feel a sudden fear for things don’t pose
actual dangers. For example, you can
experience a racing heartbeat for
example just because you’re in an alien
place with strangers and the thought of
being around strangers suddenly engulfs
you. Panic attacks can also occur while
you’re driving and you realize that
you’re totally alone in a dark strip of
road. While it’s normal to feel uneasy
under either circumstances, panic
attacks usually magnify this unease,
turning it into an illogical fear.
A panic attack becomes extremely
dangerous when you’re unable to control
your fear, and your paranoid thoughts
just generate more paranoid thoughts
about being harmed. For example, aside
from fearing strangers or dark roads,
you also panic about panicking, until it
becomes a vicious cycle and your anxiety
just snowballs on you.
Ways to stop it
The reason why panic attacks turn for
the worst is because most people react
to it by running away from it. When
you’re caught in a random situation
where you feel panicky sensations in
your body and you know that a thought
triggered your body to react this way,
the key it to lasso that thought and to
face it head on. You should try to keep
your breathing even while you do this.
If your experience a tightening in your
throat, grab on to something soft like a
stress ball and release all the negative
thoughts there. You’ll find that once
you convince your body to relax, you
will relax, although it may take 5 to 10
minutes. If you’re diving, make sure
that you pull over first before you deal
with your panic attack.
Once you’ve calmed down slightly, you
should try to scrutinize the thought
that made you panic in the first place.
Convince yourself that the thought is
unrealistic, and that the truth of the
matter is that you’re really safe and
you can control the situation. This
might be a bit hard if you’ve only
started experiencing these panic attacks
and you’re literally psyching yourself
out for the first time.
If you’re unable to maintain a steady
pace of breathing, and your heartbeat is
still racing like crazy, don’t attempt
to drive on your own or do anything that
can cause you to harm yourself or other
people. Stay where you are and call up a
friend or family member who can get you
out of that tight spot.
Experts say, though, that constantly
calling out for help is counter
productive to mastering your panic
attacks. If you experience a panic
attack again, and you’re in a safer
place where you can “train” your
thoughts, don’t call out for help right
away. You’ll find that the more you
understand your panic attacks, and the
more you try to deal with it on your
own, you become stronger and less afraid
of your anxiety.
Scientific studies also show that a
healthy lifestyle with balanced diets,
regular exercise and enough sleep
actually helps prevent panic attacks.
