Have you had a panic attack Not a pleasant experience is it Are you afraid of having another How has that panic attack affected your daily life Do you have a fear of having another attack in front of other people Are you avoiding people and activities because of your fear Is home the only place you feel safe

Well you’re not alone.

Most people will have a panic attack once or twice in their lifetime and it can range from mild to severe. Women, particularly women in their 30s tend to have more attacks and anxiety issues than men. Many people can work their way through the episodes and never have another attack. However, for some the very nature of a panic attack encourages further attacks and this can become a debilitating condition.

The debilitating part is not the actual attack, but the fear of having an attack. Nobody wants to go through that again so we tend to put ourselves in positions where we minimize the chances of having an attack

Avoiding another attack. Is that what you’re concerned about

For example if your attack was triggered in a busy mall you probably will avoid going to that particular mall. Then you’ll find yourself avoiding all malls and shopping at small shops or online. That might escalate to avoiding anyplace where large groups of people gather like church or sporting events. Then you’ll find that it doesn’t have to be large groups of people, small groups like parties will make you uncomfortable.

Do you see where this is going

In extreme cases, the only safe place is home. This condition is called agoraphobia and it takes the uncontrolled fear of a panic attack to its logical end play. People with agoraphobia are trapped in their house and they have essentially become prisoners of panic.

How great would it be if your fear of panic attack simply went away. How better would your life be if you knew you weren’t going to experience that fear and terror that the panic attack brought on How great would it be for your relationship with family, friends, and businuss associates .

Well the good news is, if you can lose your fear of having another attack, you won’t have one. That’s right. If you can conquer the fear of an attack the odds of you having another diminish greatly.

So how do you conquer that terrorizing fear of a panic attack

You learn how to attack the panic attack. You learn how to stop it in its tracks. You develop the confidence that a panic attack can be handled with no fear and that you are in charge, not the attack.

First you have to understand what the attack really is. The reaction that your body has to the attack is perfectly normal. The rapid breathing, pounding heart, tense muscles, tightness in the chest are all caused by the fight or flight response that is part of our makeup.

For example if you see a child teetering on the edge of a 10 foot retainer wall, your brain immediately sends a message to your adrenal glands that an emergency exists. The adrenal glands start pumping adrenalin to the heart, muscles and brain to get ready for action. The heart starts pumping faster to get blood to muscles and your lungs speed up to oxygenate the blood.

So you race over and grab the kid and save him from falling off the wall. The emergency is over and the brain sends the message to the body to stop pumping adrenalin and return to normal.

What’s not normal in a panic attack is the trigger from the brain to the body telling it that there was an immediate danger. There is no danger. However the brain doesn’t know that so it responds the same as if there was a kid about to fall of a wall.

Nobody knows for certain what causes the trigger. What is known for certain is if you can interrupt that false message of emergency, your body will return to normal.

Does this make sense so far

As you read on you’ll learn the techniques you can use to interrupt the message but the first thing you have to do is simply recognize the attack for what it is.

Just accept that it is a panic attack. You are in no real danger. Whatever fear that is going through your mind is not real. You are not dying and you are not having a heart attack. Attacks typically come in waves and usually don’t last longer than 3 minutes each so in the worse case this will be over in 180 seconds.

Now to break up that false message from the brain.

First take control of your breathing. Consciously take deep slow cleansing breaths. In through the nose and out through the mouth. This is a time proven relaxation technique.

As you are taking your breaths, scream as loudly as you can inside your brain STOP. Say it three or four times to get the brain’s attention.

Start making demands on the brain by asking it questions. This is most effective if you speak out loud but you can do it inside your head if need be. Focus on an item near you and ask (out loud) “What is this “. Then have the brain identify it and speak the answer out loud. For example, looking at your monitor you ask “what is this ” and then answer out loud “Computer screen”. Then work your way to the keyboard, mouse, desk etc.

What you are doing is forcing the brain to live in the present by making demands on it. This weakens the false message and you will begin to feel your heart rate go down and a lessening of the tension.

Another trick is to simply count down the attack. You know most attacks last 3 minutes. Simply tell the brain that “This will end in” 180, 179, 178 and so on to zero. Making the statement and then the subtraction required will also pull the brain to reality.

The more confidence you have in successfully handling an attack, the less fear you will have in having another and the more you will regain control of your daily life. Without that fear you can get back to a normal life and just how great would that be!

Anxiety attacks and their awful symptoms can be beaten. Prescription medication will provide welcome anxiety relief by treating the symptoms of General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The remaining difficulty then is finding  treatment that stops the actual attack.

Here lies the problem. Stop the medication and the horrid attacks will return! Stay on the medication and the side effects will have you feeling like a zombie living in a daze! The reality though, is that there is a way forward. The prescribed medication, with the undesirable side affects, should be seen as a temporary solution only and a long-term remedy, aimed at the root of the problem, needs to be put in place.

Finding a treatment that is natural could consist of taking time to relax and have some fun. Actually make plans to do this if your life is so busy that there never seems to be an opportunity. Plan something special, something that will leave good memories. Include your spouse and children and let nothing interrupt these good times together.

By eliminating known triggers like stress, phobias, excessive caffeine and alcohol and by improving your diet, increasing exercise levels and learning some basic relaxation techniques you can begin to control the onset of the attacks  

The difficulty with dealing with anxiety or panic attacks is that the very fear of an attack occurring becomes the overriding reason for having an attack. Or, in other words, the fear of being afraid makes you afraid. So, learn to recognize the signs of oncoming attacks and practice controlling your breathing as an initial defense. It is helpful to know that a change of focus of thought at the onset of an attack will make a difference. This ability to have a enough control to actually direct your mind away from your fears, at a crucial time, is key to to finding a treatment that does not require the use of drugs, gaining anxiety relief and a major step to overcoming panic attacks altogether.

Gradually confront some of the triggers that bring the attacks on. Dare to face some of the events or situations that you have learned to avoid. Recognize every small gain that you make and build confidence from them that you will eventually learn how to use a natural technique for anxiety relief.

Sometimes, when you feel the approach of an anxiety attack, having someone tell you to relax or “chill out” is more annoying than helpful. It is however very good advice that deserves more than passing consideration.

Could this be a simple and easy treatment for anxiety attacks? Could practicing some easy relaxation techniques assist in keeping anxiety under control? Very definitely yes! The key is to find the relaxation exercises that you find most effective and then practice them regularly. The more you practice, the better and more proficient you will become. Below is a collection of ideas that you can adapt to suit.

Firstly:
Loosen your clothing and make yourself comfortable. If you are sitting, find a chair with good back support. Make time, when no interruption is expected. Find a quiet environment, with little or no outside noise.

Some simple relaxation techniques:
Tighten the muscles in your toes. Hold to the count of 10. Relax slowly and enjoy the sensation of release from tension. Tension is most commonly experienced in the back of the neck and shoulders. One easy way to get rid of this tension is to tighten the neck and shoulders, hold for 5-10 seconds then release. Close your eyes and rest them, inhale deeply, slowly, for the count of 3 through your nose, exhale through your mouth even slower, for the count of 5. Repeat, a few times. When breathing in, let your stomach expand as much as possible. As your body starts feeling more and more comfortable and relaxed, slowly clench your right fist. Clench it tighter and tighter and study the tension. Keep it clenched and feel the tension in your fist, hand, and forearm. Now let your hand relax and go limp, allowing your fingers to become loose. Repeat, studying the sensations.

An effective an easy relaxation technique is to begin breathing slowly and calmly, thinking of your slow breathing as calming your entire body as a whole. Release your breath very slowly. Mentally scan your body from head to toe. Are there any areas of tension? If so, take a few deep breaths, hold, then release slowly, saying “relax” to these parts. Think of the muscle as being soft and limp. Tell yourself “I am relaxed” as you carry out breathing exercises. You can also think about positive words like “peace”, “serenity” or perhaps picture a child sleeping if that gives you warm calm feelings. Visualize your favorite soothing image (e.g. lying on a warm beach).

Activities For The Treatment Of Anxiety.
-Take a nice, long bath. Perhaps you can use bath oil.
-Take a walk outside.

Listen to relaxing music.
Music is widely known to contribute to relaxation and to be calming. The reason for is twofold. Music positively affects your mood. It also provides a distraction from anxiety and negative thoughts. Select a gentle piece and play it at a low volume. A whole genre of relaxation albums are designed for this purpose. Place yourself in a comfortable position, close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and listen. And of course music can also be combined with other types of relaxation.

Learn to laugh.
We have all experienced the pleasure of a good belly laugh. Perhaps it’s been too long since we have had cause to laugh. Put some humor back into your life. Following laughter blood pressure drops and heart rate, respiratory rate, and muscle activity decrease. As a result, relaxation is increased and muscle tension is reduced.

Meditate.

Meditation is a easy relaxation technique intended to alter your state of consciousness. It is a large study all on it’s own and has been used by many generations to exercise spiritual beliefs and, of particular interest to us, to achieve a deep state of relaxation. It is the act of consciously directing your attention to alter your state of consciousness and to achieve calmness.

In looking for a simple treatment for anxiety attacks take care not to overlook the obvious. The best relaxation techniques for you are likely to be the ones you have forgotten about. Perhaps the things or activities that you once enjoyed and found most relaxing have been left behind in a busy or stressful routine. Take some time to rediscover the simple pleasures.

These ideas are not in themselves a cure. They will however assist in the treatment for anxiety attacks by helping a sufferer to gain a measure of control by using relaxation techniques