As most therapists will tell you, one of the keys to making an anxiety attack manageable is to learn to work your way through the attack itself. The paralyzing fear that accompanies an acute anxiety or panic attack can be so powerful and intense, trying to describe these feelings to someone who has never experienced them is nearly impossible. Here are some helpful tips to stop anxiety attacks.

The very first thing you must do is realize you are having an anxiety attack. Although this sounds elemental and almost unnecessary, the number of sufferers who think what they are experiencing is something other than anxiety is quite large. They may show up at the doctor’s office or even the ER claiming to be having a heart attack, stroke, overdose on some stimulant or even anaphylactic shock. Once a sufferer realizes they are indeed having an anxiety attack, they can accept it and begin to work through it and realize that it will pass.

You should do something physical in order to take your mind off the attack, at least for the present. Anything that requires exertion such as cleaning, exercise, walking or even cooking is extremely beneficial and offers a point of concentration other than the attack itself. Physical activity, especially activity that requires exertion, releases endorphins. These are mood altering hormones that can calm and relax a sufferer with a feeling of euphoria. Physical activity will also negate any feelings of helplessness that may accompany the attack and empower the person by doing something that is productive.

If you have been suffering from anxiety attacks for any length of time, you have probably developed a support group. It may be an informal group such as parents, siblings, friends or fellow sufferers; anyone who understands what you are going through. Reach out to these people for the help and understanding you need at the time. You aren’t looking for pity or even sympathy, just someone you can talk to about and during the attack. If you are someone who is ashamed of their anxiety and has hidden the truth about your suffering from friends and family, it’s time to talk to them about the whole experience. Keeping this a secret only makes things worse so seek out someone to confide in, even if it is via the internet, in a chat room or forum specifically about anxiety and panic.

Taking medication should be a last resort measure. Since drugs just mask symptoms they often return when the medicine wears off and can even be more intense. Most of the anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax and Klonopin have some pretty serious side effects that you probably want to avoid by not taking the medication.

By realizing when you are having an anxiety attack and accepting it for what it is you can then begin to calm yourself with physical activity. As you begin to calm down then is the time to contact a support person to talk about what you are feeling and what is going through your mind. These steps can then become helpful tips to stop anxiety attacks.

Bipolar disorder is considered one of the most severe of all the psychiatric disorders. It is a condition in which those who suffer from it alternate periods of mania, or high energy and creativity, to bouts of depression with varying degrees of severity. Because of these two extremes bipolar disorder can be expensive to treat and manage with some bipolar medication costing up to $15 for a pill that must be taken everyday.

The primary focus of any treatment for bipolar disorder is to use a combination of bipolar medication that consists of anti-anxiety, mood stabilizers and antidepressant drugs. There are 4 groups of medications within those three types that are used to treat this disorder including Lithium, anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, and anti-convulsants.

When someone is first diagnosed with bipolar disorder the first drug of choice that is used is Lithium. Lithium, or lithium carbonate, is used long term by people with this condition to control mania. It also has the added benefit of being non-addictive but it can be toxic if too much is taken. Patients who take lithium undergo regular blood tests to monitor this aspect of the medication. Lithium can also be used in conjunction with an anti-psychotic or sedative drug to help expedite the calming of any manic behavior.

There are several other drugs that can be used in the place of lithium including the anti-convulsants Carbamazepine (Tegretol), Clonazepram (Klonopin, Rivotril), Valproate (Depakene), and Divalproex Sodium (Depakote) which is also very toxic and can increase testosterone levels in young women.

The main anti-psychotic bipolar medications include Chlorpromazine and Laloperidol. Drugs that are used to treat schizophrenia such as Olanzapine (Zyprexa) and Kisperdal can also be used to treat the mania associated with bipolar disorder. When used with a mood stabilizer these bipolar medications work well for acute episodes of the disorder.

Because bipolar disorder can include seizures or convulsions anti-convulsants will also be prescribed. Tegretol, Lamictal, Neurontin, Felbatol, Gabatril, and Topamox are the drugs of choice for this. Of note, Lamotrigene (Lamictal), was found to decrease the re-occurrence of repeated episodes of the disorder and can also help stabilize mood. It was given the go ahead as a long term treatment option because of this.

For the depression that is associated with bipolar disorder anti-depressants are normally prescribed. The most commonly prescribed of these bipolar medications are the Tricyclic antidepressants and Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs). For short term treatment Benzodiazepine drugs such as Valium, Klonopin and Atvian are used but can be addictive and must be monitored. For the short term treatment of delusions and hallucinations tranquilizers can be used.

When it comes to treating bipolar disorder the amount of bipolar medication needed can be quite a lot, to say nothing of the cost. As medical science delves deeper into the working of the mind new and better drugs will be found with many already being tested in the experimental stage.

An important question to ask yourself if you are prone to anxiety or depression is this… Do you feel you are fulfilling your life’s purpose or intention?

The reason to ask this question is because many people suffering from anxiety or depression feel as though there should be more to life or that they want more, but are stuck and not able to take action towards their goal. This then has the negative effect of causing anxiety or stress symptoms which is the bodies way of being true to itself… The frustration has to come out in some way!

Establish What You Really Want

So have some quiet time on your own with some paper, and start asking yourself what do you really want to life? If an angel came and advised that you could have your future pan out anyway you wish, how would that look? Write it all down…

Make A Plan

Once you can determine what you really want for your future, make a plan. Brainstorm some ways you could start working towards this. Do you have a friend achieving great things, or an acquaintance offering you a real opportunity you never took up? Do you have a love of something creative you could start creating and selling? Take time to write down some things you could start doing.

Take Action

Working towards your life purpose means your subconsciousness is congruent (in harmony) with your actions. You will be amazed at how much better you start to feel once you begin taking action towards your goals.

Break your goal into baby steps so it is easier to reward yourself at each step. Everyone has step backs so don’t let that stop you. The true secret of successful people is their unwillingness to give up and they fail their way to the top. Just keep trying.

If you are stuck by fear, then get as much help as possible, a mentor, life coach and books and CD’s on personal development can help with this.

Reap The Rewards

Visualize how you will feel when you finally achieve what your goals. Reduction in anxiety and depression would be marvelous and is a reality you can create for yourself, if it is exacerbated by a feeling of incongruency (disharmony with current status and life purpose).

Good Luck with your life purpose. But you won’t need it as long as you decide to personally keep growing and don’t give up.