Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks - Effective Techniques
A lot of people suffer from some form of anxiety disorder or panic attacks, especially if they lead a stressful lifestyle. There are many things you can do to reduce the severity of your symptoms and even make them go away entirely. This guide on how to handle anxiety disorder and panic attacks will teach you some of the most effective techniques used by experts.
1. Managing Panic Attack Triggers
By managing your triggers, you can help prevent anxiety from taking over your life. The key is being conscious of what causes your panic attacks and addressing them head-on when they appear.
Here are some common triggers for panic attacks:
- Stressful Situations/Reactions: Most everyone gets nervous about stressful situations—job interviews, first dates, big presentations at work. These feelings may cause a panic attack.
- Relationship Issues: Excessive worrying about personal relationships may lead to panic attacks.
- Physical Illness/Injury: Panic attacks may surface as a side effect of certain illnesses or injuries such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and more.
- Overwhelming Emotions: Sometimes strong emotions that seem out of proportion to a situation can trigger panic attacks.
- Alcohol/Drug Use: When alcohol or drug use goes unchecked, it can fuel anxiety and increase the likelihood of panic attacks.
- Inadequate Sleep: It’s not just how much you sleep that matters but rather how well you rest.
- Diet: Unhealthy foods can affect your mood by causing spikes and crashes in energy levels throughout the day, as well as increasing feelings of stress. Choose whole foods instead
2. How to Stop a Panic Attack Quickly?
To stop a panic attack quickly, first accept that there’s nothing out of the ordinary going on! Acknowledge your surroundings (if applicable) then focus on breathing steadily and slowing down your heart rate. Try to act as if everything is fine. As long as you remain calm and collected, you should be able to power through until you no longer have feelings of panic.
Here are some other ways to stop a panic attack quickly:
- Talk yourself down: Remind yourself that while these types of physical reactions may not seem logical at present, they aren’t harmful. Focus on speaking aloud, calmly saying such phrases as It’s alright; I’m fine; I know what’s happening here; I don’t need to worry about anything.
- Focus Your Attention Elsewhere. Sometimes distraction can help us ease into relaxation – even when we aren’t aware of being relaxed yet – by giving our brains something else to focus on besides our racing thoughts and rapid pulse.
- Pay attention to details around you. Listen intently to sounds in your environment. In order words, keep your mind occupied with activities that draw attention away from your escalating symptoms so that when you look back on them later, they won’t always seem so overwhelming
3. Coping Mechanisms
Coping mechanisms are tools used to overcome anxiety disorder, panic attacks, and depression. One such mechanism is talking yourself down from an attack before it overwhelms you. For example, if you feel your heart racing or are experiencing shortness of breath during a panic attack, remind yourself that these symptoms are temporary and will subside in a matter of minutes. Breathe deeply and visualize how oxygen is traveling into your lungs. As long as you can remain calm, you’ll be able to handle almost any situation thrown at you without letting emotions get out of control. Another coping mechanism for dealing with daily stresses is meditation. Studies have found mindfulness meditation helps ease depression and reduces stress over time.
4. How to Help Someone Having a Panic Attack?
If someone you know is having a panic attack, be sure to remain calm. Don’t touch them until they calm down—touching someone who’s experiencing a panic attack can only make it worse. Encourage them to take slow deep breaths. Tell them that if they are unable to breathe normally that they should try putting their head between their knees. Remind them that what they are feeling is most likely temporary, even though it may feel terrifying. Do not argue with them about how serious their symptoms are; instead, offer comfort and reassurance that everything will be ok in a few minutes.
5. How Long do Panic Attacks Last?
In general, panic attacks last from a few minutes up to an hour. However, they can be as short as 5 or 10 minutes or as long as an entire day—they really vary from person to person. Some people experience multiple panic attacks over several days before it gets better on its own. Other people have just one and never feel that feeling again.
When you worry, you’re focusing on negative outcomes—which can make it feel like there is more than one way for things to go wrong. You’re also probably worrying about things that won’t actually happen. This kind of thinking makes it hard to see solutions clearly or move forward in your life with confidence. Instead of letting yourself get trapped in a cycle of worry, take time each day to relax and focus on something positive.
