10 Best Ways To Stop Panic / Anxiety Attacks

10 Best Ways To Stop Panic/Anxiety Attacks!

1. UNDERSTAND THE ANATOMY OF A PANIC/ANXIETY ATTACK

Understanding the physiological, psychological, and emotional components that contribute to panic/anxiety attacks.

When you understand what panic/anxiety attacks are; what causes them; how the body responds - the many physiological, psychological, and emotional changes that can occur and why; the many stages of the stress response; and how stress affects the body; panic attacks are no longer mysteries that have the potential to scare you. Becoming unafraid of panic attacks is the surest way to stop them. Having a complete understanding of panic attacks is the surest way to end a struggle with them. Knowledge is power. This knowledge will set you free from panic for good!

2. STOP SCARING YOURSELF

As mentioned above, panic attacks are mostly caused by being afraid. So being afraid of panic attacks is one of the most common reasons why panic attacks sustain and why people develop Panic Attack Disorder. Since fear is the most common reason why panic attacks occur and persist, refusing to scare yourself removes the main reason panic attacks occur.

When you eliminate fear, you eliminate the most common cause of panic attacks. Yes, you can learn to stop scaring yourself. This is the second most powerful way to eliminate panic attacks.

For example, rather than thinking, “Oh my gosh, this is awful. What if I completely lose it?” Use more affirmative language such as, “Ok, this doesn’t feel good. But it’s just my body’s emergency response and it will end as I stop scaring myself.”

Or, instead of thinking, “This is awful. I can’t stand it!” Think, “This is what a high degree stress response feels like. Many people go to great lengths to feel this. It’s a normal part of the body’s survival mechanism. It’s not dangerous.”

Or, instead of thinking, “What’s causing this horrible feeling? What if I’m dying or having a complete breakdown?” Think, “This feeling can feel strong, but it’s not dangerous. All bodies react this way when we think we are in danger or are overly stressed. It’s not something to be concerned about. It will end soon and I'll be fine again.”

Taking charge of your thinking puts you in control of your body’s emergency system. As you get proficient at taking control, you can completely shut down panic attacks and prevent them from starting.

3. CALM YOURSELF DOWN

Similar to point two, calming yourself down shuts off the mechanism that causes panic attacks. Calming yourself down ends the stress response. Then it’s just a matter of time until the body uses up or expels the remaining stress hormones.

The more you calm yourself down, the faster the panic attack will end and the sooner you’ll feel better. Keep in mind that the physiological, psychological, and emotional changes resulting from a minor stress response last for approximately a few to ten minutes. A high degree stress response can last for twenty to thirty minutes or more. You want to keep yourself calm until the body recovers from the active stress response. This means you may feel the physiological, psychological, and emotional changes in the meantime, but that they will all end as the body recovers from the active stress response.
Calming yourself down is another sure way to end, control, and prevent panic attacks.

4. RELAXED DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Slow, relaxed, diaphragmatic breaths cause the body to trigger a natural tranquilizing effect. This tranquilizing effect counters the effects of the stress response. As you relax diaphragmatic breathe, your body will calm down, which again will end a panic attack.

Relaxed diaphragmatic breathing (slow breathing from your diaphragm) is another natural way to end, control, and prevent panic attacks.

5. RELAX YOUR BODY

Relaxing the body shuts off the stress response since the body can’t go in both (arousal/relaxed) directions at the same time. The more relaxed you make your body, the faster the body uses up and expels stress hormones, which will bring an end to the feelings associated with an active stress response.

Relaxing the body also offsets the muscle tension caused by the stress response. You can read more about that under the ‘muscle tension’ symptom.

6. DISTRACT YOURSELF

As mentioned earlier, most panic attacks are caused and fueled by thinking anxiously. Distracting your attention can prevent anxious thinking. As you prevent anxious thinking you also prevent voluntary anxiety attacks.
There are lots of ways to distract yourself, such as counting, calling a friend, organizing materials on or in your desk, playing a game, reading a book, and so on. Anything that distracts your mind away from anxious thinking will indirectly end stress responses and panic attacks. The better you are at distracting yourself, the faster panic attacks end.

You might also want to distract yourself with more sensory experiences, such as with cold water, ice, strong tastes, touch, and so on. Strong sensory experiences are more distracting. Anything that takes your mind away from the sensations associated with the active stress response and thinking anxiously will assist in ending panic attacks.

7. RECOGNIZE ALL PANIC ATTACKS END

No matter how powerful the panic attack, it will end. We can end them faster by doing some or all of the above. Nevertheless, all panic attacks end. It’s only a matter of time. No one experiences unending panic attacks even though sometimes it can feel that way. Riding out the panic attack knowing it will end can help you remain calm, which also shuts off the stress response and panic attack.

8. RECOGNIZE YOUR BODY IS DOING WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO IN RESPONSE TO THINKING YOU ARE IN DANGER

Survival mechanism and the stress response.

Many people go to great lengths to experience the rush of the stress response (skydiving, bungee jumping, other dangerous and thrilling activities). So a high degree stress response isn’t a bad thing, but the body’s temporary emergency survival mechanism in action. We can shut it off anytime by using the above strategies.

9. EVEN THOUGH A PANIC ATTACK MAY FEEL LIKE IT IS OUT OF CONTROL, IT ACTUALLY ISN'T

Using the above strategies can put you in control and every time. While it may take courage and practice initially, all of us can control anxiety and panic attacks. Knowing how to control anxiety attacks, and becoming practiced at it, eliminates them.

Moreover, even though you may feel you are in danger from a panic attack, you aren’t. A panic attack is a common response to believing you are in danger, but not the actual cause of being in danger.

10. KEEP YOUR BODY'S STRESS IN CHECK

Keeping your body’s stress in the healthy range will prevent involuntary panic attacks. You will also have more control over your body’s reactions when stress is minimized (persistently elevated stress can cause the body to act erratically and more involuntarily than normal, which can affect the level of control you have over your physical, psychological, and emotional capacities).
Persistently elevated stress is the number one cause of involuntary panic attacks.

Panic Attack Disorder (Panic Disorder) is one of the easiest anxiety disorders to eliminate when you know how. No one needs to suffer needlessly. You can eliminate panic attacks naturally by knowing how and through practice.

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Lots of Love and Light!

Kunal Dhar