Saturday, March 24, 2012

Don't Let Panic Attacks Define Your Life

By Marivel Wolever


When it comes time for you to decide that you have had enough of your panic attacks, then you may wonder how to start getting treatment and help for the condition. This article can help you start getting the help that you need in order to get rid of your panic attacks.

Don't worry about being perfect! Is anyone you know perfect? Perfection is the invention of people who want to hold you down, and your mind will grasp onto such an idea and torture you with it. Let perfection go and instead embrace "good enough." As long as things are good enough you'll get by!

Neither telling yourself nor telling someone else that a panic attack is irrational will stop it from happening. Don't worry about how you look to others during a panic attack, this will only increase your anxiety. Just focus on enduring it as calmly as possible.

There are some causes of panic attacks which are preventable. For example, if no one in your family has a history of panic attacks, then you might want to get tested for chemical imbalances like hypoglycemia or hyperthyroidism. Also, if you are prone to panic attacks then avoid stimulants like caffeine or nicotine which can amplify feelings of panic or anxiety.

When you're in the grips of a panic attack you should try to help others or make them feel great. Offer a compliment, or help someone out, and the resulting warm, fuzzy feeling you get can help to relax your body and loosen the hold the panic attack has on you.

If you find your anxiety tends to get you to grip the steering wheel to hard when you drive, periodically squeeze the wheel as hard as you can ten times in a row to get your grip back to a normal pressure. When you get to a stop take your hands right off the wheel and shake them out. This can help avoid a panic attack later.

Remember when you are having a panic attack the feelings that you have are normal. They are just being expressed in an exaggerated form. Do not think that you are going to die from them or they will harm you. Try your best to remain logical about the situation.

Keeping your emotions inside and not sharing them is a great way to set off panic attacks, so stop it! Try to find someone who you trust and share with them any problems you're facing, or consider going to a therapist or counselor for help. There's always someone to talk to!

Work through your panic attack by disempowering it. Remind yourself over and over again that the attacks have never hurt you and don't have the ability to do so. Tell yourself that you know what it is and know that it will pass. Remember that it is only sensations you are feeling, that sensations are harmless, and that you have the power to overcome them at will.

If driving causes you anxiety and panic attacks, perform relaxation strategies while you're driving. Do deep breathing, or think about positive thoughts like a joyful vacation or a person you love. Relax the muscles in your face and body one by one until your whole body is at peace and calm.

Don't let a panic attack overwhelm you, instead focus on the anxiety and learn to cope with it. Understand why this issue is bothering you, what steps you can do to rectify it, and then start working on it. By the time you get down to business you'll find all the rest of your worries are gone.

You should be able to use the instructions that have been given above to cope with panic attacks in an effective manner. Decreasing their intensity is crucial, and no one but you has the ability to control how they affect you. If you want to better control them, you should follow the guideline as closely as you can.




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