Simple Methods to Deal With A Panic Attack

Panic attacks are a frequent problem for some individuals, and occasional problems for others. Understanding the cause of these attacks can help to ease your feelings of anxiety, regardless of the severity of your attack. Once you understand the causes, some simple methods can be implemented to overcome the attacks. Read on to learn more about these methods.

As soon as you feel a panic attack coming on, start on controlling your breathing. You do this by breathing slowly and rythymically in through the nose and out through the mouth. What you are achieving by doing this is the rebalancing of your body's carbon dioxide / oxygen ratio. This is recognised as an effective technique for dealing with a panic attack, especially where you start using it at its onset.

Meditation, when correctly applied, can also be highly beneficial in dealing with panic attacks. And meditation does not have to be difficult or extensive to be effective; just focussing on something positive (such as a happy event in the past) with your eyes closed for, say, ten minutes can help a lot.

Sometimes relaxation efforts are not enough to completely calm a panic attack. If you are frequently experiencing attacks or having a very difficult time dealing with them, medication might help. This is the time to involve your doctor; and make an educated decision about the drug therapies that can help you. There are several different medications on the market, each individual in character, and one just might prove effective in calming your attacks.

Oftentimes, doctors will recommend the use of particular forms of therapy alongside drug-based medications. These are therapies such as Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Where this is agreed upon, you will be referred to a specialist for regular one on one sessions. Sessions will normally continue over several months and can be a very effective, if long term, way to finally deal with your panic attacks and anxiety.

Always make sure to incorporate positive thinking and stress reduction methods into your daily life. Negative thinking breeds stress, and stress is most certainly a culprit in causing reoccurring panic attacks. If you can work toward thinking positively, and reducing those elements in your life that make you feel negative, you will effectively decrease the number of panic attacks that you experience. This is an important step to take, and will work well in conjunction with any medication and/or therapy choices you might make.

So, there you have five ways of dealing with panic attacks. If you implement these methods correctly and stick with them, you will be able to reduce the impact of your panic attacks and eventually overcome them.