Understanding Panic Attacks
Imagine you are driving to do your shopping, when suddenly you experience a sensation of terror. Your heart pounds, you have a pain in your chest and trouble breathing.
You feel nauseous and you shake and sweat. Your body is responding as if you had encountered something life threatening. You have terrifying thoughts that you are going insane or out of control and your fear escalates.
It can last for seconds or hours.
Eventually, usually within about 10 minutes, the terrible sensations begin to subside.
If this has happened to you, you know how ghastly it is. Many people use various techniques such as relaxation, thinking and distraction strategies to alleviate or stop an impending or full-fledged panic attack.
Accepting Panic Attacks
That’s excellent, but accepting the panic attack means that you take a moment to pause and realise that it’s only anxiety, it’s not going to harm you and actually it’s quite harmless. Most importantly: It will pass. Once you understand that a panic attack is not dangerous, you can change your perception of your panic attack and you have taken the first step to rid yourself of them.
It’s so common to forget these simple, but important facts. Many people, in the midst of a panic attack, believe that they are having a heart attack or that they will be trapped in this state indefinitely, or they are going crazy. These thoughts of impending doom further feed into the fear that you are already experiencing.
Taking Care of Yourself
It is important to learn to relax both physically and mentally. Relaxation and deep breathing will help you clear your mind and relax your body. Sit down with your eyes closed and try to focus on your breathing. For some people, taking a walk on the beach or through the woods or a park might help you to relax. Take the time to break your routine for a little while every day.
Choose to view your panic attack symptoms differently. Distract yourself from negative thoughts and from the symptoms in your body.
It is also important to go easy on yourself and avoid placing excess pressure on yourself to get better, get rid of your panic attacks, or fix the problem. Although it is the ultimate goal to be free from panic, recovering from panic attacks is a process that involves accepting the panic attacks and even embracing the panic attacks.
Facing your fears and learning to manage your anxiety can best be accomplished through professional help. Please contact me through this website if you would like to take steps to manage your anxiety or panic attacks.
