Beyond Anxiety and Depression - stop panic

Treatment for Panic Attacks: Free Yourself & Start Living Today

Gloria Goodwin — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:33:58 +0000

If you suffer from panic attacks on a daily basis, these can easily start to take over your life. These can hinder people from a lot of different experiences. Most people avoid situations they know will cause attacks, but never know when they will come about.

6 Treatments for Panic Attacks

There are treatments out there, which can help you get back to living once again.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy:

This treatment option is very effective for all different types of people. Instead of using medications, this changes the way a person thinks. The therapist will focus on the thinking patterns of the person and then look at their behaviors that cause the attacks. When you are focusing on what your fears actually are, they become far less of a threat. People who seek this type of treatment are able to realize that the fears they have really aren't as much of a threat as they think they are. It's important for everyone to realize disasters are never very likely to happen and that everything will be fine. This is a treatment that also works on some individuals who suffer from agoraphobia and panic disorder.

Exposure Therapy:

When people go through this type of therapy they will be exposed to panic attacks, but will remain in a safe environment. This will result in them being able to cope with the feelings and learn how to control them. The therapist will ask the patient what their anxiety level is and then work with them to lower that within only a few minutes. There are a lot of different techniques that will be learned, which can greatly reduce that number and bring the patient back to the surface of a low anxiety number. This treatment can help anxiety sufferers become more social because they no longer fear situations that might cause attacks. Having control over emotions can make anyone feel more comfortable on a daily basis.

Medications:

Medications are extremely common because they work more quickly than progressive therapy does. Unfortunately, this treatment option does to treat the problem; it's only going to reduce the symptoms. There are a wide variety of medications that can be used, antidepressants and benzodiazepines are the most effective. Antidepressants have to be taken on a daily basis, not just when panic attacks are occurring. They will take a few weeks to kick in for most people. Benzodiazepines act quickly to get rid of anxiety. One drawback is that these can become addictive for some people. There are a lot of serious withdrawal symptoms associated with them.

Self-Soothing:

People who learn how to soothe their panic attacks on their own can end up living better lives. This is due to them not having fear of being in certain situations because they know how to treat their attack if they have one. Giving up caffeine and smoking is the first thing people should do. Both of these can provoke the attacks and cause them more often. The next step is to learn how to control breathing. This is something that makes a huge difference with anxiety levels during attacks. Those that can get their breathing under control are normally able to think more clearly and reduce their fears. There are also a lot of relaxation techniques that can be used. Something as simple as learning yoga moves could end up being very beneficial. Meditation is something a lot of people use to treat their panic attacks as well.

Massages:

Some people who get massage therapy on a regular basis use this to help relieve stress. This loosens up the body and also diminishes muscle tension. When people have less tension and stress in their body, they are far less likely to have a panic attack and general anxiety each day.

Herbs and Supplements:

These are all-natural treatments for panic attacks, so they are great options to try out for most people. Passion Flower is one of the most popular herbs that is well worth trying out. It calms the body down and reduces anxieties pretty quickly. It's also very relaxing, so it gets rid of heightened emotions. St. Johns Wort is another herb that is worth looking into. This is especially useful for anyone who suffers from feelings of depression and sadness. Valerian is also great for anxiety, but insomnia as well. It can help people get to sleep without completely knocking them out for long periods of time. All of these treatment options can prove to be very effective. It's very important for the person who is trying them out to be willing and open to them. This can increase chances of them working out in their favor.

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Panic Attacks

Understanding Panic Attacks in Children can make a Parents Job Easier

Gloria Goodwin — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:32:21 +0000

By understanding panic attacks in children it does make it easier for the parent to handle the situation and deal with it accordingly. What follows is important information that any parent should actually know so they can then identify the problem as early as possible and will then know how to cope with their child and help them through something that can often be extremely scary.

Panic Attacks in Children

Panic attacks are not just something that adults can suffer from; however, with children it does often involve different triggers as they do not have the same pressures being applied to them in everyday life. However, that being said it is best to begin by looking at the physical symptoms so they can be identified as early as possible.

Physical symptoms of panic attacks in children.

In regard to the physical symptoms it is common to see them worsen quite quickly and there will often be a noticeable difference even within the space of ten minutes in a child. The first time it can happen may actually be a real shock even to the parents, but the following are the main symptoms to look for in your child when they are having a panic attack. A child may often complain of difficulty breathing, their pulse rate will increase, they may sweat and tremble and can do so in bursts rather than continuous. Some may also experience a dizzy feeling along with nausea and a tingling feeling in their limbs and it is clear how this can be rather scary for them. They may have a feeling of impending death and are scared with this only adding to the sensation of the panic attack and it is, therefore, important that they are calmed as quickly as possible.

The duration of the attack.

As was already mentioned the attack will often worsen within ten minutes; however, it is often the case that it will peak after only a few minutes and can then quickly subside after that. The shortness of the attack is one reason why a parent must be able to identify it as quickly as possible so they can take the appropriate action and help the child through a scary moment.

Why and where does it happen?

It happens in children when they are scared or nervous about a certain situation, but there is no real reason as to where or when it will happen. It is just as easy for a child to have a panic attack in the home, in a shopping mall, or even in the park, but if you know that your child is prone to them it does pay you to keep a close eye on them when they enter an area where it has happened before. The reason for this is they will often associate it with a negative feeling which then makes it more likely it will happen again.

Treatment for your child.

In children it has been shown through studies that the best form of panic attack treatment is gradual exposure to situations that have previously been known to cause problems. The parent has to take an active role in all of this and act as a source of comfort for the child. The child will also be taught how to alter their train of thought so they can tackle issues better than before; however, normal cognitive-behaviour therapy is not advised on children, which does mean the therapist has to work on developing various skills within the child so they are able to cope better with various situations.

The future for the child.

There is a chance that they may grow out of the phase as they get older; however, this is not guaranteed. The work that is done at the earliest stage, and not including prescribing them medication, can certainly vastly improve their life as a child and encourage them to take part in normal activities and deal with everyday situations. This is not something that needs to cripple the child and with some help the chances of attacks happening will become less and less. So that is the basic information you should know when trying to understand how panic attacks can occur in children and how it can then have an impact on them. Thanks to being prepared with information on the condition it will then allow you the parent to handle the situation far better than you otherwise would and you will be able to calm your child until the attack passes.

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How To Stop Panic Attacks Step-By-Step

Gloria Goodwin — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:30:38 +0000

Panic attacks can be very difficult to get through. However, you should know that there are things that you can do to help stop panic attacks without the need for medication or the need to see a doctor.

How To Stop Panic Attacks

There are some natural steps that you can take in order to ensure that you are able to try and keep the panic attack from happening or even to prevent it once you know that one has started.

Step 1

The first thing you need to do is to try and avoid anything that can cause a panic attack. If you feel you absolutely have to do an activity that will require that you to be around stressors for your panic attacks then you will need to know what you can do to stop the attack once you feel that it has begun. Far too many people don't understand the importance of knowing what to do when a panic attack takes place.

Step 2

Know the symptoms and signs of a panic attack. If you are able to recognize the early signs then you will also be able to recognize the issues before it becomes event to everyone around you that you are in the middle of an attack. You will want to look for things like: an increased heart rate, sweating, confusion, tight chest, and trouble breathing are all symptoms.

Step 3

Get fresh air. You will want to move away from the area you are at currently. Try to find somewhere with plenty of fresh air and a great deal air circulation. Some find it important that they move outdoors as this is will allow for the best chance to overcome the panic attack. If you cannot move outdoors try to look for a secluded area that is not doors.

Step 4

Breathe deeply in and out. Breathing in and out deeply is going to help calm your body down in a number of different ways. If you find that you are having trouble breathing and cannot bring it down a notch then you will need to seek further help. Sometimes people find that using a paper bag will really help regulate the breathing should hyperventilation begin to occur.

Step 5

If you are able to control the breathing then you will want to move forward to the through process. Trying to overcome the initial thought or problem that brought on the anxiety should help with a number of different aspects of the panic attack. You will want to look back and see exactly what the problem was and you will even want to log this information so that you will know next time how to avoid it.

Step 6

Once you have gathered yourself back together and have decided whether or not you even feel you are ready to go back to the situation at hand you will be able to do so. It is important that you return to important events if you feel at all possible but events that don't matter so much you should not feel like you need to return to. If you feel returning would bring on another panic attack it is best to stay away if not try and attend one more time as confronting the problem can make it easier the next few times and might eliminate the issue all together after a while. There are many things that will help you with panic attacks. The information above will help you to actually overcome and work through the attack should this happen. There are many different treatment methods that you will want to look into that can help you with preventing the attacks before they happen so that you do not have to worry as often about actually being able to stop the attack. Look into the natural methods that you can use first like therapies before you turn to the modern medication.

The reason you should look for natural methods to stop panic attacks is because these will generally time be a regular occurrence and you don't want to end up taking a medication that can leave you with horrible side effects and cost you a great deal of money if there are methods that you can use to work through the panic attacks natural and cost effectively on your own. Some people can not overcome panic attacks. If you find that this is you then you will certainly want to take your log of attacks and triggers into the doctor and see if there is anything that they can give you to help you through this problem. Remember however, that natural treatment is better in the long run for your body and will leave you with little or no side effects and almost no chance of ending up with a symptoms that is troublesome or bothersome cause you to need medical attention.

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Shyness and Social Anxiety: How to Stop a Panic Attack in its Tracks

Gloria Goodwin — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:29:37 +0000

A panic attack can be a very frightening experience. Usually those who experience a panic attack will at first feel some anxiety which could manifest itself as a queasy stomach or just an overall sense of unease. Then, that anxiety will grow, however, until within minutes their heart will be racing, their mouth dry, and a nervous tension will have spread throughout their entire body. A person in the throes of a panic attack often feels completely out of control, and fears that their heart is beating so fast they are going to have a heart attack.

How to Stop a Panic Attack

They begin to genuinely fear death and may have to stop doing whatever they are doing. Then, as quickly as it came, the panic attack may be gone. Because these are such debilitating events, we wrote this article to help you learn how to stop a panic attack in it's tracks.

Tip #1: Practice deep breathing techniques

The key first step for stopping a panic attack is learning how to relax your body. The first symptoms of a panic attack often are physical, thus learning how to soothe those physical symptoms is usually necessary to stopping an attack. When your body begins to experience a panic attack, your "fight or flight" system kicks in and causes you to feel as if you're in danger. This is the same system that puts you into a state of awareness that might allow you to move out of the way of an oncoming car. Therefore, it really does aid us in our survival. In the case of panic attacks, however, it's working overtime and causing us to sense danger when there really is none. A key how to stop at panic attack in it's tracks is to learn better control over your body and its "fight or flight" response. Deep breathing techniques allow you to do this. When we become panicked, we breathe quickly and our chest moves rapidly up and down. This is a further signal to your body that you should be fearful. Slowing down your breathing, on the other hand, tells your body you should be calm. To practice deep breathing, breathe in calmly and try to fill your belly with air. Watch your belly expand, but try not to move your chest too much. Hold the breath in for a short interval, then release. You may want to slowly count to five with each breath. This will calm your body down and take it out of "fight or flight" mode.

Tip #2: Be sure you will come out of the panic attack unharmed

Panic attacks hold their power over people because when you are in the throes of one you may feel that you truly are going to die. Just remember that you are not alone, millions of people experience panic attacks every day. No one, however, dies from them. Panic attacks in and of themselves are not harmful, they just have a way of convincing you that they are. Try to give in to the panic attack. Accept that it is a very frightening experience. Don't try to minimize it, but remember that you will walk away from it unscathed, probably within minutes. This can take some of the power away from panic attacks.

Tip #3: Don't avoid your panic attacks

This seems like unusual advice, but one of the key elements to overcoming panic attacks is to not try to prevent their onset. Thus, you shouldn't alter your daily routine because something you do seems to cause panic attacks. Instead, you should welcome attacks as an opportunity to practice the methods above. Ironically, the more you fight against the prospect of having a panic attack, the greater the chances they will occur. Only when you have completely accepted the possibility of an attack, and increased your confidence in your ability to handle one, will you begin to get control over your panic attacks. Panic attacks are truly frightening to go through. Those who have never experienced one have a difficult time understanding the sheer terror that can grip you during a panic attack. Thus, it's all the more important to learn some ways for how to stop a panic attack in it's tracks. By practicing some of the above methods, you may be able to get a better handle on your panic attacks.

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