Coping With Panic Attacks
Panic attack is common to an anxiety patient. It is a sudden feeling of fear that creates hysterical and irrational behavior. It could happen anytime and any place without warning. In order to cope with panic attacks it is best to know the symptoms before a full bloom panic attack occurs.
Symptoms are warnings the patient must listen to and should not disregard. From symptoms you can take necessary precautions to prevent panic attacks from occurring, which is the best method of coping with panic attacks.
Mostly these attacks only last in few minutes, but in rare occasions they can last a few hours. Frequency of attacks differ in each patient. Some have them often and some only once in a while. According to experts panic attacks are a result of an adrenaline rush that alleviates pumping of blood to the heart. However, this feeling is helpful to heightened your abilities and make you run fast, but this is dangerous in normal conditions.
If an attack persist you will feel a strong pounding of your heart. Heart rate is fast followed by trembling and shaking of the entire body. Sweating starts and increases as you feel the sensation of shortness in breathing. You will feel like you are choking, chest discomfort and pain. Slowly you feel chills and hot flashes that seems like you are losing control and going crazy. A fear of dying plays in your mind that makes you feel low, dizzy and probably fainted.
How to cope with panic attacks?
When you feel your heart start pounding do some breathing exercises to relax. Take a deep breath inhale and exhale. Keep doing this until you feel relaxed and calm. Stay in a position in which you are comfortable and can breathe easily. If you are in a restaurant and feel shortness of breath, go out of the restaurant and have some fresh air while doing breathing exercises. As much as possible keep yourself calm and do not allow negative thoughts to play in your mind.
In most cases people tend to drink water or any liquid when they feel shortness of breath, this is wrong. Instead, calm yourself down breath as comfortably as you can. Settle yourself first before drinking anything. When you drink water while your heart is beating so fast, you feel like you cannot breath, you only add pressure to your heart that could result into fainting.
It is easy to say what you are going to do, but doing it is the hardest part. Motivate yourself by saying you are going to be fine during attacks. Remember, nobody can help you except yourself. If you think you need some one to guide you or advise you what to do, a psychologist or psychiatrist can guide through the process of recovery.