Table of contents:
- Recognizing the symptoms of a panic attack
- Panic attack techniques
- 1. Trying to blend in with the waves
- 2. Soothes breath and muscles
- 3. Involves the whole brain
Panic attack or panick attackis an uncontrollable anxiety and sometimes assumes that a catastrophe is coming, coupled with physical symptoms that occur suddenly, such as shortness of breath, nausea, muscle spasms, etc. If you have had a panic attack, you may be able to empathize with the frustration and hopelessness of unknown causes. By educating yourself for panic feelings, you can easily control them, so you don't have to live in fear and uncertainty anymore. Therefore, let's take a look at the various information that can help you deal with panic attacks below.
Recognizing the symptoms of a panic attack
Familiarizing yourself with the symptoms of a panic attack can help you feel more in control when one of the symptoms occurs. Once you realize that you are having a panic attack, and not a heart disease, allergic reaction, or other serious illness, you can focus on panic attack coping techniques. But, before that, let's take a look at the following panic attack symptoms:
- Irregular heartbeat
- Dizziness and dizziness
- Hard to breathe
- Choking sensation and nausea
- Shaking and sweating
- Fatigue and feeling weak
- Chest pain and heartburn
- Muscle spasms
- Sudden hot or cold feeling
- Tingling sensation in the legs
- The fear that you are going crazy
- Fear that you will die or become seriously ill
Panic attack techniques
If you are having a panic attack like the symptoms described above, these techniques can make them feel less scary and can help you get out of it:
1. Trying to blend in with the waves
Panic attacks often come in waves of tingling sensations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and confused thoughts. Many people try to make this feeling stop by trying to get out of the thought. However, doing so can overwhelm you and eventually become helpless, which can lead to panic attacks occurring.
When you start to feel the sensation of panic, don't try to stop them outright, but visualize each feeling as a wave, until eventually it becomes less intense and you feel like you are resting on the beach. Remind yourself that even if you feel like you are sinking under the waves, it doesn't mean that you can't swim.
2. Soothes breath and muscles
Don't wait for a panic attack to occur to perfect this technique. Practice it twice a day for 10 minutes, so that panic attacks occur less frequently and are easier to subdue.
Calm your breath. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your diaphragm. Take slow, deep breaths through your nose and count to five. The hand on the chest should remain still, while the hand on the diaphragm should detect whether your breath is deep enough.
When you reach a count of five, let your breath out slowly through your nose at the same rate. By concentrating on your hands and counting, it will help you to stay focused on calming yourself down. Do this over and over until you feel relaxed.
Relax your muscles. Find a comfortable position to sit or lie down. Close your eyes and start to focus only on your toes. Bend your toes down tightly for a count of five. Do this while squeezing the muscles (calves, thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest, shoulders, neck, fingers, and arms) as hard as possible, then relax.
3. Involves the whole brain
If you have a panic attack, it's because the emotional part of your brain (which is responsible for fighting or receiving responses) is out of control. Engaging your logical brain (thinking brain) to control your emotional brain is one of the most effective therapies for anxiety and panic.
When a panic attack comes, use your logical brain to talk yourself through it. You can say to yourself, “The disturbing panic has returned. It will feel a little bit annoying, but I'm glad it will end soon. ” Such verbal reasoning can help you to understand the sensation of panic as temporary.
If all of the above techniques don't work, immediately contact a doctor or therapist who can help you deal with panic attacks. Besides, it's important that you join in on support group. When joining it, you are expected to be able to overcome the problems faced by sharing stories about how other people deal with panic attacks they are facing.
