Archive for the 'stress management techniques' Category
What To Do About Panic Attacks
Monday, December 29th, 2008 by adminAnyone who’s suffered through one wants to learn how to respond to panic episodes. A panic attack causes intense physical and psychological distress.
If the attacks continue they can completely destroy a person’s quality of life, limiting their day to day activities and defining their choices for them.
Here I’ll give some ideas about what to do. If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you want to know: what to do to prevent an anxiety episode to begin with and what to do if one happens anyway.
First, if you haven’t already you should see a doctor.
Some physical issues can cause symptoms similar to severe anxiety. You want to be certain that you don’t have a physical problem such as a heart or thyroid problem responsible for your symptoms.
This step establishes the diagnosis and reassures you that you are physically OK. Some treatment options use this knowledge to help combat the panic feeling.
It also helps to realize you aren’t the only one with this problem.
These days anxiety disorders are quite common. Given the stressful times we live in it’s not very surprising. People often use on-line forums to discuss their anxiety issues.
Like anything on-line you need to use some common sense. I’ve seen some excellent advice on-line and I’ve seen some terrible advice.
Aside from that many people tell their stories on the forums. Hearing other people’s stories and how they’ve responded can be inspiring and instructive.
Another early step is to look into a breathing technique to help with panic attacks calleddiaphragmatic breathing. This type of breathing is good for you in general. It also gets you used to feeling relaxed.
Diaphragmatic breathing generally isn’t enough by itself it can be one of the tools used to help stop.
It is also good to seek out instruction on relaxation techniques. You can learn this from any number of sources. However you learn the techniques, practice the techniques regularly.
Cognitive restructuring is a form of psychotherapy that has proved very effective in treating panic attacks. This is most easily applied as part of therapy with an appropriate professional but it is possible to learn without seeing a therapist.
Finally, if your attacks are particularly severe you may need short term use of medications to give you some relief while the more permanent solutions have a chance to work.
Most people will be able to come off the drugs after a few weeks to a year. A few need ongoing treatment.
There are other medications for anxiety and panic attacks that are used besides antidepressants.
Of course, if you’re taking medication you need to be under a physician’s care.
This article has given you an idea of what to do about panic attacks. The main thing to realize is that relief is possible.
You can find out about an extremely effective way to rid yourself of panic attacks completely at Panic Away Review.
Technorati Tags: No Tags
Related Tags: No Tags
