A panic attack can feel much worse than it really is.
Panic attacks affect over six million Americans per year, according to the Anxiety Disorders Association of America. Calming yourself down during the peak of a panic attack can seem impossible -- you are shaking, sweating and your thoughts are racing. You might be pacing or even crying. The fear you feel, although imagined, is as real as the heart attack you believe you are having.
While many people rely on drug therapy or suffer through these attacks in silence, alternative ways to calm yourself during a panic attack do exist.
Instructions
1. Stop what you are doing when the panic attack begins. Since panic attacks can occur at any time and during any activity, you may need to stop driving or participating in an activity. You can resume the activity when the panic attack symptoms have subsided.
2. Close your eyes, take several deep breaths and count to 10. Or count to 20. Closing your eyes will help you to block out any outside influences and the counting will focus your mind on something other than the panic attack. Breathing deeply will also have a calming effect on your body.
3. Place your hand on something stable or sturdy. Many times a person will feel "out-of-touch" with reality during a panic attack. Touching something can refocus your mental energy onto the real and tangible rather than the imagined fears brought on by the panic attack. You may want to keep a token with you at all times to hold in the event of panic attacks.
4. Repeat a phrase or mantra during the panic attack to refocus your mental energy. It might help to say "This is all in my mind; I can stop this" or "I will be fine; I am okay" over and over. Since a panic attack has physical symptoms that mimic a heart attack, you can compound your anxiety and make the attack worse if you allow your thoughts to spiral out of control. Be sure to keep breathing deeply while repeating the phrase.
5. Repeat Steps 1 through 5 until the panic attack has passed.
Tags: panic attack, during panic, during panic attack, heart attack, mental energy