StanPopovich 0 Posted March 11, 2016 A person can experience a panic attack when they least expect it. This can cause a great deal of fear and anxiety for the person. Many people do not know what they should do when dealing with a panic attack. As a result, here are 6 quick steps a person can follow when a panic attack strikes unexpectedly. 1. Stop What You Are Doing The first thing a person must do when experiencing a panic attack is to stop whatever they are doing. A panic attack can be very uncomfortable and can affect a person's everyday thinking. This can cause a person to have trouble focusing which can be dangerous. Be safe and stop whatever you are doing at the time. 2. Take Deep Breaths Secondly, a person should take some deep breaths to help feel better and to get rid of some of the excessive fear and anxiety. There are also many kinds of breathing exercises a person can learn to follow with the help of a mental health counselor. Taking some deep breaths can help a person relax right away. 3. Distract Yourself Next, a person should try to distract themselves from the panic they are experiencing. A person could get some fresh air, listen to some music, take a brisk walk, read the newspaper, or do something relaxing that will give them a fresh perspective on things. This is a great way to get your mind off of your current anxiety. 4. Get The Facts Of Your Situation Many people feel like they are going to die when they experience a panic attack for the first time. The fact is that you will be ok and that it takes a few minutes for the anxiety to go away. Talk to a counselor and get the facts of what a panic attack is and what you can do when a panic attack occurs. 5. Don't Dwell on Your Thoughts A person must not dwell or focus on their thoughts during a panic attack. The more a person tries to reason out their thoughts the longer a panic attack lasts. Try to keep your mind blank and free of any negative thoughts during a panic attack. Read some positive statements from your favorite self-help book to help overcome your negative thoughts during a panic attack. 6. Get Help It is important to talk to a qualified professional in order to learn how to survive a panic attack. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with any panic attacks that may occur in the future. Talk to your doctor or go on the internet to get a list of mental health counselors in your area. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jenniferhop 17 Posted March 11, 2016 Thanks for sharing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Geonia 1 Posted March 11, 2016 Thankyou. Very good post Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JOYCICLE 654 Posted March 11, 2016 I have to take issue with Number Two. Yes, deep breathing is a great thing. However, deep ' mouth' breathing can lead to excess air in the lungs and the feeling of HYPER ventilating can cause more crazy chest sensations that trigger more panic. So I would say , definitely deep breaths, but only THROUGH THE NOSE. I promise it makes a huge difference. You can exhale through the mouth but when in panic, shut the mouth and inhale through the nose only. The nose takes in fall less air than the mouth and can regulate you quicker ! 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LADA 44 Posted March 28, 2016 Thank you for this Joycicle!! I used this technique today and it did help me. I was doing it wrong. I was doing the breathing in and out through my mouth -_- lol This really helped!!! Thank you ☺ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 28, 2016 I was flying an airplane......and I tried number 1.......didn't end well.Just kidding lol. In general good advice:) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Snowbunnyface 31 Posted June 17, 2016 I agree with most of this but, sorry, step one is not practical. Most of us HAVE stopped what we're doing and it has led to being housebound because we've given power to panic attacks by letting adrenaline become very disruptive. it's possible to carry on what you're doing through panic and recommended by the therapists I've seen. You don't conquer panic by succumbing to it and letting it disrupt your activities is doing just that. The success is in tackling it mentally. "I feel uncomfortable, but this is not going to harm me." It can be argued that stopping is a form of flight. No offense but if I had to stop what I was doing every time I felt panic, my grocery shopping trips would last 6 months. It's not practical to drop everything. Then the mind will expect that reaction every time. The fact is (unless you're driving a car and feel there is serious risk - I've driven with a panic attack because I had no other choice I couldn't pull over. It is possible to breathe your way out of it, bring yourself back to the moment and remain safe, it's not the same as having a stroke or heart attack) panic attacks are not dangerous and shouldn't be stopping us from what we are doing. There's more harm in dropping everything to focus on having the panic attack than identifying 'i'm simply anxious, and it's UNCOMFORTABLE but it's not an emergency' and you don't have to lean on your shopping cart for 20 minutes til it subsides. The cure is in the psyche not in physically stopping your task. That just reinforces in the mind the lie that a panic attack is a significant event that should stop us in our tracks every time and that's simply not true or helpful for recovery. There's "being safe" and then there's panic attacks controlling your life to the point where you stop living life in fear of them. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JOYCICLE 654 Posted June 17, 2016 Good stuff, Snowbunny. You are right. The more we truck on through them the quicker we realize we CAN just truck on through them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonathan123 2367 Posted June 17, 2016 First of all there is no 'cover all' remedy for anxiety. Everyone feels it differently. We can only offer help based on our own experiences. This is why good counselling is so helpful because the help given is based on the patients own feelings and insights. There are quite few issues I would disagree with here. No offense but if I had to stop what I was doing every time I felt panic, my grocery shopping trips would last 6 months Snowbunny, you are so right. Dr. Weekes says that when panic hits let it come. Don't retreat in fear. Work through it. Don't add 'second fear'. The 'oh my goodness and what ifs'. See it though but carry on with what you are doing. Your body is still a good body and will function normally if you let it. The cure is in the psyche not in physically stopping your task. That just reinforces in the mind the lie that a panic attack is a significant event that should stop us in our tracks every time and that's simply not true or helpful for recovery. There's "being safe" and then there's panic attacks controlling your life to the point where you stop living life in fear of them. My goodness, now that is a truth if there ever was one. It's worth printing out and pinning to your bathroom mirror. Don''t dwell on your thoughts, it is said. How the hell do you not dwell on them? I say let them come; see them for what they are, only thoughts. Go with them there, live with them there, but don't give them any credence, any reality. It's when we blow them up into demons that they plague us. They are illusions from the biggest illusionist of all time, Mr. Anxiety! It can be argued that stopping is a form of flight. Well said, exactly. Yes, it's not facing but running away. You have allowed 'IT' to make you act in 'ITS' way not yours. If you stop you are no longer in charge. By doing what you are doing, carrying on with your life, you assert authority over your feelings and emotions. Now I am not suggesting this is easy. When we panic reason goes out of the window, and that's why continual practise of acceptance is so important. "I feel uncomfortable, but this is not going to harm me." Again, so right. Panic is totally harmless physically. It has no lasting physical effects. It may make you temporarily drained because of the energy used, but the amount of energy used is in proportion to how you react. Running away uses more energy that carrying on. Snowbunny, a wonderful helpful post. Thank you. Jon. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 17, 2016 Pretty much perfect Snowbunnyface.:)You have definitely hit the nail on the head. (Joy and Jon is there some kind of error in the forum software? For some reason I can only like something once ) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JOYCICLE 654 Posted June 17, 2016 Jon said "" Don''t dwell on your thoughts, it is said. How the hell do you not dwell on them? I say let them come; see them for what they are, only thoughts. Go with them there, live with them there, but don't give them any credence, any reality. It's when we blow them up into demons that they plague us. """ I have thought about this and while we think we cannot NOT dwell on the scary thoughts, the truth is we can. Let's say you get up and read 3 headlines, one is a garage sale, one is a new store opening in town and one is a traffic tie up due to construction. You read this and you think on them, even if it's only fora few seconds. You think ' hhmm ok , there's traffic'. Then you go on about your day and do your errands and chores and will likely never THINK of that traffic again . Then a friend may call and say they're stuck in traffic and for an instant your mind flickers back to that THOUGHT from earlier. But again , it goes right away and you chat with your friend about what nots. We are perfectly capable of having tons of thoughts every day we do not dwell on. So the capability is there . Now if a panicky thought comes across that says' oh no what if i xyz ''........ we can spend the rest of the day dwelling on that thought. While dwelling on our panicky thought we are pushing aside every other thought about traffic, stores, meals, showers, birds , bees and butterflies. We make a ( conscious / unconscious, im not sure which ) choice to push aside normal or good thoughts to dwell on our negative thoughts. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jonathan123 2367 Posted June 17, 2016 Hi Lucid. I don't know. Have not come upon this before. Gilly may pick this up as I am no expert. Sorry! Jon. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gilly 1086 Posted June 17, 2016 5 hours ago, Lucid said: Pretty much perfect Snowbunnyface.:)You have definitely hit the nail on the head. (Joy and Jon is there some kind of error in the forum software? For some reason I can only like something once ) 22 minutes ago, jonathan123 said: Hi Lucid. I don't know. Have not come upon this before. Gilly may pick this up as I am no expert. Sorry! Jon. Not that I'm aware of, I just tested and was able to like multiple posts *scratches head* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted June 17, 2016 That backfired lol.I was joking about liking Snowbunnyface's post multiple times:p Sorry about the confusion y'all! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites