Abdominal breathing helps. So does guided visualization and progressive muscle relaxation helps too. So does calming music. One non-medication based intervention that evidence has shown to NOT be effective (but still is widely used) is EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and processing), so please don't waste your time on that.
Graded desensitization to panic-provoking stimuli under the care and guidance of a therapist can also be helpful if your panic attacks are provoked by specific, or trauma-based triggers.
I'll also say that while the old standard medications to treat panic attacks, i.e. benzodiazapineshave side-effects that produce cognitive impairments and addiction, other medications exist that have no such side effects, and treat specific symptoms. Heart palpitations can be treated with beta-blockers. And buspar, while often deemed not very effective, does not have significant side-effects that benzos and anti-depressants have.
Hope this helps. Cheers!
Really helps. Thank you so much.
I'm getting my panic attacks more at night. They wake me up from dead sleep. It is the most horrible thing. The bad part is that I don't know what causes them.
I get panic attacks in my sleep, too, but they told me mine are cause by nightmares Imunaware of having, that cause me to panic, maybe, you could have a similar issue. Maybe not
This is how my panic attacks started as well. Now I get them during the day more often. Medication helped calm my night terrors.
Talking to the people around you and making sure that you are fully comfortable with the people you share your information with helped me. I found breathing techniques helpful but found that reviewing my thoughts as they happened and putting them into perspective during and after the panic kept them decreasing. for example -Everyone is staring at me - are they really? are they doing it out of compassion and care? are they trying to help but unsure? etc. It really helped me!As well as this i also use simple repetitive things to bring me down from the panic, such as reciting the alphabet, my address, my phone number. after a few times aloud, i managed to do it inside my head. Hope this helps!
That's an amazing way to help with panic attacks, darling. It's great to think about the positive when going through something like that. Great suggestion!
Hi do you know if you are hyperventilating? If you find you are breathing fast as if you cannot get enough air, cover your mouth with your hand and try to only breathe what you have breathed out. If you can breathe into and out of a paper bag this can work even better.
Do you know which situations/people set off panic attacks? It may help to keep a journal of your panic attacks to see if you can find what triggers them so as you can deal with the root of the problems. Look for common threads you may find they are caused by someone/something that you are not aware of or considered.
Meditation, tie chi, yoga can all help with stress levels.
Stay Strong!
In the past I have been on Xanax for when they get really awful but I always just get someone to take me out of the situation I'm in and talk to me non stop until I've calmed down enough and got my breathing under control.
My best friend has me do 7 count breathing. 7counts in. Hold for 7 counts. Out for 7 counts. And hold for 7 counts. I do it until I calm down and you have to do it while sitting.
I suffer from panic attacks myself and I have noticed that the breathing exercises help. I also began experimenting with lavender essential oil. But this is for if you are open to trying a solution that does not include medication. I started using it because I have recently spoken with a family friendwho uses it for attacks that are far worse and occur more often than mine. She says it has changed her life. She places it on her pulse points, over her heart, and take it aromaticallyand says it helps.
I always find that if the attack happens away from home, as soon as I get into my bed or shower I will calm down. If I'm at home, I always go for a walk, do a crossword puzzle, watch a funny TV show or imagine being in a faraway land where if I were to become anxious it would be a waste of a perfectly good vacation, you know? But yes it is VERY hard to execute any pre-planned anxiety reliever but you can always tell yourself it will be over in 20 minutes!
I find that distractions work really well and it might be something as simple a focusingon breathing (4 seconds in and 7 seconds out) or just looking around and taking notice of things around you (saying them out loud seems to help too) like oh there's a tree there, there's snow on it... and so on. Just dropping what you're doing (if you can) and moving on to something else is good too because it helps you change your focus. I know this isn't the most complicated thing but like I said I've found that this helps me and hopefully it can help someone else too :) <3
Once I had a severe panic attack while leaving job orientation. I called the Maine State Crisis Line and have been using one of the breathing techniques they taught me in subsequent instances without being able to get to my meds.
Breathe in for five seconds, hold it, breathe out for five.
In through nose, out through mouth.
I've also found sipping water and getting someplace with less/no people helps at work as I sip it.
