Question by Marina Evans: how can you cope with panic attacks without having to see a specialist?
I think I am experiencing panic attacks lately. I think I have a lot of panic attack symptoms I have read about. I am afraid to visit a specialist. Is there something I could do on my own before I decide to see an expert?
Best answer:
Answer by Why me
Concentrate on your breathing or think about something pleasant. I know it is hard but other than medication, it is about all that is going to work. Maybe try meditation. You have to train yourself thagt there is nothing wrong, and that you are ok.
Add your own answer in the comments!
Try meditation or yoga. If that doesnt work, try to see a doctor. There isnt anything to be afraid of and maybe they can help you figure out why you’re suddenly having panic attacks.
Look up natural ways to increase your serotonin levels. Look up B6 (or better yet P5P which is the activated form of B6) tryptophan is the amino acid precursor take on an empty stomach or there is 5-HTP which is an intermediary in the serotonin pathway.
I also take inositol which is under the broader heading of a B vitamin. It doesn’t work for everyone but when it does it takes away anxiety without lowering intelligence.
Dont worry – panic attacks are very common and they will pass with time. However, they’re horrible when u have them – theres loads of ways u can help urself to get over them – here’s one of the best sites to understand and deal with panic and anxiety attacks….:
http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/panic_attacks#What_are_panic_attacks_
Yes. Panic Disorder Information Hotline. USA 800-64-PANIC. At the first sign of one, employ an ANTI PANIC ATTACK breathing technique. Advice from a clinical psychologist is to breathe in to the count of 3: (one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three) each takes around a second to say to yourself, in your mind, and out to the count of 3. Keep repeating this until the panic subsides, which will deal with the hyperventilation aspect. View http://deeplyrelax.com & http://www.deepsloweasy.com/html/intro.htm Note: the controlled breathing only helps with the symptoms, as do medications/herbal remedies. Address the underlying cause, which requires some form of therapy; see your-mental-health.8m.com, below, re anxiety, on pages 1, h, & i. Page h shows the difference between panic, and anxiety attacks.
Read: When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life, by David D. Burns (2007), & Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick by David Carbonell, & “Power Over Panic”, by Bronwyn Fox, from your bookstore, or enter “panic attacks” in the searchbar at Amazon.com for more media. Some people recommend nettle tea, with a little honey. Others use Lavender tea, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, but use no milk or cream with herbal teas, or Valerian (caution: use it for 3 weeks at most!). Know how these affect you before driving, or doing anything dangerous, and it is far better to use the treatments, rather than relying on herbal remedies. Free online PANIC COURSE – http://www.panic-attacks.co.uk also available by email. See the section on panic attacks at http://www.mind.org.uk also Ebooklet form. They recommend letting a panic attack run its course, without doing anything to treat it, so you KNOW you will survive it. The usual maximum is 30 minutes, until symptoms begin to subside. Also see http://www.anxietypanic.com/signs.html and http://www.onestepatatime.com (chatroom, and one free email is allowed to their resident expert on joining [free] – more if a paid up member) and
http://www.medicinenet.com/panic_disorder/artic… and http://www.squidoo.com/controlpanicattack/modul… and http://www.anxietynetwork.com Practice a relaxation method, daily, and when needed, such as http://www.drcoxconsulting.com/managing-stress.html or http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/mindbody/a/Meditation.htm or http://www.wikihow.com/Meditate or Yoga Nidra, (a series of easy mental exercises only; no flexibility required) at http://your-mental-health.8m.com/blank_11.html Hypnosis is merely a heightened state of suggestibility, in which you are better able to communicate with your subconscious mind. 85% of people are suggestible, to some degree, so you could either seek professional hypnotherapy, or more alternatives along such lines are on page 1, at 8m.com, about panic.
First, you must make sure that what you are experiencing is indeed a panic attack. Panic attack symptoms are sometimes similar to a heart attack or other serious conditions. Diagnosis is generally “negative”, in the sense that if all other medical conditions are excluded, then most probably what you are experiencing is anxiety. The basis of most treatments is that you have to understand that your panic attacks are triggered off by your fear of them. There are a few quite effective self-help methods on the web. My favorite two are “Panic Away” and the “Linden” method.
Some good things to prevent, and control ‘em are, working out regularly(so you burn off extra hormones, and adrenaline), and work on being in the moment, The Power of Now is a great book, that gives you very practical advice on how to be calm, and in control of your life, no matter what’s going on.
And when you feel the panic rising, try and give a controlled, but active response to it, usually panic is triggered when we feel something is getting out of control, or goes against our feeling of what’s right, if you actively respond to try and right, the wrong about to happen, you’ll notice, you’ll become more relaxed, and the next time, you won’t have as strong a reaction.
You can’t cope with them. I used to have HORRIBLE, CONSTANT panic attacks, and it wasn’t until I saw a psychiatrist and got on Zyprexa that the panic attacks disappeared. Personally, I recommend getting on good meds. They will help you.
There are some great answers here with helpful links. But also some silly ones. It’s easy to give advice from just searching the internet. But if you’ve never actually had an attack yourself, you just don’t understand the implications (or should I say HORROR).
If you are in “Fight or Flight” mode you cannot just breathe or even reason in any way. Your brain’s functions actually cease and your body’s autonomic nervous system takes over.
I have had attacks for years and I like Brian M’s answer. I too eventually needed medication (after all the other “tricks” failed). Please read:
Pharmaceutical Non-Compliance: The Benefits
http://bodybeautybliss.blogspot.com/2010/12/image-via-wikipedia-way-back-in-2004-i.html
One of the best things you can do to reduce attacks, is to watch what you are eating and drinking. I’m surprised that no one has mentioned this. Sugar is the worst (a great book is The Sugar Addict’s Diet: A Primer for the Low Sugar Lifestyle. This program really helped me.), then caffeine and even aspartame (a common ingredient in diet drinks) can all cause panic episodes. Even going for long periods without food can cause attacks as this can produce low blood sugar.
Are you also having insomnia? Trouble sleeping is another symptom of these bad ingredients.
In the end it’s all about your body’s chemistry. Even though my episodes were the result of trauma (PTSD), diet and medication were necessary changes for recovery. Counseling was okay. But it wasn’t until I found the right med that the episodes ceased. I now have episodes only occasionally (2-3 times a month vs 2-3 times a day). So they helped me heal, as well, by allowing me to do things I had been avoiding. The counselors say “avoid avoidance”. I too was resistant to drug therapy and could have saved myself years of severe mental anguish.
My blog is dedicated to the daily things you can do to reduce life’s anxieties. I wish you well. Keep reading about it (at the library and on the internet) and do see a doctor (an MD that can prescribe a medication for you if nothing else works). You don’t have to continue suffering as I did.
http://bodybeautybliss.blogspot.com (for “less stress more life”)
First of all, a specialist is nothing to be afraid of..but for now, of course there are many ways to deal with panic attacks. I personally favor natural methods. This article is about 3 self help methods to stop panic attacks, it’s a good start for you:
http://natural-alternative-therapies.com/3-self-help-methods-to-stop-panic-attacks/