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A common component of stress is anxiety, anxiety can cause a great deal
of discomfort to those who suffer from it with perhaps the worst of all
feelings it can bring about being panic attacks.
A panic attack can occur at any time without any warning and can be very
debilitating to those who suffer from them; panic attacks can be dealt
with effectively once a better understanding of them is gained.
What are panic attacks?
A panic attack is the body's natural reaction to a fight or flight response,
this response prepares the body to defend itself from an attack by either
standing ground and fighting or fleeing from the threat.
What we feel during a panic attack is the body sending adrenaline throughout
the body in preparation for fighting or fleeing, as there is no threat,
then this is felt as the symptoms.
The heart will begin to beat faster, we might break out into a sweat or
feel faint, light headed, dizzy or nauseous, and you can feel a sense
of impending doom or disaster.
Overcoming panic attacks
Panic attacks are perhaps the single biggest problem associated with stress
and anxiety, the person suffering from them can become totally bewildered
by the symptoms of the attack, in fact many seriously believe that they
have something seriously wrong with them and in fact might be dying.
If the attacks continue, and they usually do, they can occur as little
as every half hour and last for anything up to around 10 minutes at which
they usually peak.
The attacks can then appear from seemingly nowhere at any time, catching
the sufferer off guard and causing deep stress and concern. However panic
attacks can be dealt with effectively by simply remembering that what
you are feeling is nothing more than that, just feelings.
The thing you fear is yourself and your attitude to the attacks, the person
suffering very often will forget about the original problem that brought
about the attacks in the first place and instead fear the attacks themselves.
Of course fear is what allows the attacks to continue, you then end up
in a vicious circle, fear brings an attack, the attack makes you afraid,
when you are frightened the attacks happen, the cycle is never ending.
You can however end the vicious circle simply by allowing the attack to
happen and let it wash over you without giving it too much thought or
concern, in the beginning of course this is easier said than done.
Nevertheless, by simply accepting them as nothing more than feelings and
remembering that nothing does happen to you during an attack, as much
as you think it might, or feel it might, it never does and the worst that
can happen has already happened. A simple breathing exercise can get you
through an attack and help you to overcome panic attacks.
Breaking the cycle
* Place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach
* Breathe in through your nose and let your stomach fill with air and
expand
* Slowly and evenly breathe out through your nose sucking in your stomach
as the air leaves
* Concentrate on your breathing allowing the symptoms of panic to wash
over as best you can
* Get into an even rhythm with your breathing pattern
* You should count your breaths, one breathe is both in and out
* Aim to breathe about 8 to 10 breaths a minute
* By practicing this form of breathing you will quickly come to automatically
respond to a panic attack this way, until gradually they lessen and then
stop appearing altogether
Relapses
Most people who have suffered from panic attacks can suffer from relapses
after being free of them for some time; this of course can be very upsetting
and unsettling.
Perhaps months after being free of them they have returned again, this
could be during particular anxious times in your life or stressful periods.
Simply accept that for the time being they are back and move on with your
life without giving them too much cause for concern, simply begin practicing
your breathing exercises again when needed and they will again dissipate.
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