Anxiety is like a normal ‘alarm system’, which is alerting you of danger coming ahead. Just think of you entering the home and seeing a burglar sitting in your living room. Your heart immediately starts beating, your palms start sweating and your mind is racing. In such a situation, anxiety can give that extra spark of getting out of things or getting into them. However, sometimes anxiety can get out of control, and will give you a feeling of dread or fear for no particular reason; this is known as panic attack. In this situation, you must know how to control panic attack.
When you experience a panic attack, it can be impossible to do anything. However, there are numerous ways for banishing the symptoms of panic attack. Once you have conquered this then you will be able to think about things properly. Here are some simple steps on how to control panic attack.
Breathing Exercises
- One of the first physical manifestations of panic attack is hyperventilation. This will speed up your heart rate, will cause chest pain and will make you feel dizzy. This situation can result in fainting if it goes on for a long time. One of the first steps is controlling your breathing when it comes to controlling your panic attack.
- When you notice that your breathing is speeding up, you will have to work on slowing down your breathing rate. You can do this easily by lying down or sitting. Shut down your eyes and concentrate on every breath of yours. If you are still facing troubles in slowing down your breathing, try deep breathing, hold it for a moment and then slowly exhale.
- Breathing is this manner will slow down your heart rate and clear your head as well, which will let you think.
Muscle Relaxation
- When you are learning how to control panic attacks, one of the most difficult things will be muscle relaxation, especially when it comes to your facial muscles. Most of the times you will be clenching your jaw, wrinkling your forehead or furrowing your brow without even knowing that you are doing it.
- Your posture will also become tense and stiff, which can result in neck and back pain. You can ease the pain out from your muscles by relaxing your muscles one by one. Lie down on a flat surface and close your eyes. Breathe calmly and deeply, start conjuring every muscle. Start from your scalp down and make every effort to relax them. The relief of tension will also release endorphins, which can help you in the symptoms of anxiety attacks.
- You can get some relief from the sore neck and tense muscles by soaking your body in hot bath or going for relaxing sauna. You can knead the tension out from your muscles by getting a massage done. Once all your muscles are relaxed, you will instantly feel much calmer and will be ready to fix all the problems.
Confront the Problem
- Once your breathing is calm and all your muscles are relaxed and loose, then you must take first steps towards solving your problems. Believe it or not, all these things are very important when it comes to controlling panic attacks. By taking small manageable steps for solving your problems, you can easily eliminate most of the painful and distressing symptoms from your panic attack.
- The most important thing will be not overwhelming your problem once again in your life. Instead, you will have to take a calm and calculated approach towards the situation. You will have to identify the exact problem, then make a step-by-step list of measures that you should take for solving this problem.
- If you are not able to do this alone then never be afraid to ask for help from others. If you split the problem in smaller steps, it will become much easier for you to manage.
- If your panic attack continues to occur, you can consult your doctor or for a therapeutic treatment or take some anti-anxiety medicines for treating your symptoms.
In a difficult situation, it can take time to control the panic attack, but with dedication and practice, it will become easier. However, over time they will become much easier to overpower.
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