How to Stop Panic Attacks

Panic disorder, sometimes referred to as panic anxiety disorder, is a condition that affects nearly 20 million people worldwide with many sufferers focused on ways to stop panic attacks.  Characterized by sudden and usually brief periods of intense fear, panic attacks seem to strike without warning and carry with them the power to completely debilitate those that suffer.

In addition to the fear and anxiety that panic attacks produce, a number of physical symptoms are usually present as well.  In any given attack, people who experience these frightening episodes must also cope with some or all of the following:

  • Shortness of breath or the inability to breathe deeply
  • Racing pulse
  • Heart palpitations and chest pain
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Dizziness or feeling faint
  • Fatigue
  • Sweating
  • Shaking or trembling
  • Fear of dying or of going crazy

When asked just how a panic attack makes them feel, most people are at a loss to describe the sensation.  One person described it as “that feeling you might get just before and after narrowly escaping an automobile accident.”  Of course, for sufferers of panic attacks, these attacks usually strike without warning, in the absence of any particularly stressful event, and the effects can linger for days.

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Panic attacks are a form of anxiety disorder which is exceedingly difficult to treat.  Once a person experiences an attack, regardless of the events that may have led up to it, the fear of experiencing a similar episode becomes central in their lives.  Paradoxically, this fear and anxiety of having another attack actually creates a state of mind in which another attack is almost inevitable.  They worry so much about having a panic attack that they actually cause one.  Experts refer to this phenomenon as the “cycle of fear,” and unless steps are taken to alter this unhealthy behavior pattern the prospect of eliminating the anxiety is very poor.

To combat this cycle of fear, there is really only one viable option:  To master the fear caused by certain places, events and circumstances, people must confront them directly, and learn to change the thought patterns associated with them.  Although this technique can take on a variety of forms, there really is no other option for completely eliminating panic altogether.  Medication may help somewhat to control the symptoms of a panic attack, but it cannot prevent one completely.

Below is an abbreviated list of some of the techniques that are commonly used to break the cycle of fear which can lead to problem anxiety:

  • Cognitive Restructuring.  Cognitive restructuring is a behavioral technique aimed at teaching people to break the negative thought patterns associated with any given stimuli.
  • Exposure Therapy.  Exposure therapy is a technique in which people are gradually eased into places or situations that frighten them or cause them anxiety.  The first visit to a frightening place, for example, might only last a couple of minutes, but the goal is to continue the therapy until the fear associated with the place is eliminated.
  • Role Playing.  Role playing, in a controlled and comfortable environment, teaches people to face their fears by acting out frightening situations.

For those that suffer the debilitating effects of panic attacks, the road to recovery may seem like an impossible journey.  The loneliness and isolation that they feel, resulting from months or even years of coping with symptoms, unable to describe their plight to people who simply cannot understand, can leave them feeling hopeless and helpless.  If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from this disorder, rest assured that that there are steps you can take to reclaim your life. Face the things that frighten you, however uncomfortable, and soon you will be able to break the cycle of fear which imprisons you.

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