Self Help for Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are of limited duration (typically only about ten minutes) but leave a big impact on the people who suffer from them.

The damage is not limited to the short term either. Left untreated, people who suffer from panic attacks may get worse with time and may even develop a full blown panic disorder where they remain often in fear of having the next panic attack which in itself can be self fulfilling and actually cause the next panic attack to occur.

How To Cope With Panic Attacks

A good place to start is to learn how to calm yourself down when you are having a panic attack.

The first thing to know is to understand exactly how panic attacks occur. This way, you can hopefully see it for what it is – just a bodily reaction, a minor quirk of nature if you like.

When the body sees an imminent threat, the sympathetic nervous system goes into action and produces what is commonly known as the "fight or flight" response. Basically, your body automatically equips you with everything you need to get out of a situation and save your life – at least it thinks that it does.

So when you experience just a tiny seed of fear (it doesn’t matter if you have no idea where the fear came from) then your body’s reaction to the fear actually makes your symptoms worse and causes you to experience even more fear. The result is that you have an ever tightenining loop that quickly reaches a peak.

A useful tip to use when you are experiencing a panic attack is to use coping strategies. For example, try to get away from the situation that might be causing your fear, try to distract yourself if possible, breathe deeply and tell yourself (under your breath if necessary) that you will be fine and that the symptoms will simply pass.

Preventing Future Attacks

Although it looks like there is a genetic component that affects a person’s propensity to have a panic attack, there is also much evidence to suggest lifestyle and environmental factors.

You can help yourself by exercising regularly (especially cardiovascular exercise) and avoiding caffeine containing drinks (these can be a trigger). Although many sufferers also try to avoid situations that trigger the attacks, this can also give rise to an increased fear of these situations which in itself can cause a panic attack (from just thinking about having one).

Get Help

Self-help is a great idea but frankly you should seek medical assistance if you suffer from panic attacks and want to eliminate anxiety permanently. Even if you do not wish to take antidepressant medication, there is a high success rate from cognitive behavioural therapy, a popular and effective form of psychotherapy.

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