Take Control - Manage Your Panic Attacks
by Christopher
Find out what triggers your panic attacks
Do you suffer from Panic attacks?
Panic attacks can strike seemingly without warning. They can be debilitating and scary. Here are my tips for managing or overcoming panic attacks:
1. First, spend some time thinking about what tends to trigger attacks in you. For some people it might be a particular area of town, tall buildings, or a person or group of people. If you know what causes that feeling of panic in you, you can take steps to avoid these triggers as much as is practical. That might sound obvious, but many people forget that they may have options for avoiding stressful situations.
Beyond considering the primary triggers, also consider contributing factors. Are you more likely to suffer an attack when you’re tired? In the morning? Late at night? When you’re hungry? Alone? In a group? Think back to prior attacks and see if you can identify a common set of circumstances or even a triggering behavior in yourself. Consider whether modifying one part of the environment can help avoid or minimize the stress. For example, if you have panic attacks when speaking to your boss, consider if eating a good meal before having that meeting might help you.
2. Next, prepare yourself to deal with an attack if it comes. Consider strategies to assuage your distress, so that you’re ready when it comes.
Some people find that an intense physical sensation can avert or end an attack. Squeezing ice in your hand very tightly can provide an intense experience that snaps you out of an attack. This doesn't work for me. Another approach is to induce yourself to cough forcefully, over and over. The experience is phsyically demanding, and it tends to capture all of one's attention. Another idea that works for me is to listen to very loud music; with the inexpensive personal music players available these days, you can do this almost anywhere. Another approach might be to drop everything and perform some physical exercise. Repeated knee ends, sit-ups, or some other repetitive action that tires you may work for you.
Keep in mind that you may need to use different strategies depending on your environment or situation. You certainly cannot perform sit-ups or cough loudly while riding on a city bus, but you could listen to loud music. Beyond preparing strategies, you need to coach yourself that you will bring yourself through the attack. Be confident that you can handle it, and the attack will be less severe when it comes.
3. Finally, work to lessen attacks over time. If you suffer an attack, take some time after it has passed, to look back on it, and examine it, non-judgmentally. What was the primary trigger? What were contributing factors? How long did it last? Were your strategies effective? Do you need more strategies, or better ones? By examining it without judgment or hyperbole, it becomes less scary, and more manageable. Talking through your panic management plan with a trusted friend can help re-assure you that you can handle these uncomfortable situations when they arise.
