Welcome to Tips for those who suffer from panic attacks.

About Panic Attacks:

One of the unfortunate outcomes from suffering from excessive stress and anxiety is a physical reaction of your body to the situation.  ItÕs like your body is telling you that you need to rest for a moment.  Except when youÕre having a panic attack, itÕs anything BUT restful.

letÕs look at the signs that you might be having a panic attack.  The following list gives tell-tale warning signs of an oncoming panic attack.

Palpitations
A pounding heart, or an accelerated heart rate
Sweating
Trembling or shaking
Shortness of breath
A choking sensation
Chest pain or discomfort
Nausea or stomach cramps
De-realization (a feeling of unreality)
Fear of losing control or going crazy
Fear of dying
Numbness or a tingling sensation in your face and limbs
Chills or hot flashes

You would be surprised at how many people go to the hospital emergency room completely sure that theyÕre having a heart attack only to find out that itÕs a panic attack.  TheyÕre that intense!
ItÕs very difficult for your loved ones to imagine or even understand what you are going through when you have a panic attack.  They may lose patience with you, tell you to Òget over itÓ, or think youÕre faking.
The particular situations that trigger your panic and anxiety may differ.  Maybe the bodily sensations are a little different.  WhatÕs important to realize is that panic attacks are very real to the people who are having them and they should never be pushed off to the side.

Even when you think youÕre in no danger of having a panic attack, your brain might be feeling differently.  ThatÕs the scary part.  The good part is that there are ways you can combat panic attacks and cope much better when you find yourself in that situation.

Dealing With Panic Attacks:

If you have panic attacks, it may help to comfort you that you are not alone!  YouÕre not even one in a million. In America, it is estimated that almost 5% of the population suffer from some form of anxiety disorder.
For some, it may be the infrequent panic attacks that only crop up in particular situations-like when having to speak in front of others, while, for other people, it can be so frequent and recurring that it inhibits them from leaving their home. Frequent panic attacks often develop into what medical physicians refer to as an Òanxiety disorder.Ó
There are many ways of coping with an anxiety disorder.  Some may not work for you, but others just might.  It helps to know some of the most common coping techniques for dealing with panic attacks when they begin.

So how do you start trying to combat your panic attacks?  What if I told you the trick to ending panic and anxiety attacks is to WANT to have one. That sounds strange, even contradictory, doesnÕt it?  But the want really does help push it away.
 Does this mean that you should be able to bring on a panic attack at this very moment?  Absolutely not!  What it means is that when you are afraid of something Ð in this case a panic attack Ð it will more than likely appear and wreak havoc.  When you stand up to the attack, your chances of fending it off are much greater.
 If you resist a situation out of fear, the fear around that issue will persist. How do you stop resistingÐyou move directly into it, into the path of the anxiety, and by doing so it cannot persist.
In essence what this means is that if you daily voluntarily seek to have a panic attack, you cannot have one. Try in this very moment to have a panic attack and I will guarantee you cannot. You may not realize it but you have always decided to panic. You make the choice by saying this is beyond my control whether it be consciously or sub-consciously.

The key to overcoming panic attacks is to relax.  ThatÕs easy to say but difficult to do.  A good way to do this is to concentrate on your breathing making sure it is slow and steady.  One of the first signs of a panic attack is difficulty breathing, and you may find yourself panting to catch a breath.  When you focus on making those breaths even, your heart rate will slow down and the panic will subside.
Breathing more slowly and deeply has a calming effect. A good way to breathe easier is to let all the air out of your lungs. This forces your lungs to reach for a deeper breath next time. Continue to focus on your out-breath, letting all the air out of your lungs and soon you’ll find your breathing is deeper and you feel calmer.