Stopping Anxiety Attacks Before They Occur

June 8th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

by Millicent Feraux

After dealing with anxiety attacks for a while, you will begin to recognize the signs of an oncoming attack. Knowing the signs can help you stop an anxiety attack before it occurs. Here are some tips to help you keep in control over your anxiety.

* Stop and notice what are the things that are happening when your anxiety attack symptoms begin. If you learn the what it is that is triggering the anxiety attack, you will be better prepared to stop them. An example, if you know that sometimes going into a crowded room, you have an anxiety attack, you could choose to not go into a room that is overcrowded.

* If you feel anxiety attack symptoms coming on stop what you are doing and go outdoors. Sometimes the change in scenery and the fresh air can stop the attack from continuing. Going out for a short walk can help wonders.

* If you feel yourself beginning to get tense and anxious, try to relax by taking several deep breaths. Deep breaths should continue until you feel the anxiety begin to leave.

* If you start to sense and anxiety attack starting clear your mind and focus on something else. This could be anything from a sunny beach to a field full of flowers. You just need something to take your mind off the anxiety you are feeling.

* Another idea is to have a friend or family member help you by giving them a sign when you feel an attack starting. This can be either a word or gesture.  When you give them the sign, they will know what is happening and can help to get you to focus on something else.

* Have some essential oils in relaxing scents available. Some good scents to help ease anxiety would include lavender and chamomile. When you feel an anxiety attack coming on, smell the oils for a few minutes. They can help you to calm down.

* Something else to try to stop anxiety attacks is to begin writing whenever you feel one approaching. By writing down exactly what it is you were doing of feeling when the anxiety started, will help you to being to identify the trigger factors.

* In the event of an anxiety attack, make a change in what you’re doing.  If you’re reading, get up and do some housework.  Altering the activity you’re engaged in can change your mental state and quash the attack.

Anxiety and panic attacks can be hard to deal with until you learn to recognize the what is causing the attacks. Learning what is causing you to have the anxiety attacks; you will be better prepared to stop them from occurring.

Taking back control of your life starts with learning to stop anxiety attacks before they occur.  Learning how to recognise an oncoming attack will take time but it is time well spent.  It just requires focus on what is happening to you when the attack happens.

Have a journal to write down this information.  Compare the information to check to see if a pattern is established.  Once you find repetitive patterns, you will know what is causing the attacks and you will be better able to stop them.


What are the Signs of Panic or Anxiety Attack

April 11th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

For the purpose of this discussion we will use the term panic attack and anxiety attack concurrently.

What is anxiety?

According to psychological term “Anxiety” is a natural state of worry or alarm that occurs in response to a stress or a perceived threat. An “anxiety attack” in its simplest form is a period of time when anxiety is heightened and show some specific physiological symptoms.

An anxiety attack can also be called a “panic attack,” which is an unexpected moments of irrational fear.During this time, some physical symptoms can be felt and seen. Panic attacks can be debilitating and may recur. If left untreated they can develop into Panic Disorder.

What does Panic Attack or Anxiety Attack feel like?

First of all, what are the causes of the anxiety attack?

Worry is certainly one of them. Worry to a certain extent is natural for human beings. However, the brain has its own method for combating worry when it becomes alarm due to a perceived threat. The brain’s amygdala produces adrenaline, a hormone that prepares the body to handle a fearful situation by either defending itself or by running away. This “fight or flight” response is a natural defense mechanism and helps humans in times of true stress or danger.

The amygdala produces adrenaline whenever the brain perceives fear. Unfortunately, it cannot differentiate between irrational fear and true fear. If a person has a phobia, or an irrational fear of something specific such as unharm insects, the brain will still produce adrenaline though the person may not need to actually fight or flee. This results in too much of the hormone remaining in the bloodstream and produces the symptoms of anxiety attack.

These are normally the signs of anxiety attack:

Fast beating heart, sweaty palms, feeling of unreality, numbness in the extremities, hot or cold flashes, chills, nausea, and dry mouth.

What are the remedies for Panic Attack?

The treatment of panic and anxiety attacks should begin with managing the condition of the attack.

Next, lifestyle changes need to take place such as avoiding caffeine and smoking (which can cause anxiety), maintaining a healthy diet, and incorporating exercise and meditation into daily life.

Yoga is an excellent exercise for combating anxiety because it increases serotonin levels. Serotonin is a relaxant hormone. Medications and therapy can also help treat the symptoms of anxiety attack. It is important to make these changes before the attacks develop into anxiety or panic disorders.