By: John Cielo
Submitted: 2011-08-04 04:47:31 | Word Count: 643
To get the best out of how to stop panic and anxiety attacks naturally, it's necessary to understand how a panic / anxiety attack is caused in the first place...
Generally speaking, a person who suffers frequent panic and anxiety attacks, usually already has high levels of stress or anxiety in their lives. They may not even realize that they have these. A panic attack can then be triggered when that person experiences a stressful event that adds to their already high anxiety and stress levels. This event can be things like being stuck in traffic, shopping in a busy supermarket, etc.
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What can happen is that your body's own defense mechanism is actuated by this rapid increase in anxiety. Your body mistakes this increase as a signal that you are in some kind of mortal danger. This is a primeval mechanism that we still all have and, when triggered, sets up the human body to be able to either run away from danger or fight for survival more effectively. Hence it is referred to as its 'fight or flight' response.
During this process many changes to things like blood pressure, blood flow, chemical reactions, etc., occur so that things like strength, speed, thought processes, vision, hearing, are all optimized. These changes happen very quickly. Of course, when these occur in a person who isn't in any danger and who doesn't need or expect them, they appear as the symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack. And because they are so sudden, and appear for no apparent reason, they are terrifying to the sufferer.
Some typical panic / anxiety attack symptoms are things like tightness in the chest, rapid / shallow breathing (hyperventilation), racing heart beat, nausea, hot or cold flashes, trembling, tingling extremities, feeling of detachment, and probably the worst of all, a feeling of impending doom. During an attack you may only experience 2 or 3 of these.
Most people when diagnosed as having suffered a panic attack and having general anxiety, are prescribed drugs such as tranquilizers, antidepressants and sometimes beta-blockers. Now while they can work over time for some people, they have some horrible side effects including dependency issues. Which is why so many people turn to natural remedies to stop panic and anxiety attacks.
How to Stop Panic and Anxiety Attacks Naturally
During an attack the key things to do are:-
1. Remember that a panic attack cannot cause any harm. This is a medical fact. You've seen above that the symptoms are purely a reaction to your body 'misunderstanding' some signals.
2. Get your breathing under control by concentrating on deep, regular breathing, using your diaphragm as well as your upper chest. Breathing into and out of a paper bag will re-balance your body's carbon dioxide / oxygen ratio, and will help stop hyperventilation.
3. Stop concentrating on your symptoms as this will seem to increase your fear. Instead concentrate externally on things around you. Study the lines, the colors, the sounds, etc.
Throughout, always remember that these symptoms won't harm you, and will pass. Keep that in your mind constantly.
The problem is that, whilst these steps can help to stop panic and anxiety attacks naturally, they can't prevent them. And this is what you really need to do. You see, your very fear of having another attack can actually trigger one! And this just causes a vicious cycle that, unless broken, can cause repeat attacks, and will prevent you curing your general anxiety.
