Here is another article on panic attacks self help that you may find useful

Although it’s not advisable to do panic attack diagnosis by yourself without help from a professional, but there are steps you can take to alleviate the symptoms when you’re experiencing an attack.

The first step is awareness or understanding about panic attack and all the symptoms so that you can take appropriate measures to counter them. Remember that anyone can experience panic attack, especially those who are depressed. But happy person can also experience it.

Panic attack can happen without any apparent reason, it can be triggered by stress, trauma or a medical condition. Your brain sends signal that will cause you to experience intense feeling of fear or terror without the presence of actual danger.

There is no easy way of telling whether a person is having panic attack or not. But it’s usually characterized by the following symptoms: pounding heart, palpitations, trembling, sweating, chest pain, shortness of breath, stomach churning, lightheaded, feeling dizzy, hot or cold flashes, fear of dying, losing control and feeling detached from the surroundings.

Note that different person may have different symptoms but most will experience four or more of the aboved symptoms.

Here are some self help tips for overcoming and alleviating panic attack symptoms.

Practice deep breathing

When people are anxious, they tend to take short and shallow breaths from their chest. This type of breathing is called thoracic (chest) breathing. It will result in increased heart rate and muscle tension that worsen the condition. When you’re anxious or having a panic attack, you’re not even aware that you’re breathing that way.

To reduced feelings of anxiety and panic, practice deep breathing or breathing through the diaphragm. This type of breathing is called diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing. When you breathe through your diaphragm, your abdomen should expand and contract with each breath.

You can practice abdominal breathing right now by putting one hand on your upper abdomen near the waist. Breathe in deeply for 3 slow counts, hold your breath for 3 slow counts, and breathe out for another 3 slow counts. Notice your hand raised as you breathe in and lowered as you breathe out. Repeat this process slowly until you feel calm.

Manage your stress

Exercise can take your mind off of your problems, it can reduce stress hormones like cortisol and increase endorphins giving you a positive mood. There are many things you can do to reduce stress. Meditation, yoga, music all have the benefits of reducing stress level.

Live a healthy lifestyle and maintain a healthy diet

Studies have shown that certain substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol can trigger panic attack. A diet high in refined sugar can cause mood swings and irritability, especially in those who have panic disorder. By living a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a healthy diet, you can actually eliminate many panic attack triggers.

Here is a complete self help guide that shows you how to overcome panic attacks.

For full information on Panic attacks self help click here

panic attacks self help information No Comments November 19th, 2009

Here is another article on panic attacks self help that you may find useful

When it comes to self help for panic attacks, perhaps the most effective method is cognitive behavioral therapy. The reason this technique works so well is that it allows you to overcome panic attacks by confronting your feelings of anxiety. The following is a more detailed explanation of this method and how you can implement it to overcome such episodes by yourself.

One of the first things you will need to do is to be able to identify the cause of such attacks whether it is an emotional, financial or other related issue. Overwhelming feelings of anxiety can occur at any time but are often associated with dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath and lightheadedness. Being able to pinpoint the exact cause is crucial so you can learn to effectively deal with it instead of ignore it.

Avoiding the issue that is causing you to feel panic is the worst thing you can do as it will only continue to elevate anxiety levels. So if driving alone at night causes you to feel anxious, you might start by driving with a friend until you become more confident of your ability. During this process, it’s important that you completely do away with destructive thoughts and replace it instead with more pleasant ones.

Then once you realize that what you were afraid of never happened, you can slowly start to shift your behavior and thinking towards driving alone at night. It’s quite natural not to immediately overcome your anxiety so be sure to take deep breaths until your body is relaxed. Before you know, you’ll start to discover that what you were afraid this whole time wasn’t so bad.

For full information on Panic attacks self help click here

panic attacks self help information No Comments November 12th, 2009

Here is another article on panic attacks self help that you may find useful

If you or someone you know is dealing with panic attacks, you know how debilitating and crippling they can be. Relaxation, medication; these are common prescriptions for panic attacks, but that just deals with the symptoms, not the root of the problem. There are ways to effectively end panic attacks, but if you want to know how to overcome panic attacks, you’ll need some background information.

Panic attack symptoms according to the DSM-IV:

A discrete period of intense fear or discomfort, in which four (or more) of the following symptoms developed abruptly and reached a peak within 10 minutes:

* Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate * Sweating * Trembling * Sensations of shortness of breath * Feeling of choking * Chest pain or discomfort * Nausea or abdominal distress * Feeling dizzy, lightheaded, or faint * Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself) * Fear of losing control or going crazy * Fear of dying * Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations) * Chills or hot flashes

A full blown panic attack is the result of what is called a positive feedback loop. This is when a single symptom puts the sufferer into a tailspin bringing about more mental and physical symptoms, until it snowballs out of control.

And therein lies the solution. Panic attacks are, if anything, a thought disease. It’s by thinking about the negative consequences of that first symptom that the panic attack follows.

Here are two very useful coping mechanisms based on Cognitive-Behavioral therapy which could help

1. Rational-Emotive (also know as REBT) This is a direct-action strategy where yo confront and change irrational beliefs. You recognize and change the way you construct your reality so that the things that bother you know and set you off now, won’t in the future

2. Cognitive This is where you replace negative thoughts with positive ones. One identifies self-harming statements (e.g. “Oh no, not another bout. I’m never gonna get rid of this condition”) and changes them to more positive pro-action statements. It’s a sort of mental restructuring.

For full information on Panic attacks self help click here

panic attacks self help information No Comments November 12th, 2009

Here is another article on panic attacks self help that you may find useful

Techniques that educate on self help for panic attacks can prove to be beneficial as consulting with a physician can be costly. Fortunately, most cases can be treated and have symptoms significantly reduced without the need of taking medications or prescription drugs. The following are 3 methods that will help you to finally overcome panic attacks.

1. Do not avoid or escape from the cause of such attacks

Once you have identified what may be triggering such feelings of anxiety, it’s important that you do not avoid it as doing so will only reinforce negative thoughts. If public speaking causes panic attacks, then start slow by asking a friend for help while you give a small speech. Then as you gain more confidence, you can start to overcome your feelings and realize that what you were afraid of isn’t so bad.

2. Learn to accept that nothing bad will happen

As you start to shift your behavior towards that place or event which may cause anxiety, you will also need to shift your thoughts to be more positive. So instead of always picturing the worst case scenario, you might instead imagine something much more pleasant. Overcoming panic attacks will come the minute you accept that nothing bad will happen to you.

3. Confront your fears and anxiety

Every individual is different so what might cause feelings of worry for one person may not have the same reaction in another. What’s most important is that you learn to confront your fears or whatever it may be that is troubling you whether it’s emotional or financial issues. The sooner you learn to conquer such feelings the better off you will be in the future so you are not held back from your potential.

Such episodes can literally occur at any time or when you least expect it but implementing the above methods can help a great deal. While you can easily overcome such attacks by yourself, getting help from a friend or a family member will make the process happen much quicker.

For full information on Panic attacks self help click here

panic attacks self help information No Comments November 11th, 2009

Here is another article on panic attacks self help that you may find useful

Panic Attacks can be characterized by a sudden onset of uncomfortable and terrifying symptoms coupled with thoughts that something bad is about to happen. The most common symptoms of panic attacks can include: rapid heartbeat, dizziness, difficulty in breathing, etc. The very first panic attack can occur anytime, anywhere and subsequent attacks can be equally unpredictable. Left untreated, sufferers can become traumatized by their experiences and may develop certain level of fear and phobia. They may hesitate to venture into public and become easily agitated and nervous.

In order to overcome your panic attacks you need to understand what is going on with your body. Many panic attack sufferers are dead convinced that something is wrong with them and they are going to die. This is false! Panic attacks will NEVER cause you to die or cause you to develop some unknown physical illness. This is the most important fact that you have to understand as a full recovery would not be possible if you still believe that something bad is happening to you. You need to stop pin-pointing a reason and cause for your symptoms – because there is none – there is only panic attack.

One way to deal with panic attacks is to try and focus on positive, rationale thoughts. Thoughts like “I feel like fainting”, “I am having a heart attack”, “I am going to lose control” does not help at all. Instead, they will only serve to worsen the panic symptoms. Put a stop to these thoughts and replace them with positive, rationale thoughts such as “These feelings are uncomfortable, but they won’t last forever”, “It is not a heart attack, it is just panic attack, I will be fine”, etc.

Do not be disheartened if you are finding it difficult to concentrate on these calming thoughts. This is a form of mental conditioning; as you keep practicing and trying, your brain with eventually accept these positive statements and you will find it easier to calm down.

For full information on Panic attacks self help click here

panic attacks self help information No Comments November 11th, 2009

agoraphobia Anxiety Anxiety Attack Anxiety Attacks Anxiety Disorder anxiety disorders Anxiety Panic Attacks anxiey attacks Attack Beat Control Panic Attacks Depression Dizziness End Fear Health Heart Help For Panic Attacks How To Control Panic Attacks Nerves Nervous obsessive compulsive disorder ocd Overcome overcoming panic attacks Panic Panic Attack Panic Attacks Panic Attacks Self Help panic away Panic Disorder Phobia Public Rate self help Self Help For Panic Attacks Self Improvement Shaking Social social phobia Speaking Stop Stop Panic Attacks Stress Sweating