Overcoming Panic and Anxiety Attacks Can Be Done?
Panic and anxiety attacks are obviously difficult to deal with. I’ve even written as much a few times on the site. The good news is that you can reclaim your life and get them under control if you are focused on making things right and better for you. Again, before I get hit in the comments with a bunch of nastiness, nobody is saying that turning into a narcissist is a good idea or necessary to get rid of panic attacks or learn to overcome anxiety. The following few steps will hopefully help you get your panic and anxiety under control. As always, take responsibility for your own situation, and be sure to talk to a professional. Panic attacks are no joking matter, but maybe these tips will help a bit.
First off is that it isn’t a great idea to try and fight off an attack. I’m an anxious person, and when I feel myself getting to the point of a small panic attack, the extent of my own struggles has luckily been minor, I try and relax a bit and don’t fight it.
Getting worked up over an impending attack is a great way to make it worse. Should you just move along like nothing is happening? No, that probably wouldn’t be a great idea either. And for those who have had more severe troubles with panic attacks, maybe they’ll be willing to drop a few comments, but I start doing my timed breathing and some other exercises to get ready for the experience. I find this helps me to ride out the rough times a little better.
Get past your own little word during a panic attack. Try and shift your thinking to something else, preferably calming, that isn’t related to whatever brought on the attack. Some will be victims of attacks that come out of nowhere with little to no indication of excitement or anxiety.
Either way, taking a little time to work some meditation or other visualization techniques may be a good idea. Learning to move your mind to another place, even when panicking a bit may help you ride out the attack with less severity.
Learning how to relax in another way is always a great idea. If you have struggled with panic, you’ve probably had people tell you that you should try out yoga, or meditation. These are fantastic ways to get yourself to a calmer state, but they’re not the only way.
Again, I really like the timed breathing that I wrote about earlier on. It helps to draw in my focus and normalize my breathing patterns a bit. Over time, I’ve noticed that my emotions are more in check as it seems that my breath has been linked to my emotions, so if I get one under wraps, the other seems to follow suit.
Other great methods of relaxation would be the Internal Martial Arts, such as Qigong. There are a few great beginner DVDs that are for those with no instructor or previous experience. They’re definitely worth looking at and giving a shot to see if you can get the panic and anxiety attacks under control.
We ended our first paragraph with this point, but getting in to a therapist or seeing a support group is important if you’re struggling with panic and anxiety. Not everyone needs this level of attention and help, but getting someone to talk to is a idea. Some have genetic predisposition to panic and anxiety, while others may have some life circumstances that could be at play. Either way, getting a little bit of help can make a huge difference with how you feel and the frequency of your panic attacks.
Remember that you are not alone, and that your panic attacks and anxiety problems are not your fault. You didn’t do anything to cause yourself these issues, and a huge number of people have had to deal with these problems through time. Again, it’s why I chose to start this particular site. On the internet, I could write about almost anything, and I chose to start this particular site to hopefully bring a few helping points to light. Stop the anxiety over being, you know, anxious and having some panic problems. It’s easier said than done, but using some of the relaxation techniques mentioned and discussed before could come in handy here.
Finally, do what you can to reduce or even eliminate the amount of stress that you get from outside factors. Too easy, right? Well, it may be too easy, but it is extremely important from a general health and well being stand point. For anyone with the occasional panic or anxiety problem, it is even more important to keep the outside stress to a minimum. There is a great powerlifter and author named Jim Wendler who has said something to the effect that having someone ask you if you want to do something, and just saying that no, you don’t want to do something is awesome. It’s your life, and you should do what makes you happy as often as possible.
Don’t turn in to a jerk and tell people to bug off for no good reason, but learning to reduce or eliminate the hassles from your life will go a long way towards getting the panic, anxiety and stress monkeys off of your back.
Remember, it cannot be repeated enough times, that panic and anxiety attacks are not your fault. You can get past them. You can manage them. You can get to a point where things roll a bit easier and aren’t such a big deal anymore. Hopefully some of these tips in this article will help you get to that point. Leave me a comment with tips or tricks you’ve used. Am I way off the mark here with anything? Let me know.
PS
For more reading on Qigong, you may want to look at the Qigong Institute.
