Relief For Panic Attacks

1)What are the simple steps to be taken for relief from a panic attack?
2)What should be done to prevent a panic attack? Is there any particular diet which might help ?

Stopping a panic attack is very simple. All you have to do is stop the emergency message from being sent to your adrenal glands. Learn these four simple steps and your panic attack will only last for three minutes. Once you understand how this works, you never have to have a panic attack again.
1. Relax.
2. Stop Negative Thinking.
3. Use Coping Statements.
4. Accept Your Feeling

Relax by taking slow, deep, complete breaths. Calm yourself by remembering that you are only having a panic attack and that nothing more serious is happening to you. Continue to take slow, deep, complete breaths. Slow, deep, complete breaths will relax your body, which is the first step to reversing the release of adrenaline.
Stop negative thinking by shouting the word "STOP!!!" really loud inside your head. By shouting the word "STOP" you are interrupting the emergency message that your brain is sending to your adrenal glands. Often people having a panic attack get into an endless loop repeating the same catastrophic thoughts over and over in their head. Interrupting this endless loop gives you the opportunity to replace the scary message with a calming one.

A coping statement is a positive statement that is at least as strong as the catastrophic statement that you have been scaring yourself with. Replace the negative thought with a positive one. Choose a statement that addresses the negative thought.
For example, if you think that you are having a heart attack (a common fear during a panic attack) then you might be saying something in your head like, "Oh my God, I’m having a heart attack" or, "I’m gonna die, oh my God, I’m gonna die!" After you shout the word "STOP!" immediately replace the fear thought with a positive statement that helps you to cope with the situation, such as "I’m only having a panic attack and it will be over in three minutes if I relax" or, "My fear is making my heart pound harder, my heart is fine."

If you feel afraid hearing footsteps behind you on the street you might say, "I’ve walked down this street hundreds of times" or, "I walk alone on the street every night when I come home from work; what I hear behind me is someone else who is walking home from work."

Accept Your Feelings

Accepting your feelings is very important. Minimizing this experience usually serves to perpetuate it. Start by identifying what emotion you are feeling. Most panic attacks are caused by the emotion of fear or some variation of fear. Identify the emotion you are feeling and find the reason that you feel it.

I suffer from anxiety and depression and am always on the verge of having a panic attack. I’m wondering if Prozac would be worth taking and if you can stop taking it in the end without needing it anymore. I’m afraid that in the long run it can cause other mental illnesses like schizophrenia. However, I’m still trying to find a medical cause for my anxiety and depression like thyroid, adrenal, or inner ear problems.

Prozac has some very very dangerous side effects, I would only use that as a very last resort. If you go to http://pi.lilly.com/us/prozac.pdf?reqNavId=undefined and look at what the makers of the drug have to list about it’s effects. I think you’d consider other options real quick. So, with that being said. I want to focus on the cause of your anxiety and depression. Essential Fatty Acid(EFAs) deficiency has been linked with causing depression. People who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids or do not maintain a healthy balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in their diet may be at an increased risk for depression. The omega-3 fatty acids are important components of nerve cell membranes. They help nerve cells communicate with each other, which is an essential step in maintaining good mental health. In particular, DHA is involved in a variety of nerve cell processes.

Levels of omega-3 fatty acids were found to be measurably low and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids were particularly high in a clinical study of patients hospitalized for depression. In a clinical study of individuals with depression, those who ate a healthy diet consisting of fatty fish 2 – 3 times per week for 5 years experienced a significant reduction in feelings of depression and hostility.

When researchers monitor eating habits across countries, they find that as fish consumption goes up, depression rates go down. In fact, there is a sixty-fold difference in depression rates across countries from the highest (Japan and Taiwan) to the lowest (North America, Europe and New Zealand) omega-3 fat consumption. Even postpartum depression decreases as women increase their consumption of fish. Many people also report a drop in mood when they switch too quickly to a low-fat diet.

Anxiety and depression is a complex issue, too detailed for a brief answer on here…but any disease or health condition is associated with a vitamin, mineral, or other nutrient deficiency. Address that issue first, do some research, and see what happens. Best of luck…

I’m 2wks late for my period. I took a pregnancy test and it came back neg. My fiance’ and I had sex but I’m on the pill and he used a condom. I had a really bad panic attack a couple days before I was suppose to start and have been under some wicked stress. Could the panic attack made it so I skip a period? I’ve never skipped one before so I’m kinda worried. Has anyone had this happen to them? My boobs are starting to hurt now too so I’m kinda confused.

yes, stress can cause periods to be late so that would be a logical reason for your missed period. also if you are underweight at all that can cause missed periods. sometimes being on the pill can cause you to miss a period as well, depending on which pill you’re on. you might want to take another pregnancy test just to be sure though.

My elderly mum’s life is blighted by panic attacks and anxiety. Doctors don’t seem to want to do much and visits to a private therapist is not an option. I think calming recordings might be worth a try. Any ideas?

I have had anxiety disorder all my life I am a grandmother now.You can get deep relaxation cd online from nopanic it is very good it includes quick relaxation.Also you can get a Glenn Harald hypnotherapy relaxation cd from anxietyuk.org.These people are experts in anxiety disorders you will also find a lot of info to help your mum.Anxiety uk have helplines too so you can talk to someone who can help you.Good Luck

any tips?
when i say stop them i mean how to stop them when you are actually having one.

Hey… Victoria here, maybe my personal story can give you some solace…

a lil about me- about a year after my husband left me and my daughter died about 5 years ago.. I was at a very difficult point in my life, and was ultimately diagnosed with depression, severe anxiety, and panic disorder. I would say that i’ve always for the most part been a little depressed and had some degree of anxiety, but this just completely tipped the scale. I remember there were days on end I would just lie in bed, and whenever I would be in a social environment my anxiety would go through the roof and I would often have panic attacks. Therapy never seemed to be effective for me, and my psych put me on damn near every med out there. I’ve been on everything from wellbutrin to paxil, zoloft, prozac, lexapro, celexa, buspar, valium, klonopin, xanax.. etc. Sometimes 2-3 different ones in combo at the same time. Nothing really seemed to work for me. With the exception of some of the benzos (klono./xanax) .. these worked well for a little while, but I grew tolerance quickly, and became highly addicted.

Then one day while researching online i came across this reputable looking website http://www.anxiety.pcti-system.com .. which talked about this program to eliminate your anxiety for good, all naturally. Long story short, I wound up signing up to try it and the program worked amazing.. Not only do I no longer have panic attacks and anxiety gone, but my depression has also seemed to dissipate a little. And I’m currently starting to slowly ween off the meds I’m on. >>>>

I would personally say that possibly the biggest driving factor in all this is OCD. I think obsessing and constantly having your thoughts focused on your own condition and constantly analyzing your own thoughts/actions plays a very significant role in the persistence of our ails. Almost like the condition is a small lit fire, and OCD is the fuel that keeps it consistently burning… Also, I’ve come to the conclusion that meds are generally a unhealthy short term cure that only semi-treats the symptoms, and never the cause. Hope I was of some help!

I’ve suffered from panic attacks since I was very little, and my first major panic attack was when I was in the middle of a very busy restaurant. Another one was on a crowded train on my way to work and my heart-rate jumped like crazy.

If anyone out there experience those similar reactions.. What are the best treatments for ending these panic attacks? THANKS!

Having my own experience, speaking with others, and reading literature, I learned that "panic" is a defense mechanism that protects us from over-whelming anxiety. The problem therefore, is not the "panic", it’s the underlying anxiety.

I would suggest that you look into the "release-valve treatment," as it helped me a great deal with my anxiety. Also, do your reading and studying to give you a better understanding of the main causes and treatments of panic attacks.

Ever since i was younger i used to wake up in the night with a feeling of doom, i found out recently that this was nocturnal panic attacks and my mum used to say that i only used to wake up in the night when i hadn’t eaten properly so I’m just wondering is there a link?

Iwould say yes. Just about anything can cause panic attacks. I get them horrible and I find when im not eating or sleeping correctly there at there worst. Try to eat better and see what happens, then the next step would be to see a Dr. Good luck

Xxx

Hi, I am 26 weeks pregnant and all of a sudden had severe panic attacks for two weeks, finally had to take klonopin three nights to sleep. Should I be worried about what it may have done to my baby?

It’s not a surprise that you might have many concerns during pregnancy. Is the birth going to be as painful as others have told you? Can you be the loving mother that your child deserves? Is your child going to be born healthy and fit? This is perfectly acceptable, but if you get too concerned about your new child panic and anxiety symptoms may develop. Symptoms can include lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath, or sensations like you are having a heart attack. Learning the causes of anxiety attacks will benefit you.

Try to manage these pregnancy panic attacks by rearranging your life to contain fewer things to concern yourself with. Locate an obstetrician that you can trust and you feel confident with. Follow the instructions he or she gives on diet and exercise. Exercising will boost your physical stamina, but it will also help you work out any emotions you might be experiencing too. Put to rest any worries about the health of your child by getting an ultrasound as fast as possible. You also might want to think about getting a doula (a woman that is hired to provide advice and emotional support to pregnant women).

my doctor just gives me beta-blockers to slow my heart

he doesnt know much about the illness , neither does the other docters here

any advice on which medication advice would be most welcomed

These links to the Mind website will give you some good easy to read and understand information.

Understanding anxiety:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+anxiety.htm

How to cope with panic attacks:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/How+to/How+to+cope+with+panic+attacks.htm

Troubleshooter – panic attacks:
http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/How+to/How+to+cope+with+panic+attacks.htm

Information will be given about medication that could be helpful.

Hope this helps.

Panic anxiety attack for 6-8 yrs with stress work will cause heart attack? Yoga or medication will cure the condition?

The panic attacks themselves aren’t going to cause a heart attack. As long as you’ve had panic disorder i’d talk to your doctor about medication. Yoga would be great for a stress relief though. Good Luck.