I'm having a panic attack......any suggestions on how to stop it?

Answer 1

These can be horrible. The obvious answer is to distract yourself in some fashion. This is often easier said than done. These panic attacks often come on for a while for unknown reasons, and then leave, often permanently.

Try your best to deal with the attacks without drugs. The standard drugs such as Xanax (the benzo class of drugs which include Valium, Aitivan, etc.) can addict you before you notice, and once dependent, to get off you can spend months/years of misery dealing with terrible recovery symptoms.

Answer 2

I have anxiety and panic disorder. It sucks. If you are having a serious panic attack, I highly doubt you could type on the computer at that time. I have had to call ambulance too many times. You need to learn to breath.Most panic attacks are accompanied by hyperventilating. Every muscle in your body tightens up, you feel like you cant breath, and you honestly think you are going to die. Last attack I had, my heart was beating 180 beats per minute for an hour. I had to have heart x-rays (EKG) and everything. I would never wish that on anyone. I cant even fly. Havent in 12 years. Just the thought makes me anxious. When you breath....take air in through your mouth slowly, till you cant inhale anything more. Hold it for 5 seconds, and then release through your mouth SLOWLY!! Do this till the anxiety goes away. Make someone aware of what is going on in case you pass out. I have had attacks at work, home, even driving in my car. The best medication to take WHEN you are having an attack is Ativan. It's like Valium X 10. You are pretty much out for 4-5 hours after you take it, but it helps. Thats what they will give you in ER if you go in. Doctors arent too hip about prescribing it, because it is addictive. But let me tell you, I always have a few handy JUST IN CASE I have an attack..I wish you the best and hope you never have one again. I havent had one in 5 months, and I hope to never again!!! (be aware that you dont have to be anxious to have a panic attack..I had one sitting on my couch watching tv)..Good luck!!

Answer 3

Hi there, I just laugh about my past 3 years of panic now. I was not able to go anywhere without carrying xanax. Fear of having another attack was the most important subject of my days.When i first found joe barry's web site i started to cry because of my happiness.

Free audio to end anxiety and panic attacks fast?

Answer 4

I suffer from panic attacks also, I have for about 6 years now and the best way I found is to face the fear and as time goes by it gets easier. I know its hard but you have to be strong.

Answer 5

if you aren't breathing correctly (through your diaphram), breath in and out slowly, I find that I stop breathing and the panic gets worse. Also to regulate your breathing, try keeping a bottle of water with you, you have to breathe when drinking, this seems to get me to breathe more regularly. Also, if you haven't done any cognitive therapy, you may want to find someone that will work with you on it. De sensitizing to situations helps decrease anxiety which may potentially increase your panic.

Also, find a buddy or anything to distract you from your panic. Once we distract ourselves from our panic, it usually subsides. Remember the saying everyone tells us. You never die from a panic attack....

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Close your eyes, take a deep breath and listen to your heart beat, try to hear the pulsations.

Also, try looking or focusing on the color baby pink, it helps to relax the mind and it gives the sensation of a warming feeling or heat.

Fill a sink with warm water. Take a deep breath and dunk your head in it for a few seconds then dry your head. Repeat the steps
until you calm down.

Try listening to classical music on a headset or discman etc. Classical music has been proven to help relax the mind.

Answer 7

I went through an unforgettable period where I experienced both panic attacks and anxiety that produced stunning heart palpitations. Once all doctors managed to convince me that the physical organ was fine, I had to turn my attention to a new level and a new dimension.

There were times I was convinced I was going to die.

But then I discovered that I was much healthier than many people around me. So not only did I not take any medication, rather I changed my diet. I took up yoga. I exercised a lot and started to study psychology and mythology.

The yoga forced me to see myself exactly as I am. So it initially increased the anxiety because it made me aware of my mortality.

But I stuck at it. And I took on increased adventures. I refused to just stay in the house where I could hear my heart pounding. I didn't want to hear it pounding. I wanted to connect with others and the world outside.

But I was also anxious to connect to the world inside. So I wrote down all my dreams and all my fears and loves and hates and so forth. I soon realized these writings were telling a story. The story was about my own slow struggle to be reborn. The anxiety was caused by my terror of having to let go my old self and dependencies. Huge forces were rising up within me that I did not know were in me. I had no idea that such forces actually existed inside a human being. I always thought force and power was outside.

So I realized my anxiety was coming from internal forces as well as my fears and insecurities in the outside world. These forces wanted change, transformation - a new Self. These inner powers wanted truth. They wanted to get rid of all the illusions, delusions and lies that I had inherited or fabricated myself when I was young and scared.

It was very helpful talking to people; discovering that many people had anxiety as well. I got very close to people at this time. I will never forget how helpful and good these people were. This helped convert the anxiety to joy and love and so forth. But, of course during this period the anxiety was very persistent. It kept coming back with a vengeance.

I learned that I had to take care of myself. I had to rely on my own inner reality. That way I was not leaning on these people, but was also receptive to their problems and anxieties. This made me less self-centered. A lot of anxiety can come from being too self-centered. But it can also come from not giving yourself enough time!

I also did a lot of art at this time. The art was an excellent outlet because it helped express my emotions.

I swam a lot and even sailed in powerful conditions - very physically demanding sailing. So you might say that I went out and found ways to confront my terrors.

But in the end all this was good physically and emotionally. Little did I know, however, that the anxiety had a deeper spiritual root that I only dimly sensed. I did not consider myself religious but I did feel that something spiritual was impending. So I was glad that I had the yoga as an ally. I regard yoga as a universal, religious tool of the first order.

I cannot go into all the details because it will take pages to describe, but at the moment when things reached a sort of threshold of life-stability and then suddenly - wham - chaos, despair, hopelessness, you name it - and at that moment I had an experience that turned my whole life around. Just when I finally thought my anxiety would consume me like a fire consuming a paper house - this experience happened that taught me that there truly is a spiritual core to a human that in my case had been completely dormant. This experience had nothing to do with organized religion. Rather it is an experience that is in the heart of each individual.

The only way I can describe this core is that it is like a fountain that gushes up a 'water' so pure that you are never the same again. But it gushes it up only when you have finally given up the ghost - completely renounced your own personal will! A lot of anxiety comes from the problems that surround personal will and desire and the frustrations we encounter when we want or expect things only to discover that life has other ideas for us.

And it is true. After this experience the anxiety and heart palpitations never came back. That is why I do not really believe in medication for most types of anxiety. The best thing is to face the energy of the anxiety as directly as you can. Be really good to yourself. Allow yourself to experience and express all your emotions. They will not kill you; rather they will heal and transform you. Be sure to eat a safe and balanced diet. Do not eat extraneous foods with sugar and chemicals at this time. It upsets the pancreas, liver, adrenals, kidneys, hypothalamus and Pituitary and every cell in the body.

Try not to let yourself become too dependent on anyone. Seek out people who value and respect your independence and who do not wish to harm or exploit you. If you must be dependent during this anxiety phase it is important that the person has faith in you.

If you are truly honest with yourself you will transform the anxiety into its opposite. The joy that exists on the other side of anxiety is incomparable.

Getting through the anxiety and fear of death was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But when I got through, the world suddenly became full of light and purpose.

Anxiety equals energy. That energy can be converted if you are straight and honest. Yoga helps. It helps to empty the mind and perfect the posture. It helps to stretch the whole body regularly and gently. Kindness goes a long way.

B. Lyons

Answer 8

Lie down, close your eyes, and completely clear your mind. I usually do this by concentrating on the color black. I visualize nothing but black in front of me. Sometimes I even say it out loud so nothing else can enter my mind.

Eventually, you will realize you are not panicking anymore. Good luck.

Answer 9

When i feel one coming on i breath into a paper bag. Breath in and out and eventually you will feel very calm. I hope it works.

Answer 10

A cold shower.