This article is about how to stop panic attacks. A panic attack is a sudden and terrifying experience. Since the symptoms of the panic attack are similar to heart attack, therefore, many times people consider it heart attack while they are going through the panic attack. This attack can occur at any time, even when the person is sleeping. It is a result of fear, stress and anxiety. A panic attack can last from 5 to 20 minutes or more.
The physical symptoms of panic attacks are discomfort or chest pain, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, nausea, hot or cold flashes, hyperventilation, sweating, numbing or tingling sensations or a choking feeling in the throat. There is no exact cause of the panic attack, but there are some factors such as excessive stress, the death of a loved one, childhood abuse and traumatic event can lead to panic attacks. Proper diagnosis and treatment are necessary for frequent and recurring panic attacks. If you are suffering from the same problem, then this article can be a great help for you. Read more, to know different remedies to stop panic attacks.
Symptoms of Panic Attacks:
- Fear of dying
- Chest pain
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Feeling of choking
- Shaking
- Sweating or hot flashes
- Numbness
- Feeling of detachment
- Feeling of unreality
Causes of Panic Attack:
Best Ways to Stop Panic Attacks:
Contents
Here are some best ways to stop panic attacks. Follow them to deal with panic attacks.
1.) Medications to Stop Panic Attacks Fast
Anti-anxiety medicine such as benzodiazepines can help you to stop a panic attack. Common drugs such as diazepam, alprazolam and lorazepam can also be used to treat panic attacks. These medicines can help to relieve symptoms within 10 to 30 minutes.
2.) Hot Bath to Treat Panic Attacks Fast
A hot bath can provide instant relief from a panic attack. Hot water gives relaxing effect to the body which helps to reduce stress and promotes better sleep.
Steps to Use Hot Bath to Get Rid of Panic Attacks:
- Fill a tub with hot water.
- Add a few drops of essential oil of your choice like rose oil or chamomile oil and lavender oil in a tub of hot water.
- Also, add some jojoba oil to it. Take a bath in this relaxing water for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Follow this hot bath remedy to relieve stress or having a panic attack.
3.) Slow Breathing to Stop Panic Attacks
By practicing proper breathing techniques, you can put panic attack to an end. While breathing, when the oxygen enters the body it gives a calming effect to the body and the mind. Slow and deep breathing can ease many symptoms of a panic attack.
Steps to Take Breath to Treat Panic Attacks:
- Relax your muscles by sitting in a relaxing position.
- Breathe deeply through your nose.
- Now breathe slowly through your mouth.
- At the same time try to focus on the word “calm”.
- Repeat this process until you feel calm down.
4.) Massage to Treat Panic Attacks Fast
Give yourself a nice-gentle massage to reduce the frequency of panic attacks. The whole process of massage helps to keep your mind relaxed and calm the nerves. For massage use aroma producing oil from plants or you can use olive, coconut and sesame oil.
Steps to Do Massage to Get Rid of Panic Attack Fast:
- Slightly heat the oil.
- Use the warm oil to massage your neck, shoulders, back and bottom of your feet.
- Massage your body daily as much as needed.
5.) Valerian to Get Rid of Panic Attacks
Valerian is an herbal treatment for panic attacks which helps to calm the nerves. It also promotes sleep and helps to reduce the symptoms of panic attacks.
Steps to Use Valerian to Treat a Panic Attack:
- Soak 2 tsp of chopped valerian root in cold water for 8 to 10 hours.
- Strain the water and drink it slowly throughout the day.
- You can also take 400 to 900 mg of valerian extract a few hours before bedtime.
6.) Chamomile to Stop Panic Attacks Naturally
Chamomile can help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety disorder. Chamomile is a high source of magnesium and calcium. These nutrients ease the severity of panic attacks.
Steps to Use Chamomile to Get Rid of Panic Attack Fast:
- Add 2 tsp of dried chamomile flowers to a cup of hot water.
- Let it steep for ten minutes.
- Strain it and add a little honey to it.
- Drink this chamomile tea.
- Try to drink 2 cups of chamomile tea daily to prevent panic attacks.
- You can also take chamomile supplements.
7.) Green Tea to Stop Panic Attacks
Green tea is good for your overall health. This health beverage contains many essential vitamins and minerals that are useful for treating panic attacks.
Steps to Use Green Tea to Treat Panic Attacks:
- Add 2 tsp of green tea leaves to a cup of water. Or you can use tea bags.
- Steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain and add some honey and lemon juice to it.
- Drink this green tea for 2 to 3 times a day.
8.) Relaxation Therapies to Treat Panic Attacks
Relaxation therapies like meditation and yoga can help you to deal with panic attacks. These types of therapies add the level of “feel good” hormones like serotonin in your body. This helps to deal with stressful events thus treating panic attacks. These therapies are effective for your overall health. Do these therapies on a regular basis in the correct way. Seek the help of a yoga expert to learn the correct techniques of yoga and meditation.
9.) Passion Flower to Stop Panic Attacks
Many herbalists believe that passion flower is very beneficial for treating panic attacks. This herb contains flavonoids like benzoflavone and chrysin that helps to increase the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. This helps to decrease stress as well as anxiety. This herb is available in the market in tea, tincture or capsule form.
10.) Exercise Daily to Stop Panic Attacks
Regular exercise is an excellent treatment for panic attacks symptoms. Exercise helps to reduce the stress or anxiety hormones and increase the ‘feel good’ hormones in the body. Exercise also allow your body to use the energy that contribute to panic feelings. Exercise such as aerobic exercise for half an hour will help to reduce the stress.
Getting Immediate Relief from Panic Heart Attack
1.) Check the Physical Symptoms
At the time of panic heart attack, your body goes into a natural fight-or-flight response, just the way you are truly terrifying or difficult place, you will only dangerous thing is happening. Symptoms that are includes in the panic heart attack include.
- Chest pain or Discomfort
- Dizziness or Faintness
- Fear of Dying Feeling Detachment
- Feeling of Choking
- Feeling of unreality
- Numbness or tightness in your hand, feet and face
- Palpitation, fast Heart Rate or Pounding Heart
- Sweating chill or Hot Flashes
- Trembling or shaking
- Fear of losing control or impending doom
2.) Control Your Breathing
Most of the heart attacks trigger rapid and shallow breathing which fuel the attack, causing symptoms to linger. At the time of panic heart attack, you need to control you breathing that will help in returning the heart rate into normal, lower your blood pressure, slow the sweating and re-established the feeling of being in control.
One of the methods that help in slow down you breathing is take a deep breath and hold it as long as you can. In this method, the balance level of carbon dioxide and oxygen can reduce the feeling of cannot breathe. After when you hold your breath for long then begins deep, diaphragmatic breathing. Breath slowly and deeply then exhale even more slowly.
3.) Take A Prescription Medicine
One of the methods to prevent panic heart attack is taking oral agents classed as anti-anxiety medication which is commonly known as benzodiazepines.
The most common drug which is used to relieve the panic heart attack is classified as benzodiazepines that include lorazepam, alprazolam and diazepam. These agents have fairly rapid onset and give you relief from panic heart attack in 10 to 30 minutes. Other agents that prescribed and fall in the group of benzodiazepines starts work little slower but remain the blood for long time. Example of these agents includes chlordiazepoxide, oxazepam, and clonazepam. These drugs are prescribed in low dozes for regular intake.
4.) Try to Continue Your Activity
Better to live and feel normal. As much as possible try to live normally and be continue to your work so that panic thing will not easily consume you. Just be continue talking, moving and keep your thought focused. By living normally, you are sending message to your brain that there is no dangerous, alarm and no reason to fight or in flight state.
5.) Better Do Not Run
If you are at particular place, may be at grocery store and you got panic attack then you might wanted to run and leave the store quickly in hurry. But, do not run, better to be stay at the place where you are, and take control over the symptoms. You just have to tell the brain that there is no danger in the grocery store. If you run away then your brain will danger in the grocery store and there are higher chances that the heart attack symptom can be worse.
6.) Focus on Other Things
With the help of therapist, you can learn the natural way to prevent the heart attack and you control the feelings and panic that caused by the heart attack. You have to take the body level to the normal. Example- you can drink something either cold or warm, go on short walk, singing along your favorite song, have a conversation with your friend and watching tv.
7.) Know the Difference Between a Stressful Experience and a Panic Attack
While both type of experience have similar symptoms have sweating, elevated blood pressure, and increased the heart rate. They are distinctly different symptoms. Stressful happens to everyone at one time or another. After when the stress level crosses its limits then it trigger panic heart attack which experience is directly tied to the reaction.
Panic heart attack is not directly tied to the event as it is unpredictable and the severity of an attack can very extreme and terrifying.
8.) Learn Relaxation Technique
You just have to take some steps to calm down by using an established method of relaxation to take control of exaggerated stressful or anxious experience. If you get suffer from sudden panic attack or panic disorder, working with a cognitive behavior therapist will help you to learn relaxation strategies to take control of the panic when its starts and also prevent panic heart attack.
9.) Use Your Senses to Tackle the Heart Attack
Whether you got anxiety attack, panic attack or find yourself in the stressful situation. You just have to focus on your senses, even for a few moments so that it is easy to overcome the panic heart attack symptoms. You can slow down your symptoms by noticing the pleasant things around your surrounding. If you are in the safe place, try to close your eyes and visualize your favorite flower, painting, beach or something that makes you more relaxed.
You can hear the sounds of surrounding. Try and find the music and soul in the things. Hear the sounds of birds, rain and something that make you more relaxed.
How to Manage Anxiety?
1.) Manage your Stress
Don’t let your stress get collected in your life. Mange your stress by getting engaged in activities, each day that help you to get rid of stress. This include meditation, yoga, writing, exercise, drawing or anything that help you get rid of stress.
2.) Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Practice relaxation helps you to get rid from anxiety and stress. Try to practice muscle relaxation, just lie down on floor and relax your body. Tense and then release one muscle group at a time. Just start at the right hand and forearms by making fist and then get relaxed. Tense and then release one muscle group at time. Begin with your right hand and forearm by making a fist and then relaxing. Move to your upper right arm, left arm then your face, neck, shoulder, chest, hips, right and left legs. Take your time and feel yourself let go of any tension within your body.
3.) Get Plenty of Exercise
While exercises help your overall health, it is closely related to helping your handle panic attack. Since, panic attacks are tied to physiological effects related to heart function.
Additional Tips to Prevent Panic Attack:
- Some serious thyroid problems and heart problems can look like a panic attack.
- Consult a doctor for panic attack treatment.
- Do a new method of relaxation such as mindfulness, meditation and yoga.
- Keep your mind good and active.
- Avoid high caffeinated beverages.
- Follow a healthy diet plan and take proper rest.
- Spend some time with your friends and family when you need their support.
