Panic attacks are common when someone has anxiety issues. When a panic attack happens, the person starts to feel that he/she is having a heart attack. The heart starts beating rapidly and there is a sense of fear that they are going to die. There is also a sensation where they feel like they cannot breathe and loosing all of the body controls. Thus, making it a terrifying experience for the person.
But, all these things can be stopped in the first three minutes of the attack. The glands which are secreting the chemicals, inducing the panic attack could be stopped within three minutes.
Thus, below are the steps to stop a Panic Attack:
Relaxing:
Firstly, it’s important to relax when you are going to have a panic attack. You can relax by taking deep breaths, slowly. When having a panic attack the first thought is of a heart attack. You need to calm your self by knowing that it is not a heart attack but a panic attack. Thus, it doesn’t have any threat to your life. During this, keep taking slow and deep breaths.
Dealing with Negative Thoughts:
A panic attack occurs due to negative thoughts. Thus, the next step is to stop the negative thoughts. You can stop this by saying very loudly in your head, “STOP”. By saying this you will interrupt the process of thinking. Once the thought process is interrupted you will be able to replace the thoughts.
Replacing the Negative Thoughts:
Thirdly, after there is an interruption of the negative thoughts it is important to replace them with the positive ones. You can do this by saying to your self that it is going to be fine, and it is just because of your anxiety your heart is beating very fast. Thus, by saying nothing is going to happen to you, you will start becoming calm.
Accepting the Feelings:
Lastly, you should accept your feelings. Usually, people get panic attack because they are afraid, scared. You should understand this feeling of fear and validate them. Thus, you should accept the feeling of fear and the reason for the fear. It is ok to be afraid, it tells you that you need to be safe. Listening to yourself and your feelings will actually validate them.
The above steps can stop a panic attack from happening. But, stopping them doesn’t mean curing them. Hence, if you or someone you know is suffering from anxiety and panic attacks, it is recommended that you visit a mental health professional immediately.
