Tips and Tricks to Managing Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Worst Panic Attack Ever!
On December 20, 2005 I had the absolute worst panic attack of my life. I felt like I was dying. I plead with God asking him why this was happening to me.
New Psychiatrist and New Meds
By March of 2006 I had found a new psychiatrist (I had been off medication for over a year) and got on an anti-anxiety which worked wonders for my panic attacks.
Anxiety is Under Control Now
I suffered many a panic attack for many years. My anxiety was not manageable either. But these days my anxiety is under control and I haven’t had a panic attack in years.
Managing Panic Attacks
How does one manage a panic attack? Well, there are two components to a panic attack and anxiety. There is the physical component and the mental/emotional component. First, let’s talk about the physical aspect of a panic attack. It is important to be in tune with your body and know how your body reacts during a panic attack. For me my heart starts beating very fast and my face and neck get flush. To alleviate this hot feeling, I take a cool washcloth and wipe down my face and neck and then put the washcloth behind my neck. This helps out a lot.
Distract yourself to relieve your anxiety
To relieve my mental/emotional anxiety of a panic attack, I can do several things. The idea is to distract yourself from your anxious thoughts. One thing you can do is count backwards by 3’s from 100. Another thing you can do is say outloud five things you see, four things you hear, three things you smell, two things you can touch and one thing you can taste.
What my anxiety was telling me
And what is your anxiety telling you anyway? Well, in the year 2005 when I had a panic attack, I led a very sedentary life. I barely left my house and developed agoraphobia. If I tried to leave the house, I would get a panic attack.
I was living at home with my parents and I was unemployed. I slept every day until 3pm and then got up for a few hours and then went back to sleep.
That awful panic attack I had was my body’s way of trying to tell me that I needed to move. I had been stationary too, too long.
Do Something!
When I have anxiety about something, if I don’t do anything about it, I become paralyzed and my anxiety gets worse. The trick is to do exactly what you are worried about. That is the only way to work through the anxiety.
Do you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks?
Do you suffer from anxiety and panic attacks? How do you manage your anxiety? Does distracting yourself in the above ways help? What are some other ways you can manage your anxiety?
DISCLAIMER
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