Helpful Tips to Treat Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are frightening experiences that are often misunderstood by our loved ones and as such, they are at a loss to know how to help us when we are experiencing one.

Here are a few tips to treat panic attacks in the moment:

1) Lie Down

If you feel that your anxiety level has peaked and you are about to experience a panic attack, the best thing to do is to lie down. This will immediately act to calm yourself and your racing heart down. Do this whenever it is physically possible at the point you feel that your anxiety has escalated to the point of no return.

2) Visualize

Visually put up a stop sign in your mind. Focus intently on this until you can actually see this in your minds eye. Once it is there you will have temporarily blocked out the negative self-talk. At this stage, it is important to create a vision in your mind of the very safest place you can think of. Try to imagine a place that you have felt calm and grounded or it can be an imaginary location that makes you smile when you think of it. It is best to form this image at a time prior to your panic attack so that you are able to easily bring it back in your time of need. This technique really helps calm you down and is highly effective

Breathing

Proper breathing is essential to help you get rid of panic attacks in the moment. The next time you feel a panic attack coming on and the shallow breathing commences, try this instead:

1. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose.
2. Hold your breath and count to six slowly.
3. Breathe out through your lips while slowly counting to eight.
4. Repeat this kind of breathing five to ten times.

You will be amazed by how much calmer you feel after this simple breathing technique.

More helpful tips to treat panic attacks.