Panic/Anxiety Attacks

[Negin]

someone here sent me a PM asking about tips for panic/anxiety attacks. I thought it best to post here, to possibly benefit others, but also to hopefully get input from others as well. :)

 

SYMPTOMS OF PANIC ATTACK:

• Rapid heart rate

• Shortness of breath

• Sweating

• Trembling

• Tightness in throat

• Dizziness

• Nausea

 

Panic attacks can feel scary – like you’re having a heart attack – but they won’t kill you.

In fact, most panic attacks pass within 5-10 minutes and rarely last longer than 20-30 minutes.

Remember that even though it feels terrible, you will be OK. :grouphug:

If you experience them frequently – several times a month or regularly over longer periods – then you have what’s called a “panic disorder”.

 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches you to switch to healthier thought patterns.

 

One of the best ways to control a panic attack: Control your breathing. When you feel yourself beginning to panic, focus on making each breath slow and deep.

Put your hand on your belly, and as you inhale, focus on your belly rising; as you exhale, feel it relax and fall.

Anchor your mind – by counting each breath slowly from one to 10, and then back down from 10 to one. Do this until the attack passes.

 

Say to yourself: “I can make it through this” and try not to let yourself get caught up in negative thought patterns.

 

Another essential part of detoxifying your emotions is learning how to remain calm and let a greater force take over. By breathing slowly and deeply, you are able to let go, release tension throughout your body, and even lower your heart rate.

 

Regular exercise can decrease the frequency and intensity of panic attacks.

30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise – running, speed walking – have shown great success.

40 to 60 minutes a day of yoga, martial arts or tai chi can really help.

 

Certain foods tend to provoke panic, while others can palliate or prevent it.

Avoid:

Caffeine

MSG

Aspartame

Diets high in sugars and simple carbs – white bread, pasta

Eat More Of:

Complex carbs – brown rice, lentils, fresh vegetables

Protein

GABA - GABA is a fabulous supplement - take it sublingually and allow it to dissolve under your tongue

Green Tea - but probably get decaf

B Vitamins

Valerian is a very nice supplement that helps with sleep issues. Smells really bad, however. ;)

 

The Bach Flower Remedies :thumbup: represent a form of psychotherapy in a bottle, a noninvasive modality to address negative emotional states like:

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Impatience

Bach Rescue Remedy is, in fact, used in many emergency rooms to help alleviate trauma.

A Welsh homeopath, Dr. Edward Bach recognized in the 1920s that, if herbs have healing powers, so must flowers. Over many years, he experimented with numerous flowers and trees to create a total of 38 plant-based Bach Flower Remedies.

 

While deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can all help you let go of whatever negative feelings and stress you hold within you, someone wrote that she found the following words so helpful that she reads them every day:

• To let go doesn’t mean to stop caring; it means I can’t do it for someone else.

• To let go is not to cut myself off; it’s realization that I can’t control another.

• To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

• To let go is not to deny but to accept.

• To let go is to fear less and love more.

 

Cream of Tartar is a source of natural potassium and highly alkalizing. 1/2 teaspoon can be used in emergencies to neutralize any acid reactions such as allergic responses, panting, shortness of breath, and anxiety attacks.