Body Talk eZine

How To Overcome Panic Attacks

New In The Retro Aging Series!
Overcoming Panic Disorder: Available Now!

If you have ever suffered from the debilitating symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack you know pain. Invisible feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness or dread can often seem overwhelming. In this short work, readers will get to the root cause of panic and anxiety. This in hopes of acknowledging fears and anxieties, bringing them to the fore while developing a healing plan to tackle them and win.

If you've ever experienced panic or anxiety, you know this silent intruder can control your life if you let it. No longer. In this short e-book readers are offered simple yet intelligent solutions to handfuls of dangerous medications empowering them with a sound healing plan from an author who has been there, and done it.

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How To Overcome Panic Attacks:

A lot of people ask me if it is possible to overcome panic attacks.  My answer is always the same. "Yes, it is possible to overcome panic attacks." The first step in doing this is to understand that panic attacks are not something that we imagine or conjure up. They are simply a natural, knee-jerk response to stressful situations.

Our bodies are programmed intrinsically to respond to threatening situations. Usually, if we receive a startle, the response is fear or a perceived threat.  Our body naturally responds with a larger than normal adrenalin rush and an overwhelming desire either to attack or to run away.  This is what is affectionately known as the 'fight or flight' response.

If you are faced with a trauma, say a man-eating bear in the woods or, more likely, a truck coming toward you at a threatening speed, the fear and panic that you feel would actually send signals to your body to bring you back to balance and help you find equalibrium once again. It would give you an instant reaction, a rush of energy and, sometimes, almost superhuman strength.

What happens during an anxiety attack or panic attack then? You are receiving fight or flight responses as a natural extension of your nervous system. However, they are not always under your control. In turn, this response may cause your body to shut down, rendering you unable to perform normal activities of daily life. 

It's true, panic attacks can be terrifying and when persistent can often cause a person to withdraw from the world or at best avoid the offending situations.  This can be detrimental to living a normal life as many situations are often avoided all together.  The attacks, when frequent, can feel like a boulder on your back, a massive rock hanging over your head, one that may fall on you at any moment. This puts you under a huge amount of stress in most normal life situations, and that stress contributes to more panic attacks creating what scientists call a "vicious cycle."

How To Overcome Panic Attacks?

The first method you can use to overcome panic and anxiety is to first believe that you can overcome panic and anxiety. It's that simple.  Too, there are two levels to this thinking. One: understand that it is possible to overcome panic attacks through learned methods. You can gain the necessary momentum to accomplish this from literature's, peer support and a lazer focus toward changing your belief system.  The second part to this equation is changing the thought process and taking action.  You have to believe that you can overcome. In effort to do this, however, it is recommended that you seek guidance from a trained therapist or a tried and true self-help program.

Once you begin to have more confidence in your ability to recover and get your life on course, you have single-handedly broken the vicious hold that the attacks have on you. At this point, it is important to begin to let go of your "safety net." Letting go of the safety features that you have instilled in your body -- avoiding situations that trigger your anxiety for example -- must be given up slowly in effort to gain recovery and power over panic and anxiety.

When you begin to move out of your safety zone and begin to give up this kind of "protection" it is important to do it gradually. Do not approach your recovery from panic and anxiety with reckless abandon, yet observe your behaviors and aim to overcome one small fear at a time.  In the same way, also aim to gradually reclaim activities that you have given up because you believe they trigger attacks.

Of course, this means that you must find the proper technique you can use to reduce your stress, anxiety and panic.  The right program will aid you in letting go of destructive behaviors and overcome panic attacks for good. As always, it is recommended that you discuss with a therapist or other trained professional your symptoms and concerns.  They will in turn help you choose the correct self-help program, one that will give you the best chance to overcome and recover from panic and anxiety attacks forever.

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 Edited By: Laura Turner 
        email: laura@beauty-and-body.com 

Panic Attacks Treatment - A Body Talk eZine Exclusive

In this next series of articles, we'll have a look at panic and anxiety in support of my new e-book Overcoming Panic Disorder.  Panic and anxiety are both leading causes of health concerns today, and are one's I feel passionate about both in terms of raising awareness and offering natural solutions. Join me in discovering the truth about panic and anxiety and the many natural ways it can be healed.

Thank you for your readership,  *Laura*

 

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Panic Attacks Treatment:

Panic attacks treatment can vary from person to person. In some cases it is possible to control panic attacks and prevent them recurring by simple methods such as relaxation and breathing exercises. We will discuss those here.  Keep in mind however, always be sure to discuss all your options with your health care provider, first. What follows are a few natural solutions to panic and anxiety.

A mild panic attack can sometimes be controlled by concentrating on slowing the breath. This works in some cases because panic attack symptoms can include shortness of breath. This in turn can lead to short, fast breaths often ending in hyperventilation. With this in mind, learning to control breathing patterns can often reduce the symptoms of a panic attack and aid a person in coming out of it quickly.

When someone is hyperventilating, they expel too much carbon dioxide. This leads to an imbalance in the blood supply and makes the person feel as if they are not getting enough oxygen.  This is actually not the case. In this feedback loop, these stressors lead to increased fear and panic, expideted breathing and increased levels of hyperventilation. As you can see from this example, shortness of breath can cause a vicious cycle that may eventually lead to dizziness and even fainting.

To counteract these events aim to control breathing when faced with a panic attack. This means teaching your body and your lungs to breathe slowly and more deeply. Here's how:

1.) First, exhale completely. One of the problems with fast, shallow breathing is that a lot of stale air remains in the lungs, so there is not room for enough good fresh air. To aid in the process, put your hand on your stomach while you breathe out to make sure that you are expelling the air from the bottom of your lungs.

2.) Next, breathe in slowly. How slowly? Simply, a bit more slowly than you would normally breathe in everyday life, and a lot more slowly than you would usually breathe during a panic attack. Try breathing in to a slow count of five or six, then holding it for a count of three then exhaling slowly.

If you are prone to panic attacks, it is also a great idea to perform these breathing exercises regularly.  This will aid your body, helping it to become familiar with the correct way to breathe and how to respond during an attack. Your body has a memory system in place. By performing these exercises regularlly, you are more likely to control your breathing if another attack should strike. In addition, slowing the breathing in your everyday life may help to reduce your general anxiety levels and prevent future attacks.

Other ideas to consider: It can be helpful if you tell your spouse, friends or others close to you about your panic attacks and que them in to your breathing exercises.  If you explain to those closest to you how you need to breathe during an attack, they can help by reminding and coaching you through your panic attack symptoms. An added benefit is, they may learn to breathe slowly with you.  This can help them to control the fear that they may feel at the sight of you having a panic attack.

Other natural forms of panic attacks treatment can include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and psychoanalysis. It is possible to undertake some CBT exercises by yourself as a form of self-help, there are many books available on the subject. However, may we suggest it is better to see a professional in the beginning, or acute phase of your anxiety.  This to have your symptoms diagnosed and have specific behavioral exercises recommended for your individual case.

We cannot stress this enough: If you are looking for treatment for panic attacks, it is important to discuss your symptoms with your doctor, first. This will enable him or her to rule out other serious problems such as heart disease that could otherwise go undiagnosed. Your doctor may then refer you on for professional panic attacks treatment or will give you the go-ahead with a self-help program that is available to you for instant download online. Please be sure to check our New Body Weekly Online Catalog for our favorites.

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New In The Retro Aging Series!
Overcoming Panic Disorder: Available Now!

If you have ever suffered from the debilitating symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack you know pain. Invisible feelings of fear, worry, uneasiness or dread can often seem overwhelming. In this short work, readers will get to the root cause of panic and anxiety. This in hopes of acknowledging fears and anxieties, bringing them to the fore while developing a healing plan to tackle them and win.

If you've ever experienced panic or anxiety, you know this silent intruder can control your life if you let it. No longer. In this short e-book readers are offered simple yet intelligent solutions to handfuls of dangerous medications empowering them with a sound healing plan from an author who has been there, and done it.

 Edited By: Laura Turner 
        email: laura@beauty-and-body.com