3 Essential Ways You Can Stop Panic Attacks
It’s pretty clear to anyone who suffers with an anxiety disorder that it’s very hard to stop a panic attack once it’s already begun. There are, however, 3 fast ways to stop one, and I’d like to share them with you now.
The first of the 3 methods to stop panic attacks is to simply use a paper bag.
Have paper bags with you all the time, or strategically placed around your house. Alternate your breathing 30 seconds breathing into the bag, 30 seconds breathing normally. Do this during an attack, or if you feel an attack is on its way.
The image of someone with anxiety disorder sucking in air from a paper bag has become a bit of a clich , but it’s a proven method to stop panic attacks, and that’s exactly what we want.
The second of the 3 tips I’d like to show you today is all about having noise distractions during a panic attack.
Next time you have a panic attack, turn on your radio or TV, and make sure the sound is up pretty high. You might also wnat to try listening to music via earphones or headphones.
Having sound destractions like this will help you to feel grounded during attacks, because it’s extremely easy to feel detached and like you’re losing your mind anytime you’re experiencing increased anxiety.
If you also suffer with depersonalization, as I did, the sounds will also work wonders in eliminating it during attacks.
#3. Reassure Yourself Out Loud:
For most of the time I had panic attacks, I only ever reassured myself in my head. But it’s actually far more helpful to reassure yourself out loud by actually speaking to yourself. When you hear your own voice, it’s much more powerful.
I found that my internal thoughts didn’t help at all in calming me down, and in some cases the internal thoughts actually became negative thoughts.
“Out loud” thoughts are much more powerful, and the panic finds it much more difficult to overpower them the way it overpowers your “in your head” thoughts.
So anytime a panic attack strikes from now on, tell yourself out loud that this is just another panic attack like all the others, and that it will soon be over and you’ll feel safe and relaxed again.
Here’s a 4th bonus tip for you:
Following all future panic attacks, take a moment to write down what happened during the attack: how you felt, what thoughts you experienced, etc. If you don’t like the idea of writing this down, why not do exactly the same thing but on a voice recorder instead?
After you’ve done this just a couple of times, you’ll discover that each and every attack you have adheres to a similar pattern.
Once you have your written notes or your voice recordings you can have them with you so that you can refer to them during future panic attacks. You’ll know where your mind and your panic are going before they even go there.
The reason this works so well is because it takes the mystery and the unknowns from your attacks. One of the worst things about having a panic attack is that feeling of losing control, and not knowing what’s gonna happen next.
And with your written or recorded “panic notes” with you, you’ll stop one of your anxiety’s most potent power sources dead in its tracks.
This idea of making notes and recordings and then referring to them during an attack is an incredibly powerful way to stop panic attacks, so I really hope you give it a try.