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Coping with panic attacks

Following the recent blog on how to cope with anxiety, this article is based on simple and manageable ways to cope with more serious anxiety. Panic attacks can be scary if not properly understood, so here is a practical list of successfully proven techniques to cope with these feelings in between counselling sessions.

6 SIMPLE WAY OF COPING WITH THE ONSET OF PANIC ATTACKS

  1. DEEP BREATHING: The feeling that you cant catch your breath, may create chest tightness connected with shallow breathing. When the mind is unable to reconcile life events (conscious or unconscious), it will manifest as physical symptoms. Some clients may even feel as if they are having a heart attack, but actually, it not so much the heart as the lungs that are involved. Deep inhaling and exhaling in equal measures, floods the lungs with oxygen and greatly assists symptoms associated with panic attacks.
  1. DIET AND EXERCISE: It is important to introduce a diet low in salt, coffee and alcohol and rich in natural products which feed the body with nourishment and reduce the risk of speeding up the heart rate, associated with anxiety and panic. Moderate exercise will also help to increase feelings of well-being, making it more likely to be able to address dormant or outstanding issues associated with panic and anxiety.
  1. TALK YOURSELF DOWN: Feelings of panic can be frightening, but it is often possible to talk ourselves into a worse negative state when we feel unable to control situations. With proper counselling, you will be able to explore your triggers with a view to addressing them and identifying possible causes.
  1. DISTRACTIONS: Take a walk in the park, experiment with healing therapy (as offered by Line-Link Counselling Services) , good quality sleep and medical check ups will all make you feel that you are taking back the control. The counselling process is an important part of working through panic attacks.
  1. MEDICATION: In some cases, it is necessary to get a prescription from your doctor to help with insomnia or the type of anxiety which feels all consuming. If you G.P. recommends this, it is wise to follow this advice. Short / medium term medication can be important. In conjunction with counselling, this method is recommended, depending on the individual, and will be closely monitored by both Doctor and Counsellor to try to avoid long term use.
  1. COUNSELLING: Panic attacks, if not properly understood, can be frightening. When the mind is unable to reconcile negative events or situations, it will manifest as a physical symptom. We all have different coping strategies for life events, and the process of counselling may illuminate situations in your own life journey that need addressing. Working through painful situations which cause panic or anxiety is essential for future well being. Regular sensitive counselling is provided to clients who want to take back control of a good quality life and move forward with confidence.