How to Prepare for an Anxiety Attack

Do you suffer from panic attacks? If you have any degree of anxiety, you may have experienced one or more panic attacks. Even if your using adequate medication for your anxiety, you still may be unable to prevent anxiety attacks. Although it may not seem possible to predict when an attack will occur this article will address certain ways you can lower your chances of experiencing an attack and explains what you can do when your do experience one.

So what is a panic attack? A panic attack is often experiences as an intense and sudden feeling of fear which appears to come out of the blue without warning and often triggers strong physical sensations. Attacks of this nature can be terrifying and during the time your experiencing an anxiety attack, you may feel out of control and may even have a fear that your experiencing a heart attack or that your going to die.

Symptoms may be experienced as having a pounding hear, nausea, feeling dizzy, short of breath or even feeling a bit flushed. You may have chills, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, a rapid heart beat, possible even tightness in your throat or trouble swallowing.

As you can see, many of the symptoms of a panic attack can be similar to life threatening illnesses and so it is always important to see a doctor as soon as possible when a panic attack occurs so you can rule out any medical condition you may have.

The symptoms of a panic attack often occur without any warning and may last anywhere from 10 minutes to 30 minutes. It is possible that an attack can last longer , possible even all day. Panic attacks often leave you feeling drained physically, emotionally and mentally.

Panic attacks were once thought to be caused by nerves or stress but in recent years panic attacks have become recognized as being true medical conditons. It is possible to reduce panic attacks through medication, relaxation techniques and therapy.

If you do find yourself experiencing a panic attack, the best thing you can do is control your breathing. Often when a person is experiencing a panic attack , they can forget to breathe correctly. This can increase the intesity of the attack. By learning how to breathe properly and practicing relaxation methods before an attack, you can learn to reduce the intesity of an attack if one occurs.

One way to prepare for anxiety attacks is to understand what your triggers are. Once you know what may trigger an attack you can have some control over your situation by eliminating or reducing your triggers.

Another great idea is to always have a care package with you. Place inside your purse or bag a few items to help you feel calmer in the event a panic attack occurs or at the first signs of a trigger.

For example, make sure you have a list of numbers of people you feel close to including your doctor. Make sure you have any anixiety medications. You could also have with you essential oils, herbal tea, photos, handcream ect. Also take with you a bag to help you feel comfortable and calm down during a panic attack. Sometimes having an item of comfort will help you relax and distract you from a panic attack.

Although there is no way to prevent a panic attack from occuring you can work on understanding and eliminating your triggers. Always get treatment for your panic attacks as quickly as possible and in the meantime get in the daily habit of practicing relaxation methods and reducing stress.