How to cope with a panic attack. How to get rid of panic attacks on your own: fear and anxiety. Risk group for developing panic attacks

Even the happiest person has his own difficulties that no one knows about. Panic attacks are considered one type of psychological problem. They happen suddenly, darkening the favorable hours of life. A person cannot relax and enjoy the present moment because he needs to be on guard every time. If you are tired of fighting attacks, let's look at ways to “kill” the disease forever.

Why do panic attacks occur?

Heredity is the most complex, long-lasting, predisposing factor. If attacks of fear are inherited from you, get ready for a long and difficult struggle with them. To identify a genetic predisposition, you need to ask relatives on the maternal and paternal lines. If they also have problems with attacks, then the situation is clear.
There are other serious reasons, for example, a disease associated with inflammatory processes in the inner ear, Konovalov's disease, post-traumatic syndrome, hypothyroidism and other diseases. These also include vitamin B deficiency in the body and poor unbalanced nutrition. When a person constantly eats the same food, he develops alarming symptoms.
A phobia can also cause panic attacks. If you have certain fears or something might terrify you, you should stay as far away from fires as possible. To combat phobias, it is better to consult a psychologist who will provide comprehensive therapy.
Bad habits, poor lifestyle, loss of a loved one, career failure, quarrels and discord in the family - these and other short-term reasons destroy a person’s psycho-emotional background. Panic attacks can appear as suddenly as they disappear. In such a situation, you should pay special attention to your peace of mind, rest and sleep more.
Numerous scientific studies have confirmed that sudden panic attacks most often affect people who are insecure. If you belong to this category of people, look for ways to deal with personal problems. Sign up for training, climb the career ladder, eliminate everything that makes you feel insecure.
Sometimes panic attacks appear due to the use of harsh antibiotics, which are addictive or have a number of other side effects. These medications include Ritalin and fluoroquinols. Contact a specialist so that he can prescribe you a different treatment.
People who often drink too much suffer from a severe hangover after giving up alcohol. This condition is called withdrawal syndrome, which is accompanied by excessive feelings of anxiety, nervous disorders, including panic attacks in particular. In such a situation, it is better to undergo treatment in a clinic; specialists will provide help and support.
In some cases, sudden panic attacks may occur due to the so-called hyperventilation syndrome. This is a condition that develops if you constantly breathe deeply. Under such circumstances, the balance of oxygen and carbon changes. When the lungs hyperventilate, a rapid heartbeat and dizziness begin, all this leads to the onset of an attack.
Very often you can observe a situation where panic attacks appear as a result of repeated actions experienced previously. If at that time these very actions caused an attack, then when projecting events, it is possible that sudden attacks will appear again. This feature is called cognitive, behavioral.
Antidepressants, stimulants, or other pharmaceutical drugs that were prescribed by a doctor or taken on a personal initiative can provoke an attack. Other reasons include the use of medications that should not be mixed with each other.
It is worth mentioning such an aspect as cardiovascular diseases. If they are present, people realize the complexity of the situation and the possible fatal outcome. The fear of death drives you into horror, which causes dizziness and sudden panic attacks. To determine an accurate diagnosis, you need to do a cardiogram of the heart, do not panic in vain.

Symptoms of panic attacks

The main symptom that sends an alarm bell to the brain is dizziness. Panic attacks contribute to the release of adrenaline, a person feels the danger of the situation and escalates it even more.
If this onset of an attack is not overcome, shortness of breath appears, the heart begins to beat rapidly, blood pressure rises, and rapid sweating is observed.
Panic attacks have been studied thoroughly, so you can add a few more to the symptoms described above. This is a throbbing pain in the temples, a state of suffocation, sometimes heart pain, tightness of the diaphragm, poor coordination of movements, a foggy mind, nausea and vomiting, thirst, loss of real time, severe anxiety and a persistent feeling of fear.
It is also worth highlighting that panic attacks can be accompanied by trembling in the hands and throughout the body, aching bones, chills (first feeling hot, then cold).
Some people say that the beginning of the attack is weakness in the legs and slow deep breathing, the appearance of spots in the eyes, and loss of vision.
Not all people can coordinate and cope with the situation in time. Along with the above symptoms, the most secret fears and phobias appear. In such circumstances, a person simply loses control over himself.

Consequences of panic attacks

As you can tell from the causes and symptoms, panic attacks do not appear on a schedule. They overtake people by surprise, in the most inopportune places or favorable moments in life.
What follows after this? Just one attack can contribute to the development of a phobia, fear of people or the street, animals, the dark, or harmless things.
People suffering from sudden attacks of fear soon begin to avoid the public, withdraw into themselves, become outcasts, and lose their close circle and like-minded people.
If you don't fight the attacks, a personality disorder begins. We are talking about the psycho-emotional environment, which suffers the most. In the absence of outside help, advanced cases are practically untreatable.
Colossal self-doubt also develops. It affects appearance, some personal qualities, professional field of activity, relationships with a significant other and children.
It is worth mentioning that constant panic attacks lead to sleep disturbances, increasing anxiety day by day, dystrophy and complete refusal to eat. Loss of appetite and dehydration lead to disruption of vital systems and organs.
It is interesting that patients with such symptoms do not want to share their problems with relatives or friends. Also, people who are constantly experiencing panic attacks do not try to get a session with a psychologist. All this leads to a breakdown of the nervous system.

Extremely effective remedies for panic attacks are infusions based on motherwort, valerian, and St. John's wort. Add herbs or soothing extracts to your tea as directed. The result appears almost immediately. Do not overuse medications; they are not as safe as they may seem at first glance. It is better to consult a medical specialist online or visit a doctor for exact dosage recommendations.
At the pharmacy you can buy drugs that have a sedative effect. The effect of taking medications will occur in 20-30 days, so during this period it is worth excluding situations that could provoke an attack. Sedatives fight insomnia and calm you down, but they will not be able to eliminate severe neurosis. Prominent representatives are Novopassit and Persen.
Sedatives with a strong therapeutic effect include tranquilizers. To purchase drugs, you need to visit a specialist in advance and get a prescription. Already with it you can buy “Phenazepan” or “Grandaxin”. When taken correctly and without attack-provoking aspects, these medications will have a positive effect on the central nervous system.
Panic attacks can occur due to vulnerability to depression. If a doctor identifies this condition, he may prescribe antidepressants. Of course, they are rarely used to combat attacks, but if you have depression, then such drugs will be extremely effective in raising morale.

Psychological techniques for dealing with panic attacks

Breathe. Certain exercises help you concentrate. When panic sets in, inhale and exhale deeply. Sign up for a breathing exercises section - Pilates. Experienced instructors will teach you how to do everything correctly, so at the right moment you will use this technique to combat attacks.
Relax. If the attacks appear against the background of chronic fatigue, it’s time to get some rest. Take a bath with aromatic oils more often, sleep more, go on vacation. Psychologists say that 80% of people are cured in this way.
Accept the emotions. The method is effective, but requires certain psychological efforts on your part. Become aware of what is happening, get to the bottom of why exactly panic occurs. Mentally eradicate the cause, do not let the attacks take over your mind.
Set yourself up. Constantly repeat that you are a strong and purposeful person. Keep a diary and write down all your victories in it. Give a plus sign every time if you managed to prevent panic. This way you realize that you are much stronger than the attacks.

Rules for treating panic attacks

There are some rules that must be followed when treating sudden panic attacks.

Train your nervous system, develop “immunity” to stressful situations, and do not allow extraneous stimuli to terrify you. Panic attacks are not a pathology; they can be eradicated if you approach the situation correctly. Don’t beat yourself up, don’t engage in self-flagellation and self-hypnosis.
Don't isolate yourself, don't sit at home alone. Under no circumstances close yourself off from your family and friends, they will be able to help you. Spend more time in nature, relax, and don’t get caught up in work. Take time for relaxation: taking a bath, reading, watching funny movies.
It has been proven that the right music can lift a person out of depression. You don’t have to turn it on loudly, just turn it down slightly and lie down to rest or do household chores. Try not to sit idle when you feel too depressed. Don't let depression overwhelm you.
Bad habits, in particular alcohol and tobacco, destroy the nervous system. It is a mistake to believe that this is not the case. Completely eradicate addictions. Otherwise, you risk experiencing daily and deeper panic attacks.
In advanced cases, a person may give up and not fight at all. If you notice that the situation is getting out of control, do not hesitate to seek help from a specialist. Psychologists are needed to help people fight their phobias and fears.
Exercise will help release the adrenaline that usually precedes panic attacks. Therefore, be active in sports! Sign up for dancing, start visiting the gym, go skating (roller skating, cycling, skiing, etc.). In summer, swim in ponds.
Pleasant films in a cheerful company will help you fight sudden attacks. But you need to carefully choose the film and the environment so that no one or anything contributes to the development of the attack. Give preference to comedy stories, say “No!” thrillers, horrors, action films.
Of course, no technique will be effective if you do not set yourself up in a positive way. When you are once again visited by anxious thoughts, which usually cause panic, stop. Try with all your might to switch to something else, positive, bright.

How to deal with sudden panic attacks

When you feel like you are about to become terrified, close your eyes and relax. Think about good things, then lie down and try to sleep. It is clear that you will not be able to immediately fall asleep. But it won't hurt you to take a nap.
Each person has his own song that he sings with pleasure in the shower, while driving a car or while cooking. If you panic, start singing loudly, but the song should not be sad. Give preference to cheerful music, preferably children's music.
If acute panic attacks are accompanied by a loss of reality, clouding of consciousness, and a sharp surge of heat in the body, go to the shower and cool down. Or wash your face and the area behind your ears with cold water, then look at yourself in the mirror. Try to catch the moment when panic quickly recedes.
You can cope with sudden panic attacks by drinking a mug of hot tea with lemon balm and honey. This drink not only calms you down, but also makes you sleepy. Therefore, most likely you will be able to take a short nap.
Make it a habit to massage your palms when panic strikes you by surprise. Press on the membrane that is located between your index finger and thumb. Press down, count to 5, release. Manipulations are carried out until you calm down.
Always carry chewing gum with you. If you start to panic, chew it, your brain will switch gears for a while. The excitement and numbness will disappear from you, then you just need to pick up this state and be distracted by pleasant things. Call your family, listen to music, do chores around the house.

There are many reasons that you may encounter. They provoke panic attacks again and again, so experts recommend eliminating fires as quickly as possible. Make an appointment with a therapist or use the methods above.

Video: how to overcome fear

The sensations that are characteristic of a panic attack are familiar to, perhaps, every person. Many people have become lucky and only once having experienced this state, they no longer remember it. But there is a category of people who have panic attacks regularly, and with each subsequent time the sensations become more pronounced and frightening.

During a panic attack, a feeling suddenly appears that “the ground is disappearing from under your feet,” and shortly before this state, most people experienced powerful ones. The condition in question can be provoked by addiction to alcohol, abortion, early onset of sexual activity, painful divorce, and the death of a loved one - any factors that negatively affect the psycho-emotional background.

Every person needs to know about panic attacks, because this will help not only prevent an attack in themselves, but also help a loved one if this condition is already in the onset stage.

Risk groups for panic attack

In medicine, it is customary to distinguish two groups of people who are susceptible to the condition in question.

Risk group 1

This includes young or middle-aged people who, in the eyes of others, look quite prosperous. They are characterized by being reliable, courageous, can overcome any obstacles in life, make a stunning career, never show their true emotions in public and have a heightened sense of responsibility.

Perhaps the listed qualities will seem simply ideal to some, but there is still a problem. The fact is that such “brave/reliable/responsible” people accumulate stressful moments inside themselves, the body gets tired and “relieves” its overstrain with a panic attack.

Risk group 2

This includes people who live in “greenhouse” conditions, but they contradict the essence of ordinary life, when you need to constantly develop, move forward and even fight for your “place in the sun.” The result of such a life is an internal conflict - a person cannot fully realize himself and the body protests with a panic attack.

How to cope with a panic attack on your own

If panic attacks occur regularly, then you should think about adjusting your lifestyle and diet. Doctors recommend spending time in the fresh air more often, including lean meat, fatty fish, vegetables and fruits in your diet. Eliminating alcohol from your life will have a very positive effect on your health; relaxation techniques that help get rid of stress are also considered an excellent option for preventing panic attacks.

Helping a loved one with a panic attack

If you find yourself next to a person who is having a panic attack, you can and should make some efforts to help him cope with the problem. What should be done:

Note:If a loved one has a panic attack, then under no circumstances should you worry, worry or be nervous - this can intensify the attack and worsen the patient’s condition. After the panic attack ends, it is advisable to talk with the patient and explain the need to seek qualified medical help.

As a rule, it is a “complex” of biological and psychological factors. Therefore, with this problem, you will first need to contact a therapist, and he will give a referral for examination by more specialized specialists - a neurologist, psychotherapist, cardiologist. Only with the help of special techniques will it be possible to undergo truly effective treatment. Unfortunately, self-treatment will not give results.

Panic attacks - How to deal with it yourself?

— How do panic neurosis and agoraphobia affect your lifestyle?
— 6 simple ways to combat PA on your own
— Folk methods of dealing with panic attacks
— How to get rid of panic attacks on your own. Instructions
- Conclusion

Panic attacks and agoraphobia deal a devastating blow to the usual way of life. Obsessive anxiety and an equally obsessive desire to avoid it interfere with work, study, relationships with relatives, friends and just communication.

Constant fear of the next attack gives rise to gloomy forebodings, tension and anxiety, forcing a person to look around warily, depriving him of mental (and sometimes physical) strength, narrowing his entire life to one single desire: never, never again experience these terrible sensations. And it is not at all surprising that those suffering from panic neurosis and agoraphobia often fall into depression.

Panic attacks can turn a person’s relationships in the family and in society upside down. After all, these attacks often strike when you are away from home. It is quite natural that a person who has had an attack in a movie or in a restaurant will remember this place with horror and will try to avoid not only it, but possibly other similar places. Patients, under any pretext, avoid any “going out into the world,” especially at the slightest suspicion that there may be a reason for panic waiting for them there.

For some, friends and family become offended and upset when their invitations are repeatedly rejected. Others, on the contrary, experience disappointment when they, who risked trusting their loved ones, are not taken seriously and with a soft smile are presented with “wise” advice to “pull yourself together” or “show courage.”

Such a reaction may seem like a manifestation of insensitivity, but it should be remembered that “the well-fed does not understand the hungry” and a healthy person has little idea of what it is - a panic attack and agoraphobia, and how difficult it is to overcome this misfortune. People tend to believe that since everyone experiences fear, there is no need to make a problem out of it. You just need to make an effort of will - that’s all it takes, and everything will pass.

Irresistible fear also destroys family relationships. The patient becomes irritable, preoccupied, self-absorbed, or needs constant consolation and encouragement. A strong everyday dependence on a spouse or lover may arise: the patient is able to go out into the street - to the store, to the bank or to pick up children - only when accompanied. At the same time, it is absolutely clear to him that the spouse is not imbued with the problem and therefore, in turn, is confused, upset and helpless. This creates a vicious circle of misunderstanding.

— 6 simple ways to combat PA on your own

1) Switching attention.
When anxiety, strong unreasonable fear, or panic has already set in, it is necessary to distract attention by switching it to objects in the outside world. Calling a friend, watching a movie (comedy), reading a humorous magazine, or pleasant memories can prevent a panic attack or reduce its severity.

You need to find your “anchor”, which will become a point of support during an attack. This could be ordinary counting, singing a funny song about your PA, planning things for tomorrow, solving children's crossword puzzles. The main thing is to emerge from your “deep” inner world and not be led by a psychosomatic disorder. After all, only you are the commander of your body. You give orders and control the course.

2) Focused breathing.
You can stop a panic attack by concentrating on the breathing process. Inhale through your nose, feeling the cool air flow through your nostrils. Imagine that your trachea is a transparent tube that reaches your abdomen. The air flows down it, expanding the belly as you take a deep breath. As you exhale slowly, feel the steam condensing on the walls of your glass tube. As air leaves the relaxed mouth, it slowly evaporates. Repeat again and again, achieving complete relaxation and increasing the pleasant sensations many times over.

In general, during PA, breathing increases significantly due to the release of adrenaline. All breathing techniques are based on bringing this life process into a normal, calm direction. You can practice “correct” breathing even outside of attacks, paying attention to slow inhalations and exhalations daily for 3-5 minutes.

3) The “paper bag” method.
Often you can relieve a panic attack with the help of a paper bag, which is tightly applied to the face. Inhale and exhale into the bag slowly until the attack stops. The method is based on lowering the oxygen level and increasing carbon dioxide, thereby restoring the gas balance. If there is no bag at the moment of attacks, use your own hands - fold them into a boat and start breathing according to the “slow inhale – slow exhale” pattern.

4) Meditation, auto-training.
Meditation is a psychotherapeutic pill for any nervousness. There are a huge number of meditative techniques and exercises for auto-training. Concentrating consciousness on some abstract image in a state of deep relaxation helps strengthen the nervous system, get rid of tension, and achieve a state of peace. Real meditation is not chakras or the astral plane at all, but a professional relaxation technique with a strong antidepressant effect.

5) "Spectator".
Observe the development of your PA from the outside. Write down every symptom, every shade of fear, as if you are a spectator or an outside researcher who is scrupulously recording the observed phenomena. The result of this behavior is the devaluation of fears, getting used to them, and recognizing their true nature.

6) Visualization of images.
Try to imagine what your fear or anxiety looks like. Do not create an image intentionally; delegate this process to your imagination or subconscious. Then “destroy” the image in any way - burn it in fire, wash it away with ocean waters, turn the image of fear into a cloud that disappears over the horizon. The state of peace and harmony that will cover you after the fear leaves, also clothe it in figurative clothing. Imagine what your peace of mind looks like. Look at it carefully, enjoying the peace.

— Folk methods of dealing with panic attacks

— How to get rid of panic attacks on your own. Instructions

1) Fear is not reality, it is an illusion.
We, and only we, are the creators of our own nightmares. We are afraid of too much, we fantasize too much, we do not know how to control our thoughts.

Just remember how you watched some scary movie, and then imagined what you would do in the place of the main character. This is how you feed your fear, making it real!

Leave him where he belongs: in the world of illusions!

2) Visualize your nightmare in such a way that it can be easily defeated.
Remember how in one of the Harry Potter books, the professor taught the heroes to fight an evil creature that took the form of their phobia.

You had to present your biggest nightmare in a funny way: make a spider roller-skate, dress an evil potions teacher in an old lady's costume, etc. You can also imagine your fear as a soap bubble that bursts at your touch, or come up with something of your own.

3) Work with your breathing.
Learn to control it so much that no panic attack can stop you from breathing deeply.

Do breathing exercises daily (you can take a technique developed for women giving birth). As soon as you feel the first symptoms of an attack, focus on breathing: deep breath - deep exhale.

4) You must have your own safe place.
Whether it is real or fictitious does not matter. Think it through in detail, learn to mentally move there instantly. As soon as you feel an attack approaching, take yourself to a place where nothing threatens you.

5) Get more physical activity.
During a panic attack, a huge surge of adrenaline occurs. Some experts believe that this happens when there is too much of it in your body. Do active sports at least 3 times a week!

- Conclusion

The prevalence of panic attacks is very high. It affects about 8% of the population. The main feature of these attacks is that they are accompanied not only by psychological, but also by physical symptoms. The patient may experience increased blood pressure, loss of breath, and trembling hands. And these are just small signs of PA.

Fortunately, PA, like any disease, can be cured either independently or with the help of a specialist. This article describes only a small part of the methods of such treatment. If none of them suits you, you can always find a more suitable one on the Internet.

The material was prepared by Dilyara specifically for the site

Anxiety is a condition familiar to many. If you constantly have unreasonable worries about everyday little things, you may have an anxiety disorder - such as general anxiety. However, if you suddenly experience attacks with an accelerated heart rate, nausea, trembling, or severe fear, you may have a panic attack. Panic attacks are scary, so it's important to know how to stop them when they happen. With proper attention and training, you can relieve the symptoms of panic attacks, combat anxiety, and prevent future attacks.

Steps

How to calm down during a panic attack

Use the grounding method to calm yourself during an attack. Focus on the things around you: five things you see; four things you can touch; three things that can be heard; two things you can smell; one thing to taste.

Take deep breaths. If you are having a panic attack, you may be short of breath. Even if you can breathe, you should take deep breaths to relieve stress, provide oxygen to your brain, and help you focus. If you are having a panic attack, stop and start breathing slowly.

Focus on how you feel. Your thoughts may become confused during a panic attack. Your sensations will become more intense and you will feel unable to cope with them. This happens because your body enters fight-or-flight mode, causing your heart rate and breathing to speed up, muscles to tense, and circulation to be compromised. Stop and feel each sensation. This will help your brain go into automatic reactivity mode, meaning it will respond to stimuli in a specific way, breaking down information into separate parts.

Use cognitive biases. If you are having a panic attack, try to distract your brain from the fear using various factors. For example, start counting from 100 to zero, remember all the presidents in order of appearance, start reciting your favorite poem or lyrics from memory. Force yourself to do one or more of the things on this list and keep doing it until you can calm down a little.

Start practicing progressive muscle relaxation. This is a system of gradual tension and relaxation of all muscle groups. Using this technique, you can achieve two goals: concentrate on something distracted and relax your muscles. Start with the facial muscles, then work your way through all the muscles to the tips of your toes.

Tighten a muscle group for 5-10 seconds and then relax. You can do this several times for each group, but once will be enough.
The largest muscle groups are the muscles of the jaw, mouth (clenched/relaxed), arms, hands, abdomen, buttocks, thighs, calves and feet.

Try to stop thoughts and replace them with others. This technique allows you to stop the flow of anxious thoughts and replace them with thoughts about something pleasant and calm. This will help you avoid rumination - that is, a vicious circle in which a person cannot stop worrying about something.
- For example, let's say you're nervous about your upcoming plane flight and can't stop thinking about what will happen if the plane crashes. Just tell yourself “enough is enough,” either out loud or mentally.
- Then replace those thoughts with something calm and positive. For example, think about a vacation you'll go on with your favorite friends and how you enjoy spending time with them.
- It may take some time for this technique to start working, so be patient and don't ask too much of yourself.
- This technique will not help you during a panic attack because the attacks may not have clear causes or triggers. However, this technique allows you to combat general anxiety.
Use guided mental imagery. This technique will allow you to relax and stop worrying.
- Imagine a place where you feel good and calm. This could be your home, your favorite vacation spot, or the embrace of a loved one.
- While thinking about this place, try to add sensations to the image so that your whole consciousness participates in the formation of the picture. This can be done with your eyes closed or open, although you may find it easier with closed eyes. Think about what you see, smell, touch, hear, and taste.
- When you feel anxious, imagine this place. Imagine yourself in this place in a calm and relaxed state. Once you have managed to release the tension, you can complete the visualization.
- You can also ask yourself a few questions. Is this a real danger? You are likely thinking “what if” and feeling fear, but you are not in danger. If you remove danger from the situation, it will be easier for you to relax.
Write down your feelings. If you often have panic attacks or anxiety attacks, start keeping a journal and describing your feelings in it. Write about how you feel, what you are afraid of, what you think or feel about the fear, how strong your feelings are. This will help you focus on your thoughts, and if you re-read your notes, you will be able to combat anxiety more easily.
- At first you may feel like you have nothing to say. Continue to evaluate situations in which you feel anxious. When you learn to stop and analyze the situation, you can figure out what thoughts and feelings led to an anxiety attack.
- When writing in your journal, try to be compassionate with yourself. Don't judge yourself or your thoughts. Remember: it is not always possible to control thoughts and feelings, and you should not consider them bad or good. You can only control your reaction.
Take care of your body. Taking care of your physical health will help you maintain mental health. Exercising and eating right won't cure your anxiety, but they will make it easier to manage your anxiety.

Do something. If you sit and think about the same thing, your anxiety will increase and you will find it difficult to overcome a panic attack. Distract your mind and body with something: wash something, draw, call a friend - do something that will occupy you. It's best to do what you really like.

Try listening to music. Make a playlist of songs that help you relax and that lift your spirits. Next time you have an anxiety attack, listen to this music. Use noise-canceling headphones to avoid distractions from outside noise. Try to listen to everything: both sound and words. This will help distract your mind from fear.

Ask your friends for help. If you're feeling panicked and can't calm down, call a friend or family member. Ask to distract you from panic and analyze your fear so that you can overcome the unpleasant sensations. If you often have panic attacks, teach a friend different ways to deal with them so that they can help you if you reach out to them.

Help from specialists

Seek help from a psychotherapist. If you have severe panic attacks that continue for a long time, make an appointment with a therapist. You may have panic disorder or generalized anxiety disorder, both of which are treatable.

Talk to your doctor. In some countries, it is difficult to find a good specialist, especially if you have a low income and insurance does not cover these services. As a rule, only psychotherapists and psychiatrists can prescribe treatment, however, an ordinary neurologist can diagnose “increased anxiety” or “depression” and prescribe medications.

Look for special clinics and other organizations. If you can't afford to see a therapist, look for inexpensive options. There are several possibilities.
- Clinics. They can be treated by psychotherapists.
- Try contacting a paid department of the clinic. There, doctor's services will cost much less than in a medical center.
- In some countries, medical universities have consultations. Sometimes only students can use them, but there are also those where anyone can apply. As a rule, doctor's services there are inexpensive or provided free of charge.

Panic attacks (PA) are a fairly spontaneous phenomenon and a person without special training will not be able to cope with them. After all, panic makes it impossible to think sensibly and finding a solution under its influence is extremely difficult. At such moments, it seems to people that a lot of time has passed, but in fact only 5-10 seconds. During an attack, thoughts of death enter the head, a feeling of anxiety and a feeling of fear arises. This is why it is important to know everything about panic attacks and how to deal with them yourself.

Panic attacks often occur with VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia), which is a malfunction in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) of various natures. There is no need to worry about this syndrome and there are many treatment options that can help you return to a normal rhythm of life.

It is recommended to treat the disease with the help of a course of psychotherapy, but if it is not possible to visit the hospital, then you can cope with panic attacks yourself at home. Methods to combat panic will help alleviate the condition, and sometimes completely overcome the attack. Regardless of the results of treatment, doctors recommend visiting the hospital as soon as possible. After all, only a psychotherapist can assess the severity of the problem and recommend methods of therapy.

A panic attack is often a consequence of neurosis, which occurs due to physical and mental overload. Sometimes the cause of panic lies in a mental disorder, deep depression and trauma that the child had to endure in childhood. This condition is often diagnosed in people under the influence of drugs.

There are usually several factors influencing the development of a mental disorder, and they are collected in a person’s subconscious. It is often difficult for the patient to understand what the main reason is, because each of them has its own impact on the general condition.

Among the main symptoms of an attack are the following:

Feeling of lack of oxygen;
Spasm of the laryngeal muscles;
Trembling all over the body and chills;
Overactivity of the sebaceous glands;
Accelerated heart rate;
Pressure surges;
A syndrome of derealization (disturbed perception of the surrounding world) and depersonalization (disturbed perception of one’s own actions) occurs;
Nausea, vomiting;
Feelings of anxiety and bad thoughts;
Stomach spasm.

The feeling of fear experienced is so strong that even the memory of it causes a new attack. Most people don't seek help until the problem gets worse. In such a situation, the patient is constantly attacked by panic and it will be extremely difficult to get rid of it on his own.

Treatment options

It’s quite easy to figure out how to deal with panic attacks if you go to a consultation with a psychotherapist. He has methods of struggle that are inaccessible to the common man, namely hypnosis and cognitive psychotherapy. Today there is also EMDR treatment, which can be deciphered as desensitization and processing (neurosis) by eye movements.

Basically, a person faces a problem when he is in a difficult situation and often does not have the opportunity to see a doctor. First you need to understand that this condition does not require fuss and you need to calm down. Medicines will not be suitable at this moment, because the tablets will dissolve in the stomach in about 20 minutes, which means the attack will already be over. The situation can be corrected by combating panic attacks using non-drug methods. These include various exercises and psychotherapy methods that can stop an attack.

Coping with panic attacks is not easy, but you can help yourself. For this it is recommended:

To refuse from bad habits;
Rest more;
Get enough sleep at least 8 hours a day;
Do physical exercise;
Take a walk in the fresh air every day.

Think about something else

You can help yourself with how to overcome panic attacks through the method of switching attention. During an attack, you need to try to distract yourself from it, for example, look out the window and concentrate your gaze on something external. Sometimes it helps to talk with a friend (on the phone), a movie, or other interesting activities that help you think about something else.

Fighting a panic attack using this method usually significantly reduces the severity of the attack.

Anyone can use the method of switching attention, but it is important to find your support, which will help during a panic attack.

This could be playing on the computer, solving a crossword puzzle, cooking, etc. Among all possible activities, you need to find exactly what helps most in a particular case. Such support will help you get out of your inner world and forget about anxiety by concentrating on certain actions.

Treatment through lovemaking

Sexual relationships are extremely important, because according to statistics, people who have regular sex suffer from neuroses much less often. It’s not worth looking for someone just for this purpose and it’s better to reconsider your life, and then start looking for your other half with the goal of building a full-fledged relationship. If it comes to a married couple, then over time the passion between people fades away. To prevent this, you need to devote more time to your spouse. After all, couples who make love at least once a week experience more joy from their relationship. Consequently, neuroses are much less common among them.

Correct breathing

A panic attack causes disturbances in the respiratory system, causing a feeling of suffocation, and how to deal with it in such a situation remains a mystery to many. According to psychotherapists, you should try to focus on your breathing. To do this, you need to slowly inhale air through your nose, imagining how it passes through the nasopharynx and goes down the trachea, expanding the stomach during a deep breath. Then you need to slowly exhale, gradually imagining how the oxygen makes its way back and exits through the mouth. It is advisable to repeat this procedure until the attack completely disappears.

The reason for rapid breathing during a panic attack lies in the excessive release of adrenaline. The described method is designed to eliminate this phenomenon and can be used in your free time to calm the nervous system. It is enough to spend no more than 5 minutes on this procedure per day.

Using a paper bag

Even an ordinary paper bag can solve the problem, since you can cope with a panic attack by applying it to your face. Then you need to start breathing slowly into it and do this until the attack stops. This method is based on restoring the gas balance due to inhaled carbon dioxide. If you don’t have a bag, you can breathe into your folded hands.

Meditation

Treatment through meditation is a reliable means of psychotherapy for any mental disorder. Many techniques have been created and most of them are not based on the astral plane and the inner chakra, but on relaxation. Sometimes it is enough to take a comfortable position, close your eyes and imagine a place you have long wanted to visit or some magical land with strange creatures, etc. In such a situation, you need to try to forget about anxiety and fear and completely immerse yourself in your dreams.

Outside Observation Method

In such a state it is difficult to think rationally, but you can try to write down your fears and re-read them. On a subconscious level, they will become absurd for the patient and the attack will weaken or go away altogether. This method is quite popular and simple, but sometimes it is difficult to use due to trembling in the hands.

A way to visualize fear

You should give free rein to your imagination and imagine what excites you most. Then you need to destroy the visualization object by any means, for example, incinerate it, eat it, or even launch it to the moon. Awareness of one’s strength can help with this, because in one’s subconscious a person is his own master. When the fear is eliminated, the attack will gradually weaken and at this moment it is advisable to imagine calmness as something pleasant and beautiful. They will need to be enjoyed for at least 5-10 minutes, after which you can open your eyes.

Spiral of Energy

For this method of dealing with panic attacks, you need to identify the cause of the fear and present it. Then you need to imagine a flow of energy moving in a spiral and move the culprit of the panic into it. Next, you need to watch how fear spins clockwise until you feel calm. If the condition does not return to normal, then you can try changing the direction of the spiral.

Natural method of treatment

Sometimes, in order to understand how to cope with panic attacks, it is enough to turn to the elements:

Earth. It represents stability and security. To take advantage of this element, you need to sit comfortably and feel the reliability of the support and how tightly your feet touch the ground. Then you need to look around the room around you and select 3 objects that should be named out loud, describing the details;
Air. It helps you concentrate and normalize your breathing. You can take advantage of this element using breathing exercises;
Water. She is responsible for relaxation. During a panic attack, a person is often thirsty. You should try to think about lemon or other food to improve saliva flow or drink water and at the same time remove the spasm from the stomach;
Fire. It represents the imagination with which you can think about the positive things in your life. To use it, just think about something good or plunge into your dreams.

The combination of 4 elements represents the usual methods of combating PA, but with an element of self-hypnosis. With the help of their combination, a person can come out of the inner world and feel relief.

Stream of light

The method is based on visualizing a bright and light stream of energy falling from the sky. You should imagine how he touches the head, hands, feet and falls to the ground. Then you need to imagine how the energy makes its way back from earth to heaven, passing through the entire body. You can repeat the procedure as many times as you like. The goal of the method is to increase your significance and calm the nervous system through imagination.

Butterfly exercise

This method allows you to fight PA by simply crossing your arms over your chest. It is necessary that the left hand is placed on the right shoulder, and the other hand, respectively, on the left. Next, you need to lightly tap your hands, imagining yourself to be a butterfly, but if after this the problem worsens, then you should stop doing the exercise.

Treatment with light flux

This method of struggle involves visualizing fear on the patient’s body. You need to imagine it well, and then mentally direct a powerful stream of energy towards the negative emotion, which should destroy it. This method of self-hypnosis helps to eradicate anxiety and can be repeated as many times as you like.

Dipping fear into a paint can

This visualization technique requires you to imagine your fear and then place it in a container filled with paint. Next, you should drown the negative emotion and to do this you need to mentally stir this jar, looking at how all the fears and worries are toned at its bottom.

Method of transferring a panic attack

R. Wilson came up with this way of dealing with PA and, according to his theory, a person can decide for himself when to be afraid and control the entire process. To do this, it is recommended that immediately before the attack or at its beginning, you begin to convince yourself that in 5 hours you should start worrying, but not now. After the specified time, the conversation is repeated and so on until the fear subsides completely.

There is another method invented by this specialist and it is based on focusing a person on his fear. It is necessary to deliberately think about your greatest experience 2-3 times every day for 2 weeks. During this process, you need to forget about all pressing matters and think only about your fear in order to feel severe discomfort. After 10 minutes from the start of the training, you need to begin to smoothly exit this state. You can do this with breathing exercises and thoughts about the things planned for that day. If you fight a panic attack using this method of treatment, you can achieve significant results. Fear will not seem so terrible, and the feeling of anxiety will significantly decrease.

Panic attacks must be dealt with, because otherwise they will not go away. Treatment methods at home are quite effective, but they only stop attacks and do not treat the root cause. Only a psychotherapist can eliminate the culprit of this condition, so it is recommended to consult with him as soon as possible.