How to Manage Panic Attack Symptoms Easily

A sudden rush of overwhelming fear and anxiety, a panic attack can happen to anyone. When this happens too often and you are unable to manage, it can lead to other problems which can affect your normal life. Learn how you can manage panic attack symptoms and how you can prevent future attacks.

In the United States, about 20% of the adult population experience panic attacks and around 2% of these often lead to panic disorder. This disorder has a sudden onset and it has a brief duration that can reach a peak for only about 10 minutes, subsiding during the next few hours. Most panic attacks are one-time occurrences while for others, these can occur repetitively. A panic attack is but normal and healthy but when it happens too often and it affects how you function, it is already a disorder. The exact causes of panic attack are unclear but there are several risk factors that can lead to developing this disorder. Some of the risk factors include family history, major life changes such as getting married or starting a new job and severe stress such as getting divorced or when you are having family problems.

A panic attack can happen anytime, anywhere you are. It can happen while you are at home, while you are driving, while you are out shopping or whatever you may be doing. Panic attack symptoms include shortness of breath and rapid breathing, heart palpitations, chest pain, nausea and vomiting, trembling, sweating, having a choking feeling, being light-headed or dizzy, numbness and hot or cold flashes. In some, they can experience being detached from their surroundings with an unreal feeling. Panic attack symptoms can also include the feeling of dying or going crazy. When these panic attack symptoms happen too often, it would be better for you to get some help so that you can deal with this disorder properly.

Panic attack is highly treatable through different types of therapies and by self-help strategies. For the therapies, you can undergo cognitive behavioral therapy which is considered as the most effective form of treatment. This type of therapy is focused on how you think and the certain behaviors that can trigger the attack. This will allow you to deal with your fear and anxiety in a realistic manner so that you can manage them without resulting into panic. Meanwhile, exposure therapy uses physical sensations of panic in an environment that is safe and controlled which will give you the chance to learn healthy ways of coping.

While you are treated with the different types of treatment therapies, it is also important for you to learn some self-help strategies so that you can help yourself too. It would help a lot if you learn more about panic – what is it, how it happens, the different manifestations and how you can manage it. It is also important for you to avoid caffeine and smoking since these will make you susceptible to panic attacks. Furthermore, you should learn about ways on how you can control your breathing since this will help in the relief of panic symptoms. It also helps to learn about relaxation techniques to help you manage panic attack symptoms. You can do deep breathing, yoga, meditation and other ways on how you can relax.

Panic attack is highly manageable as long as you know what to do. Keep these self-help strategies in mind and surely, you will be able to deal with it easily.