THERES NO NEED TO PANIC (My Experience of Anxiety and Panic Attacks)

Member Name: willa

Product:	My Experience of Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Date:	08/10/02 (141 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You wont feel like this forever, There is lots of help out there, You are not alone

Disadvantages: Unpleasent bodily sensations, Fear of dying, Constantly afraid

Panic attacks, dizziness, breathlessness, nervousness, fear and anxiety... to name just a few of the symptoms of panic attacks. Only those who have suffered from panic attacks can truly understand what a tragedy it is. Panic attacks normally strike outside the home (in my case everywhere, especially at home) and the person feels they are in a life-threatening situation from which escape is necessary.

But how to cope?
Many people use distractions to help cope with panic attacks such as exercise, listening to music, reading or taking a bath, for me concentrating on work projects helps relieve symptoms. You do have the power to make your attacks better or ten times worse, its all about control. For example catastrophic thinking heightens anxiety in a stressful situation, this may cause bodily sensations which lead the person to falsely conclude he/she is having a heart attack, going to faint, about to die, going to lose control, going crazy, etc. These thoughts lead to panic. So, the thoughts need to be corrected, in a way you need to re-educate yourself to see things differently, you need to challenge your fearful thinking and your negative imagery, because each time you frighten yourself with catastrophic thoughts or images, you re-stimulate your body's emergency response..PANIC!

Breathing correctly is very important to alleviate panic. My doctor told me it is impossible for your body to panic if you breathe slowly and in a controlled way. For example Gently and slowly inhale a normal amount of air through your nose, filling your lower lungs. Then exhale easily. You might first try it with one hand on your stomach and one on your chest. As you inhale gently, your lower hand should rise while your upper hand stays still. Continue this gentle breathing pattern with a relaxed attitude, concentrating on filling only the lower lungs, you will become more relaxed and the panic WILL subside.

There are some natural remedies you can
try for panic attacks such as GABA, Kava Kava and St. John's Wort, although check with your pharmacist if you are on any other medication. There are some essential oils you can try like Lavender, Neroli, Frankincense and Ylang Ylang. You can drop these into the bath, have a massage or inhale them.

Hynosis can help to 're-train' your body to relax and help gain control, it also helps you to become skilful at moderating your own anxiety response.

Acupuncture can provide a safe and effective tool for stress. It will not, of course, change the circumstances of a person’s life, but it will usually produce a feeling of well-being. Acupuncture is primarily concerned with regulating the individual’s life force, the body energy or ‘Qi’. It has a number of beneficial physiological effects. Acupuncture has a relaxation response with decreased heart rate, lowered BP, stress reduction and increased energy and tissue regeneration. It has been shown to produce a calming or tranquilizing action that is of particular interest to people in states of stress. Acupuncture can relieve feelings of anxiety and depression and has been a great help to myself.

The effects of anxiety are magnified when the body is not exercised: tension in the muscles builds, breathing remains constricted most of the time and the mind has no rest from the whirling thoughts and feelings that feed the anxiety. Yoga reduces stress in the body, breath, and mind by building coping skills with a small daily routine of exercise, breathing, and meditation. A few Yoga exercises practiced daily (especially if they are done just prior to meditation) help to regulate the breath and relax the body by gently releasing tension from the large muscle groups, flushing all parts of the body and brain with fresh blood, oxygen, and other nutrients, and increasing feelings of well-being.

Meditation is useful for some to help shut off the constant inner d
ialogue and quiet the mind.

Things to avoid if you suffer from panic attacks are caffeine, cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, nicotine, sugar and alcohol as these can trigger attacks. Caffeine raises the level of lactate in a persons system making it easier for your body to respond to adrenaline, paving the way for a panic attack. The less coffee you drink, the calmer you will feel, so gradually reduce your caffeine levels to zero. Also, if you have low blood sugar problems, stay well away from refined sugar; hypoglycaemia can exacerbate panic symptoms.

Several kinds of psychologic counseling are very effective for treating panic attacks and are as effective as medicine. Although several medicines make panic attacks less severe or stop them altogether if you are stuggling to cope. The most commonly used drugs are antidepressants and tranquilizers. Besides treating depression, these medicines have many other uses, and you do not have to be depressed for them to help. Antidepressants are very effective in preventing anxiety and panic attacks, and they often completely stop the attacks. Side effects rarely occur with antidepressants. If they do occur, they are usually mild. Antidepressants will not make you lose control, and they will not change your personality. These medicines can be used for as long as is necessary.

I have been taking Cipramil for 2 months now - I have gone from having panic attacks everyday to being almost cured from them. I know longer suffer from depression and Im sleeping all night. The nightmares are gone and im finally in control. Pills dont work for everyone and some prefer to cope in other ways. I myself battled until I felt I just couldnt cope anymore, I fought with myself constantly and was always afraid. I think Panic is one of the worst feelings in the world, imagine feeling a sudden overpowering terror whist doing something simple like watching the tv, it can take over your entire life if you let it but t
here is help out there and you are definately not alone.

Summary: