How To Control Panic Disorder?

A panic attack is an intense and sudden feeling of fear that may lead the person to lose control and fear that he is dying. The intensity of the attack normally hits for around ten minutes though the symptoms may linger on after that. It normally occurs without prior signals and is typically unrelated to any of the underlying health troubles.

Ways to Control Panic Attack Symptoms-

If you are experiencing signs of panic attacks, then it is imperative to undergo proper medical treatment to find out any deeper medical problem related to these symptoms. If there is no definite cause, which is required to be treated, then there are various ways of controlling the panic attacks.

1. Proper education: If panic attacks are left untreated for a long time, then it may lead to panic disorder, which includes frequent and recurrent panic attacks within a short span. So, it is important to have proper knowledge for combating panic disorders. You will have to understand how the fear centre of the brain works in order to recognise what panic disorder is. It is imperative to understand that the signs of panic disorder have no connection with any severe illness.

2. Calm breathing: When a person is hit with a panic disorder, it is natural to take short, shallow breaths. You will have to take control of your breath and try to create a slow stream of air within and breathe it out, which will prevent hyperventilation and an accumulation of carbon-dioxide in the blood. It is recommended to practice slow breathing in a normal state of mind, so that you have a good hold over the technique which would come in handy when a panic attack occurs. You will have to breathe in for five seconds and hold the breath for one second before you exhale it out, spanning through four seconds. Repeat the process several times until you start experiencing a soothing feel.

3. Muscle relaxation: Then you must try to learn how to relax the body by tensing and then relaxing different muscles, which will reduce the overall anxiety and stress levels causing panic attacks. You can start working on the muscles of your feet and then slowly move on to the forehead. You will have to tighten each muscle group while taking a deep breath, hold it for a few moments and release it while breathing out.

4. Hypnothearapy: Hypnotherapy is very efficient to get rid of acute anxiety quickly. The effect of a one-time direct hypnosis has an effect of about 48 to 72 hours. Afterwards, the effect slowly disappears, unless it is supplemented with self-hypnosis or other therapeutic interventions. It is thus an ideal technique for concrete situations like performance anxiety prior to an exam, presentation or job interview within 48 hours. Self-hypnosis is a powerful tool to teach a client to stop their anxiety themselves with the help of  self-hypnosis exercise.  

5. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT helps anxious patients to recognize and work through the negative and worrying thoughts which (subconsciously) cause the panic attacks, stress, and anxiety. The therapist will help the patient to “defuse” these negative thoughts and will also help the client in finding more valuable thoughts which do not lead to anxiety or panic. Afterwards, the patient will be requested to practise these positive thoughts and to train themselves in finding negative thoughts which need to be invalidated.

In case you think you are suffering from a panic disorder, it is imperative to waste no time and talk to a psychologist without further delay.