Overcoming Panic Attacks – Top 3 Natural Remedies for Overcoming Anxiety
Overcoming panic attacks is the main goal for everyone who has ever suffered one. If you’ve been diagnosed with panic disorder or anxiety you may want to try some natural therapies for combating your condition rather than choosing medication.
Overcoming Panic Attacks Without Medication
Overcoming panic attacks without medication is a goal of many panic attack sufferers. Not all natural therapies work for everyone but combined with relaxation techniques and therapy they can be effective tools in helping you recover. The top three natural remedies are:
Top 3 Ways For Overcoming Panic Attacks Naturally
1) Bach Flower remedies
These remedies are made from flower essences and are designed to replace negative emotions with positive ones. Because they are natural they are perfect for anyone who is looking for alternatives to medication, as they have no side effects. You can also take them in conjunction with prescribed medications to aid recovery and expedite the process of overcoming panic attacks.
One of the most popular Bach essences for anxiety disorders is Bach Rescue Remedy. This is a combination of essences designed to combat negative emotions associated with panic and anxiety. It can also help with the prevention of a panic attack if taken during the early stages of symptoms.
Aspen essence is also good for anxiety and panic disorders as it addresses the negative emotions associated with unfounded fears. Similarly, Rock Rose is excellent in situations when someone is frightened or terrified and can be administered during a panic attack and help you in overcoming panic attacks with great results.
Bach Flower remedies are taken either a a few drops in a tumbler of water or directly onto the tongue. They are available from most pharmacies and are small enough to be tucked into a handbag or pocket and carried around with you.
2) Herbal Remedies
Many people are aware of St John’s Wort for the treatment of depression and it has long been used for overcoming panic attacks. This herbal remedy is very popular and is often called nature’s antidepressant. However, because of its interaction with several prescription drugs including the contraceptive pill, you should never take St John’s Wort without asking your doctor’s advice. The herb is particularly effective for anxiety disorders, although it can take several weeks to see a change in behavior.
There are a number of herbal complexes available that can help calm your anxiety and speed up the process of overcoming panic attacks. The majority of them include a herb called Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) which acts on your body’s neurotransmitters and soothes the mind. Valerian is also used to treat mild insomnia as large doses can cause drowsiness.
Because herbal remedies can interact with other drugs always talk to a pharmacist, doctor or qualified herbalist if you are taking any other prescription medication for overcoming panic attacks.
3) Vitamins and Supplements
Both the Vitamin B complex and Omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with keeping a healthy, calm mind as well as looking after your body. If you suffer from anxiety or depression it is worth taking a good Vitamin B complex supplement once a day as this is thought to help the process of overcoming panic attacks. PLEASE NOTE – do not take high doses of Vitamin Bs without consulting your doctor as some, such as Vitamin B3 (niacin) can actually be toxic in high doses. In fact, please consult your doctor before you take anything to help you in the process of overcoming panic attacks.
Recent research in France has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids seem to lessen the body’s reaction to stress and can be a useful tool in combating anxiety disorders and helping people lead a stress-free life by overcoming panic attacks.
Top 3 Relaxation Techniques for Overcoming Panic Attacks
Overcoming panic attacks – is it even possible?
Relaxation techniques can be very effective for overcoming panic attacks. Now, not all of these techniques work for everyone but with a bit of trial and error you can find a suitable method that works for you. You need to have a bit of faith, try out the different techniques, be prepared to fail a little bit and ultimately have faith that you will find the one method that helps you in overcoming panic attacks.
Overcoming Panic Attacks with 3 Relaxation Techniques
1. The Relaxation Response
This is a very popular method designed by Dr Benson of Harvard University back in the 1960s. It is still used with great success today. The method works by inducing deep muscle relaxation and by deepening your breathing and many people have found this very useful for overcoming panic attacks.
Find a comfortable chair in quiet area. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing and keep it deep and even. Begin relaxing your muscles in your feet and ankles. Try to imagine a warm sensation that spread from your toes up your legs. As each group of muscles relax, imagine the warm sensation moving up your body. At each stage focus on breathing and really concentrate on relaxing each muscle group. Keep breathing deeply, especially when you come to the stomach and chest regions. The whole exercise should take no more than 15 minutes. You need to practice this regularly at first, at least three times a day. As your technique improves, over time you will be able to complete the exercise in a few minutes for a quick relaxation.
2. Progressive muscle relaxation
This is particularly effective for people suffering from intense anxiety disorders. It works by tensing up your muscles as tight as you can and then relaxing them. Start with your hand and clench it into a tight fist. Hold this for five seconds then relax the hand as far you can. As with the above relaxation technique you can work your whole body. Most people prefer to do this lying down in bed but you can just as easily sit in a chair.
Start with your feet and work your way up your body tensing the various sets of muscles. You don’t need to do this so hard you sprain yourself! Take a deep breath in as you tense the muscles and then breath out as you relax them. Try to extend the relaxation each time and you will find that this works wonders for overcoming panic attacks.
Many people with anxiety will feel very tense in their stomach and chest areas so pay particularly attention to these regions. At first it will seem quite difficult to fully relax these muscles but as with all techniques keep up the practice. It can be a valuable method for stopping the onset of a panic attack.
3. Take a bath
When you suffer from any anxiety disorder you often forget to take time out just to treat yourself – this can inhibit your ability to overcome panic attacks. A warm bath is an ideal way to relax before you go to bed as it can help improve sleep. Combined with bath oils with lavender and rosemary and scented candles, so you don’t have to look at harsh lights, a warm bath can be a really good place to start relaxing. To aid sleep always take a bath about an hour before you want to go to bed. Don’t over heat the water. You can also practice the above relaxation techniques in a bath as the warm water can aid the muscle relaxation.
Overcoming panic attacks take s a little time, a little experimentation and a little faith – stick with it and you will see results!
Overcoming Panic Attacks – 4 Methods
Overcoming panic attacks can be a challenge – you know the feeling only too well. You’re doing perfectly fine when, all of a sudden, your car conks out in the middle of a busy lane, your son announces he’s dropping out of college, your daughter tells you she’s pregnant, and you discover you’ll have to spring for a new roof. Suddenly, your chest hurts. You can’t breathe. Your arms feel numb. You are having a panic attack.
Overcoming Panic Attacks The Easy Way
Panic attacks are rarely fatal, but they can be a serious thorn on your side. Even if you don’t wind up with a full-blown attack, you’d still be left fearful, apprehensive, and uncertain and overcoming panic attacks can consume your thoughts. Can you stop panic attacks without medication? The answer is yes. So what are the best ways for overcoming panic attacks? You don’t need to pop a pill to regain your chill. You can stop your next panic attack without using pills — and here’s how you can do it…
4 Methods for Overcoming Panic Attacks
1. Learn Square Breathing – Slow, deep breathing increases the carbon dioxide in your body, and it’s precisely this that reduces your panic response. Square breathing is an excellent technique for overcoming panic attacks – here’s how you can “square breathe”:
- Imagine a square.
- Choose one corner of the square.
- Count up to four while you inhale slowly.
- Count up to four while you exhale slowly.
- Arrive at the next corner as you inhale; leave it as you exhale.
In a nutshell, there are four corners; you make four deep, measured breaths. As you breathe your way through each corner of the square, your galloping heartbeat will slow down to a comfortable trot and this will help you go a long way towards overcoming panic attacks.
2. Breathe Into a Paper Bag – If you find square breathing difficult, try the good old paper bag trick. Sit down, grab a paper bag, and breathe into it slowly and deeply. Keep at it until you have calmed down fully. People have been using this method for overcoming panic attacks since time began!
It might seem funny to rely on a paper bag for help, but don’t laugh—it works. Here’s the science behind it: as you go through a panic attack, your heart beats faster and you breathe quicker. This elevates the oxygen levels in the blood. When the oxygen level in your blood is too high, your body is tricked into thinking you are short of breath when in fact, the problem is that you are breathing too fast.
As you breathe faster, your body holds on to too much of oxygen and too little of carbon dioxide. This makes you dizzy and short of breath.
How does breathing into a paper bag stop your panic attack dead in its tracks? It’s simple: because you will be breathing in carbon dioxide which you have already exhaled, your hyperventilation slows down and your body’s oxygen levels is rebalanced. This a great method for overcoming panic attacks.
3. Relax, Detach, Focus – Marcia Reynolds, M.Ed, came up with a routine for getting back one’s calm quickly. This technique has been deployed by hundreds – if not thousands of people – to overcome panic attacks. Here’s how you do it:
- Relax your whole body, from head to toe.
- Detach yourself from your thoughts.
- Put yourself at a certain moment. This should be a calming moment, for example: luxuriating in a hot tub or helping yourself to a mouth-watering steak done just the way you like it.
- Focus on how you want to feel.
The good thing about this routine is that you can do it anywhere, wherever you may be having a panic attack.
4. Take a Shower – Stand in a steaming shower, and let the hot water relax your neck’s stiff muscles. Lean over so you can feel the the water pound your back. The hot water, the steam, and the repetition of the water drops can make you feel soothed.
Showering is a good way for overcoming panic attacks because it’s a physical activity. It will calm your mind and at the same time, relax your body.
Learning square breathing, breathing into a paperbag, relaxing, detaching, and focusing, and taking a shower are only some of the ways you can stop panic attacks without medication and reclaim your life. Overcoming panic attacks can be easier than you think, so try out these methods and see what works for you.
Panic Attacks 101: Learn More Today
If you suffer from panic attacks, you should identify whether there are certain events, such as driving on a highway, or specific symptoms, such as sweating, that occur before you experience a panic attack. You can more effectively implement skills and techniques to avoid or manage your panic attacks if you know when a panic attack is triggered in your body. This knowledge will greatly assist you.
Talking about your symptoms with a trained professional, a friend, or a sympathetic member of your family can often prove beneficial. A counselor will get to the root of what triggers your panic attacks and suggest effective methods of dealing with them.
Heightened levels of anxiety only grow when you feel alone in the battle. It’s helpful to have others around who can help support you through your problems and any issues that you are having. No real friend is going to let a friend suffer alone.
Try to understand what is causing your panic attack. Dealing with your problems immediately head-on can help to curb panic attacks, caused by allowing problems to fester, until they get the better of you. Later on it is okay to tell them the real reason you posed the question.
Sleep is very important when it comes to preventing panic attacks, getting enough sleep is the key. A physically tired body goes hand in hand with an exhausted mind. A restless mind increases the risks of getting a panic attack. Seek professional help if you find that your sleeping is compromised to the extent that your anxiety becomes worse or panic attacks increase in number or severity.
You can take control and work your way out of your panic attack by taking deliberate actions. Your feelings need not keep you from doing anything. So try to act positive, even if you are feeling negative. Making the choice to act in a way that is not based on your feelings will help you regain control of your panic attacks.
This could not be further from the truth! Panic disorder is a real mental illness, defined by the DSM-IV-R. Learn to be a good listener, and support your loved one during the attack. By showing empathy, you may be able to help them get over their symptoms before it turns into a full-blown panic attack.
Having panic attacks does not have to a lifetime problem. The information here will help get a person back on track. Use this information today to start living better, despite the scary nature of this condition. Your health depends on you finding and using plans on how to deal with these episodes.
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The Link Between Eating Healthy And Your Panic Attacks
The best thing you can do is seek the help of a counselor, but talking to someone who is close to you can work, too. Of course, a professional psychologist or counselor can diagnose causes and suggest effective treatments.
One good way to prevent panic attacks before they start is to be aware of your thought processes as they develop. Start a journal and track the thoughts and emotions that precede you having a panic attack. Review your journal weekly to get an understanding of what triggers the attacks, and what you can do to avoid them.
If you find yourself having a panic attack, you should try to stop whatever you are doing, find a place to sit, and remember to keep breathing. Inhale slowly to a count of five. Watch as your stomach rises. Now exhale slowly out your mouth, also to a count of five. Try to do this ten times and you should start to feel better.
The flight and fight energy must be directed elsewhere. This energy should be put toward thoughts or actions that can direct your mind off of the attack. Try vigorous exercise, or clean the house from top to bottom. Keep a record of behavior modification techniques that are effective in lessening the anxiety that causes your panic attacks.
A very counter-productive, and often disastrous, measure against panic attacks and issues of anxiety is self-medicating. Drugs and alcohol will do nothing to help your affliction except get rid of some of the effects, and generally just make things worse. You also run the risk of becoming addicted to these things. Discuss healthier techniques to treat your panic attack symptoms with your doctor.
If you frequently suffer from panic attacks or extreme anxiety, use a timer to remind yourself to engage in some deep breathing techniques every half hour. Every half hour or so, take a minute to do some deep breathing exercises. You will be constantly replenishing your bloodstream with oxygen and redirecting yourself to a positive focus. If you continue this, it will become second nature.
If you are experiencing a panic attack, put a little water against your face. The jolt immediately instructs your brain to relax, regulate and recover. Step into the restroom and splash water on your face briskly. Once you feel relief setting in, just blot your face dry.
Now you have learned ways to seek relief from panic attacks. You have to make the decision. Learn how to live your life without panic attacks. You deserve to be rid of them forever.
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Is There Medication To Help With Your Panic Attacks?
Proper health habits can help reduce the number and severity of panic attacks that occur. Avoid things like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol because they can produce anxiety. You should eat good, healthy food, and stay away from any highly processed foods that contain a lot of sugar. In order to relax and rejuvenate, you must get an adequate amount of sleep every night. These tips will help you to feel better in general, which can reduce your risk of panic attacks.
If you or someone you love is suffering the agony of panic attacks, you may want to look into The Anxiety Disorders Association of America for help. There are some non-profit associations that focus on the treatment and elimination of panic disorders. They may have just the information to meet your needs!
If you think about it, has there ever been an occasion that you have NOT successfully seen a panic attack to its end? You are the one who controls your emotions and your body’s response to them.
Getting a working diagnosis for your anxiety condition can be a huge help in finding the right treatment for it. Many things can cause anxiety in different people, so there’s no ‘one size fits all’ strategy. If your panic attacks reach a point where they are completely controlling your life, it’s time to talk to a professional.
Sleep is a great tool to avoid panic attacks. If your body is agitated, your mind will be, too. You have an increased chance of a panic attack if your mind is irrational. Talk to your doctor about your sleeping problems.
When you begin to feel a bit stressed out, it is important that you talk to someone. Just listening to the sound of someone’s comforting words, or having a distraction from your overwhelming feelings of anxiety can help to relax you. Receiving and giving a hug is also a positive thing. The human touch often has a medicinal affect with its ability to reassure and comfort, and this should help get you through or even avert a panic attack.
You should feel a bit relieved after reading that article. Though there are many levels of concern and accompanying implications, you are now equipped to start the process of getting the help that you need. Always come and read the article again if you are experiencing trouble, and don’t quite remember how to react.
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