How do you handle a panic attack?
Thursday, January 7th, 2010 at
8:37 am
Big Cheese asked:
That’s it. How do you handle a panic attack?
Filed under: Panic Attacks
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I have panic attacks as well, or at least I used to have them until I finally learned to control them. With mine, I can always tell when one is getting ready to hit me. I get a tingling in my legs, then in my stomach. That’s when I get that feeling of dread and that I need to flee the situation. I used to take antianxiety meds for this, but I hate taking drugs so….this is what I finally did.
Everytime I feel that feeling that I mentioned above start to happen, I instantly slow my breathing down, very slow deep breaths through my nose, and exhale very slowly out my mouth. I do this over and over until I feel the panic attack start to ease up a bit. I have also learned to “embrace” these, because I figure that if I can’t beat them, may as well join them. I let the feeling that I have which is (during a full blown attack) I get a very cold feeling starting in my feet, move up my legs into my chest to my head. (the chest part is the hardest to control as that involves the fast heart rate) then what happens to me next is a very warm sensation will start in my head, move down to my chest and finally end up to my feet where it first started. This warm sensation is quite soothing to me now. It takes years of practice, and may not work for others, I just know that it works for me and I don’t take any antianxiety medication anymore. Just try this, and see if it helps even just a little. Good luck, I know panic attacks are horrible.
increase “B” vitamins. Do deep breathing. get more exercise.
you breathe into a brown paper bag
Klonopin works pretty well.
divert attention to sumthing else.
take deep breaths…
Get busy doing something else. It can be as simple as loading the dishwasher, taking a walk around the yard, making a phone call to a friend. These simple things distracts your mind from the attack and you will feel better very shortly by not staying focused on the scary feelings and sensations associated with a panic attack.
Lowering caffeine, getting enough sleep and good nutrition in the big picture will help them stay away
If the person is breathing too fast they will not get enough o2 co exchange. They will start to feel tingly in there fingers and possiably other parts of there body. May feel light headed as well. Just let them continue to hyper ventilate. they will pass out and regain normal breathing. I see this all the time and we just let them pass out then they are okay.
In an emergency, if the person cant breath, USE A VENTOLIN asthma puffa. four puffs, four minute wait, four etc. Also get them to breath into a paper bag, it prevents hyperventilation.
I went through a bad time when a panic attack was pretty much a constant occurence. I was shaking n dropping everything and i had constant asthma, could hardly breath. I was using my puffa, trying calming methods and even took calmative medication, but honestly nothing really worked until I took care of the actual CAUSE of the anxiety. As soon as I delt with the problem and came to terms, I could move on and all the symptoms stopped. but this is for long term problem obviously. some people have a condition and need to take medication to calm them down. some people take low dosage sleeping pills (on prescription) for this purpose.
Short term you need to know emergency proceedures, especially just getting the person to breath!! (but not hyperventilate) slow calm breaths.
Also getting them to lay down, decrease heart rate. putting them in a warm bath can relax the muscles.