Panic attacks appear suddenly and completely unexpectedly. It happens without any warning, even during sleep.
We are talking here about panic and almost overwhelming fear.
The specific symptoms in such a situation appear: heart races, the pulse quickens, the pressure in the chest increases, breathing becomes difficult. Many people are also suddenly seized by anxiety attacks.
Do you feel familiar with such symptoms? You don’t know how to fight panic attacks without medication? Then keep on reading because, in this article, I’m gonna answer all these questions:
- What are the causes of panic attacks?
- Can you treat them yourself?
- Can you fight panic attacks?
Panic attacks appear for no reason
People who suffer from panic attacks usually run to different doctors for years and are treated with all kinds of tablets without a possible cause being recognised or treated. Not all of them manage to treat themselves.
Most patients get the appearance of being crazy because they feel physical discomfort but no doctor can find a cause. Panic attacks usually occur for no reason in everyday situations.
What are the physical signals of a panic attack?
Those who are affected by panic attack suffer from anxiety with physical signals such as:
- Sweating, trembling, shaking
- racing heart, palpitations
- Dry mouth
- Shortness of breath, lump or tightness in the throat
- Pressure and tightness in the upper chest
- Nausea or abdominal pain
- Dizziness, fainting or light-headedness
- Numbness or tingling
- Hot flushes or chills
- Fear of having a heart attack or even dying
- Fear of going mad or fainting
- Fear of losing control of oneself
The cause of panic attacks
In the first phase, those affected experience physical and mental weakness in a particular situation. Strange physical states such as circulatory disturbances or attacks of weakness become widespread.
These are usually moments when the sufferer feels that he/she has no control over the situation, for example at the cinema, while waiting, in a traffic jam, at the supermarket, etc.
The sufferer feels so unsettled by the physical reactions that he or she do not want to experience a panic attack again. Therefore, they begin to avoid the situation that they think may trigger an attack.
Again and again, they imagine an attack and thus create a corresponding tension in themselves with the imagination. This also applies to some forms of panic attacks at night.
Getting trapped in the loop
The avoidance begins to expand, the fear of panic sets in. Sufferers look for a remedy to maintain their daily routine.
They begin to take tablets, rarely go out of the house, start to build up courage and force themselves to distract themselves.
It is not uncommon for sufferers to flee from all situations in which signs of an attack become apparent. They begin to withdraw and become depressed.
They begin to believe that they are suffering from a serious illness.
Effective measures to deal with panic attacks
To get rid of a panic attack, you first need to clarify and understand where the fear comes from. There can be different reasons and triggers for the occurrence of panic attacks.
The affected people groups are not only adults, children and teenagers can be also affected by it.
But is there a solution to fight panic attacks?
It is important to first realise that every person is afraid of something and every person deals with this fear differently.
One person keeps quiet about his fears, the other person deals with the subject quite openly. The feeling of fear is an original defensive reaction of the body.
How can I fight panic attacks without medication?
Humans are generally capable of facing all kinds of fears. However, running away will not help. If the affected person does not manage to fight a panic attack on his or her own, the person should contact a doctor.
Self-help groups can also be very helpful in coping. Fighting panic attacks with medication is certainly an option, but it is not a perfect permanent solution.
It is better to have conversations with other sufferers instead of medication and intoxicants. Psychologists and psychiatrists are happy to offer advice and support so that you can get rid of your panic attack.
1. The cognitive behavioural therapy method
All people have cognitive abilities. Human thinking plays a decisive role in this. What you think has a decisive influence on your actions and the expression of your feelings. Ultimately, the reasons for physical actions lie in the thoughts.
2. Psychotherapy
In psychotherapy, on the other hand, the trigger for the fears is sought in the patient’s past. In this therapy, the treating therapist tries to find out which situation or objects trigger the fear.
But it is also observed how the patient reacts to fear. The negative attitudes and thoughts have to be changed into something positive.
3. Confrontation therapy
There are many phobias and each one triggers a different pattern of behaviour. It is not only crucial to overcome the fear itself to be able to fight the panic attacks.
Confrontation therapy shows sufferers how to deal with a frightening situation that triggers the attack. As the name suggests, patients are confronted with fear, but this is the only way to lose their fear.
You must face your fear and fight it. Only in this way you can overcome this fear and fight the panic attacks.
The feeling of fear starts in the mind, the trigger does not matter.
The point is that you fight the panic attacks by facing the perceived danger. This way you will learn self-confidence and you will regain control over the situation. This way you will get rid of the panic attack quickly.
5 steps to get rid of the sudden panic attack
Despite therapy, panic attacks will not disappear from the scene. They may occur again and again. But what can you do to make a sudden onset panic attack go away?
You can get rid of the panic attack in just five steps. The important thing is to regain control and defuse the situation.
1. Consciously send positive signals
The first step is to realise that your anxiety only appears in your head and it needs to be conquered there. Positive thoughts can help you fight panic attacks, no matter if the body is sending negative signals.
It is crucial to keep a positive mindset because the situation is not life-threatening by any means. You should realise that the fear is only in your head, try to overcome the fear and the panic attacks will disappear.
2. Conscious breathing
Another step to banishing the panic attack from the mind is to control consciousness and use it. Under no circumstances should the situation be overstated. Take deep breaths and possibly do breathing exercises.
Face the danger, which in reality is none. You must be brave and strong. By no means revert to old patterns of behaviour, break them and the panic attack will pass. You have the power in your hands to control the situation.
3. Self-observation
You have the power. Make yourself aware of this. Observe the situation calmly, there is no justifiable reason to be afraid. You must trust yourself, under no circumstances listen to the voice in your head that talks negatively.
You are equal to any situation.
There is nothing to fear.
Fighting panic attacks only work with overflowing self-confidence and self-assured action.
4. No more avoiding scary situations
When you are afraid of something, you tend to avoid the very situations that scare you. But running away is not the solution. Any form of backing out carries dangers of falling back into the old ingrained pattern of behaviour.
Withdrawing will not help you fight panic attacks. The situation may seem scary, but in fact, it is not.
The confrontation contains the best way to get rid of the panic attack and to fight the fear in the long term.
5. Daily mantra
The therapy is simple, the practice is more complicated. It starts to rise again, that feeling of fear and panic spreads again. You feel weak because you can’t do anything about it?
That’s not quite correct: a mantra is quite capable of helping you to combat an incipient panic attack. In these situations, you can repeat positive phrases that you have memorised over and over again.
This may sound strange, but it is very helpful.
Do you need an example of what something like this might look like?
“I am familiar with the situation, I know it. Nothing is going to happen to me.”
“The fear is only in my head, nothing will happen to me”.
It makes no difference whether you say the mantra loud or just in your mind. You will feel safer and better.
By following the panic attack help tips, you too can successfully overcome a panic attack.
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