What works for you when you have a panic attack or anxiety?
*dream weaver* asked:
I am experiencing panic attacks and anxiety for the first time and I am quite scared. I have been to my GP and she offered me some anti-depressant medication which I do not wish to take. I am hoping someone out there has found a natural way to lessen anxiety.
I am experiencing panic attacks and anxiety for the first time and I am quite scared. I have been to my GP and she offered me some anti-depressant medication which I do not wish to take. I am hoping someone out there has found a natural way to lessen anxiety.
Tags: Anti Depressant Medication, Gp, Medication, Panic Anxiety, Panic Attack, Panic Attacks
February 9th, 2010 at 6:31 am
alprazolam
February 11th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
depending on your age, i would go sit with your mom. even if your not talking, sitting in her presence brings a certain comfort. i have done it many times.
you can also try watching a movie. a funny movie. NO SCARY!!1
i know that it doesnt seem like a good idea. but there is no magic medication that can make you better. so doing simple everyday things helps out alott
February 13th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Hello,
Before my doctor put me on Paxil, they tried Saint johns wart on me, it is an herb that naturally helps with your nervous system. Another thing we tried was relaxation tapes and videos, where they will teach you techniques, to help keep you calm. My disorder was so serious that these did not work for me, however I have heard that these two options help many people! You can get st johns wart at like a GNC or Walgreen’s, but let your doctor know because this herb can interact badly with somethings. I hope this helps and good luck to you.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:32 am
You should follow your doctor’s advice. At least, give medication a try.
February 15th, 2010 at 10:15 am
It’s all a mind game. The symptoms are real; that is, you’re really feeling them. But the panic is a mind game. Your imagination runs wild and you start thinking, “What is this twinge I’m feeling? What is this pressure? I think I’m having a heart attack! If I have a heart attack, I’ll die!” It gets way blown out of proportion, because you’re responding to a false alarm. When I feel like that, I try to breathe normally. I walk around outside or otherwise calm myself down. One of the biggest helps is remembering the times when I seriously thought I was dying, to the point that I was in the ER screaming, and still came out alive. Eventually I got to the point where I realized that it was a false alarm.
Edit: If you don’t want to take medication right now, don’t listen to anyone else. If it gets so bad that you can’t function any other way, then medication is probably a good idea. But if you want to try everything else (including therapy) first, then don’t listen to anyone who insults you for it.
February 16th, 2010 at 9:49 am
I used to suffer from panic attacks and learned how to manage them with meditation. Also yoga can help too, anything calming that you enjoy. What worked for me may not work for you but its something you may want to try.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Negative emotions (like sadness, stress, anger, etc.) causes your Serotonin production to be low; when your Serotonin level is low, you are more prone to getting Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Depression, etc.
Medication like Antidepressants (SSRI – Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) helps to boost Serotonin level.
But there are natural ways to do it without medication. There’s this strange herb called “St John’s Wort” – it is said to be more effective than Prozac. No, it is not for mild depression only and ignore those sayings. In fact, it does help anxiety and panic-attacks as St John’s Wort works like prozac. Other natural ways will be exercise, diet, more exposure to light, etc.
The problem is that, even if your Serotonin is balanced… you have that “learned behavior” in your mind. You need to break that initial cycle to destroy that learned behavior – Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) does this. A technique that you can use without CBT will be Distraction… There are several other techniques to help cope them!
Ok, to use Distraction: Firstly, try to….
Extracted from Source.
February 16th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
My history teacher in high school got me doing deep breathing exercises. (I had a panic attach during a test–NOT fun!) Also, eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise (preferably outdoors … there’s something calming about nature). I guess the best thing to do is find the root of the problem. Once you do that, you could say positive affirmations in your head whenever you feel anxious so hopefully you’ll start believing them and be less stressed.
February 17th, 2010 at 10:31 am
These are natural methods that I found helpful:
In general, and over the longer term, learn about good nutrition and eat a healthy, balanced diet. This helps keep you on a more even keel. Taking a daily vitamin helps (lack of B vitamins can make me jittery). Caffeine intake can make me more prone to anxiety. Drops in blood sugar level can actually make me feel more depressed. Also, regular and not-so strenuous exercise helps me to feel calm and positive. Finally, cultivate a positive network of social support, a variety of friends and family, people you genuinely feel happy and good when you are around them. Of course, this is a lifelong project.
My advice for dealing with a panic attack right when it happens: breathe deeply and slowly. Sit down and clear your mind. Think of something happy. Think of something that makes you feel safe. Keep breathing and just focus on being safe. Even little things can help, like looking at a cheerful color or picture, rubbing your palms together, hugging yourself, but especially focus on your breathing, which will relax you and slow down your heart rate. Some doctors help train patients to do this with biofeedback techniques.
I experienced panic attacks for a long time after a good friend of mine died. I did not want to go on medication. I could not find a supportive person to talk to about my anxieties. I went to see a doctor and felt very uncomfortable, like the subject of a clinical experiment. I knew that the source of my anxiety was due to these deeper issues about mortality, grief, safety and security, but since I couldn’t find help at the time, I decided that in order to stay sane and functioning, I would put these issues aside for later, when hopefully I would have better resources. I thought of dealing with immediate panic attacks in the same way. If you can just get through the immediate attack (and you can), then there is something better and more help on the other side. Even if no one else understands, you will have gotten through it, and you’ll know how to help yourself, and you can go on to the rest of the things in life that make you happy.
February 19th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Anxiety:
Painful apprehensive uneasiness of mind
usually over impending anticipating ill.It can b felt under diff.cond.;when alone after eating/drinking
wid other physical n mental complains abt financial/bznss matter/in a particular environment.
Common in Yng adlts
Psychological Factors:As a result of failure
:A fear Response
Clinical Manifestations:Referable 2 N.Sys imbal n commonly include palpitations,shortness of breathlessness,dryness of mouth,heaviness of head,giddiness n blurring of vision,xcessive sweating particularly in palm and soles
Psychological Manifestations:Irritability n a morbid fear as if something dreadful is going happen.
Management:
Hospitalisation-acute anxiety.
Anxiolytics
Yoga and meditation
Homoeopathic Medicines:
Aur,Aur,Bry,Calc,Merc.c,Puls,Veratrum alb,Phos
It can be managed by having proper homoeopathic treatment/
u can go2 near by homoeopath/ u can feel free 2 contact me/
log on 2
February 20th, 2010 at 11:38 am
Panic attacks are feelings of severe anxiety that start and finish quite suddenly. They are sometimes called anxiety attacks. Panic attacks stem from the autonomic nervous system. The purpose of this system is to regulate excitement and relaxation responses by means of changes in heart rate, sweating, muscle tension, etc. Panic attacks reach maximum intensity within a minute or two once they begin. They diminish slowly over the next 30 minutes or the next several hours.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, or CBT for short, was actually fun for most of the more than 100 people I’ve treated that way. Well, not at first — but after about 5 of the 10-12 weekly sessions, people see a lot of improvement and start doing things they have not been able to do for a long time, like going to a movie or going for a walk. Cognitive therapy can help the patient identify possible triggers for the attacks. The trigger in an individual case could be something like a thought, a situation, or something as subtle as a slight change in heartbeat.
For a medication free anxiety control visit
February 21st, 2010 at 2:30 am
I think you need to find the irrational thoughts (my doc said this and it helps) Just try to look at things differently. Talk to someone you can trust. Also sometimes the anti-depressants help. I know they sound scary but they are not all that bad. Also try yoga and a hot bath!