How to Stop Panic Attacks Effectively

If you are suffering from panic attacks, chances are that it will come without warning and render you helpless when it strikes. No matter the number of times you have faced such attacks, at the instant of the attack, the first reaction you feel is fear. Only with knowledge and understanding of the symptoms and causes of the attacks can you take steps to stop them.

The first step to stop the attacks is to recognize the symptoms of the attack. These can be one or many of the following:

- Hyperventilation
- Choking or smothering sensation
- Sweating
- Nausea or dizziness
- Chest and stomach pain or discomfort
- Depersonalization

These symptoms can be frightening but they are not so harmful. They are only displayed due to some imagined danger by the mind. Once you realize that they cannot harm you, you can take steps to combat them.

Secondly, you need to learn about the cause of these attacks. The attacks occur because they are triggered because of some reason. Most of these reasons are related to stress due to situations or events in your life. The causes can be:

- Genetic or hereditary- family history of anxiety disorders
- Medical- mostly heart problems
- Substance abuse and withdrawal
- Phobias- extreme fear about certain objects or events
- Traumatic events in the past.

People with panic disorders are unable to handle the amount of stress brought on by these events and thus suffer from attacks.

Once you learn about the causes and symptoms of your panic attacks, you can take steps to stop them effectively. You can avoid situations or objects which trigger the attacks in the first place. You can stop them by following one or more of the following methods.

- Learn relaxation techniques as they help you to keep yourself in control during the attacks.
- Get professional help such as counseling and therapy to stop the attacks. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the most successful therapy for panic attacks. The therapist will help you learn more about the causes of your attacks and then you can deal with the problems and stop them from happening again.
- Medication should only be used under medical supervision in very severe cases. They have side effects which might cause more problems instead of reducing them.

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