How to Prevent Panic Attacks

A major part of learning how to prevent panic attacks is to understand what a panic attack actually is, and also understand that there may be different triggers in your life that are causing them in the first place. If you are in any way experiencing heart palpitations, accelerated heartbeat, sweating, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath, a choking sensation, chest pain or discomfort, nausea, fear, or hot & cold flashes, you may very well be experiencing a panic attack. If the symptoms you are experiencing are serious, or you are very troubled by them, you should first consult your doctor.

All of the above symptoms have been known at some point to be symptoms of panic attacks, and although they are also symptoms of a number of other conditions, when you are having a panic attack, it is usually random and hits out of the blue. The difference with other ailments is that they usually present with one or more symptoms, and then either increase in severity over a prolonged time, or change to other symptoms as the process intensifies. There are some very simple techniques that you can use to learn how to prevent panic attacks.

When you begin to feel that a panic may be coming on, try to relax. Focus on something unrelated like the clock on the wall, or the waves at the beach. Try some calm relaxed deep breathing, at the same time telling yourself that everything is going to be fine. Tell yourself there is nothing to worry about, that you have dealt with an attack before, and you live through it without a scratch. The deep breathing will help to calm your mind and this maybe enough to warn off the attack.

Another way to try to prevent an attack is to use some great muscle relaxation techniques. Try tensing up your shoulders, hold that stance for 10 seconds and slowly release. You could add this to your breathing exercise. Breathe in at the same time as you tense your shoulders, hold both for 10 seconds and then slowly release your shoulders as you slowly exhale.

Panic attacks are more of an emotional, behavioral ailment as opposed to a medical one, and therefore a lot of the techniques available to combat the attacks are techniques that you can action in the comfort of your own home, or as and when an attack may be imminent. One of the things that helps to remember is that you are not alone in this battle. It is estimated that in the United States alone, more than 5% of the total population suffer from panic attacks. This means that there are a lot of people who have learnt to deal with the problem, and this creates the wealth of information now available to help with how to prevent panic attacks.

Remember that a panic attack itself, will never harm you! This is a medical fact.