Anxiety Attacks: Treatment that Works

Anxiety Attacks: Treatment that Works!

Anxiety attacks (also known as panic attacks) are a frequent symptom of anxiety. If you can learn to cope with and even prevent anxiety attacks, you will reduce the overall levels of anxiety in your life.

What is an anxiety attack?

An anxiety attack happens when the body reacts to something which is seen as a threat. The body then has a 'fight or flight' reaction. This was a very useful reaction for our ancestors but in general, we no longer need such an extreme reaction. The trouble is that the 'fight or flight' reaction releases adrenalin into the body and results in you experiencing a range of different symptoms. Anxiety attacks often seem as if they come out of nowhere and you feel as if you're going to have a heart attack or die. The physical and emotional symptoms can be wide ranging and it is difficult to believe sometimes that anxiety is at the bottom of it.

Symptoms of an anxiety attack

Different people experience a different range of symptoms when having an anxiety attack but some of the common symptoms include:

• palpitations
• breathing problems
• faint or dizzy
• nausea
• chest pains
• feeling hot or cold
• stomach upset
• feeling that you can't cope
• feeling that you're going mad
• feeling of unreality

How can you cope with an anxiety attack?

One minute meditation: a technique which has helped me a lot when experiencing anxiety attacks is to use a 'one minute meditation'. Wherever you are, sit or stand still. Close your eyes (or keep your eyes open if you prefer) and take a deep breath. Put your hand on your stomach and focus on each breath going in and out of your body. With each out-breath, imagine your anxiety leaving your body. If you find it difficult to focus on your breathing, instead focus on what is happening around you. Listen to the sounds going on around you and focus on every aspect of them. Gradually bring your mind back to where you are and realise that your anxiety has subsided.

Visualisation: as you start to feel anxiety, you can stop the feeling building up into an attack by using a visualisation technique. Close your eyes (or keep your eyes open if you prefer) and take a deep breath. In your mind, go to a place that represents calm and relaxation for you. Imagine you are there and feel what you would feel, hear what you would hear, see what you would see and smell what you would smell. Feel your anxiety go as you enjoy this relaxing place. You will get better at this technique with practice but you can start using it straight away.

Don't fight it: it has been shown that if you don't resist the anxiety, it will be easier to deal with an attack. If you fight an anxiety attack, you will increase the reaction of your body to the fear it feels. The anxiety attack itself becomes threatening which increases the amount of adrenalin in your body and this increases all the symptoms you will feel. So to stop this vicious circle see if you can accept the feelings. When you start to feel anxious, notice which symptoms you are experiencing but then let the sensation go. You may find it helpful to say to yourself - 'Oh, I'm feeling a bit hot, that's interesting' - but stop your thought at that point. By observing what is happening to you but not attaching any judgement to it, it is easier to accept the sensation.

How can you stop anxiety attacks?

Diet: an important weapon against anxiety attacks. Particular foods can increase your anxiety, especially stimulants. This includes caffeine - eg in chocolate, coffee, tea - and alcohol. These stimulants both increase your anxiety and also generate the type of symptoms related to anxiety like palpitations. Removing caffeine and alcohol from your diet will reduce both your anxiety and the chance of you experiencing anxiety attacks.

Meditation: regular meditation can help you stay calm and control your heart rate. Practise every day to benefit from this natural technique. Find a quiet place and sit or lay down. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. The key is to clear your mind of it's usual thoughts and clutter. It can take a while to learn to do this so you may find it useful to focus your mind on one thing while you are learning such as your breathing or an image.

Breathing: we all think we know how to breathe but it's not always that simple! Over-breathing (known as hyperventilation) can make your anxiety worsen as it means that your breathing becomes shallow and your body lacks oxygen. This means that you are breathing from the upper chest rather than the abdomen. Retraining your breathing so that you breathe from your abdomen will help you manage your anxiety.

You can tell if you are breathing properly by putting one hand on your stomach and one hand on your upper chest. As you breath in, your hand on your stomach should move a lot more than the hand on your upper chest. Practising the correct breathing technique will help you prevent anxiety attacks so it's well worth your time.

By learning what an anxiety attack feels like, how you can cope with it and what you can do to prevent an anxiety attack, you can start to live the life you want!

© 2008 Karen Field and Break Free From Anxiety

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