Managing Panic Attacks -- You Can Do It!

Rate Your Anxiety Level

According to the McKinley Health Center, you can manage your panic attacks by rating your anxiety level. Doing this exercise regularly will help you understand and manage your symptoms.

Here are the common signs and symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness, unsteadiness, or faintness
• Trembling or shaking
• A feeling of choking
• Sweating
• Nausea and abdominal distress
• Blurry vision
• Depersonalization, or a feeling of unreality - as if you are "not all there"
• Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
• Hot and cold flashes
• Chest pain and discomfort
• Fears of losing control or even death

Coping techniques include deep breathing:

• Practice slow, gentle breathing on a regular basis, even when you are not feeling anxious. This will help you when you really do need to implement this practice.
• Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose, expanding your diaphragm. A good tip is your stomach should rise and then fall as you exhale through your mouth.
• When you exhale, use positive self-talk. Tell yourself, "I am relaxed and calm."
• After a few moments, your symptoms may not be as severe as they originally were. This is because you have lowered your anxiety level and are beginning to relax.
• Practice this style of breathing two or three times per day.
• Breathing properly can be one of the most important factors in managing the symptoms of anxiety.

For more information on how to rate your anxiety, consult Anxiety and Panic: What You Need to Know

Also, check out the Self-rating Anxiety Scale and answer 20 questions related to the frequency of various symptoms.

Manage Your Stress

Elisabeth Scott's take on breathing and how it can help you overcome anxiety is another site to visit if you are willing to take the time and make the necessary efforts to free yourself from panic attacks.

A life coach, writer, wife, mother, pianist, and Mensa member, Elisabeth is also a karate enthusiast. She says that all it takes are a few minutes, a quiet place, and a willing mind to get yourself on the road to freedom. Here's her simple karate breathing meditation:

1. Sit in a comfortable position. While most martial artists use the ‘seiza’ (“say zah”) position, with legs beneath the buttocks with knees directly in front, many people find this position to be uncomfortable. If this is the case, you may also sit cross-legged ('anza') or in another position that’s more comfortable for you.
2. Close your eyes, but keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, head up, your eyes (behind your lids) focused ahead.
3. Take a deep, cleansing breath, expanding your belly and keeping your shoulders relaxed, and hold it in for the count of six. Exhale, and repeat twice more. Then breathe normally, and focus your attention on your breathing. As you breathe, inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth, still expanding your belly rathern than moving your shoulders up and down.
4. If your thoughts drift toward the stresses of the day ahead or of the day behind you, gently refocus on your breathing and remain in the present moment. Feel the air move in, and feel the air move out. That’s it.
5. Continue this for as little or as long as you like, and you should notice that your body is more relaxed and your mind is more centered. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Be sure to read her tips concerning the karate meditation.