Panic Attack Treatment Options Just for You

Panic attacks can be incredibly frightening. Symptoms may include heart palpitations, chest pains, nausea, feeling weak, dizzy, or faint, having trouble breathing, and even experiencing a sense of terror. However, that is by no means a comprehensive list.

Indeed, panic attack symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Many of those who experience these attacks say they feel as if they are dying of a heart attack.

Your Body’s Defense Mechanism

Our bodies are amazing things. We each have an intrinsically built defense mechanism that kicks into action at times of high stress. The sympathetic nervous system is on standby for any moment of crisis.

When we feel we are in danger and have a split second to react, our nervous system orders the release of adrenaline. Our pulse pounds, our stress hormones increase, and we experience a “fight or flight” reaction – we choose whether to fight or to run from the immediate danger.

Trauma And The Rewiring Of Your Brain

The problem is, our bodies and minds don’t always work as they ought to. Stress is not good for the body, and so our reactionary systems are only geared towards dealing with situations of unusual, irregular and heightened anxiety.

The problem is, if we have experienced some level of trauma, we may be predisposed to feel as if we are under constant threat – this can cause prolonged seasons of anxiety. If your brain becomes hardwired into an anxious disposition, it can be incredibly hard to calm down.

The patterns of thinking can become difficult to break, and you may experience a horrid state of perpetual anxiety. If it continues for as long as six months, anti-anxiety medication may be required.

What Causes A Panic Attack To Start?

Panic attacks are usually triggered by something, but the exact cause can often be difficult to pin down. Sometimes, panic attacks are obvious.

For example, if you have a phobia of busy places, and you happen to have a panic attack in a packed shopping mall, the trigger is pretty clear. But what if you start panicking when you are sitting at home watching TV? That is harder to figure out!

Panic Attack Treatment Options

You must find ways of releasing tension in your body; exercise, listening to music and hanging with good friends are some great things to lower your general stress level. If you do not allow yourself to relax and enjoy times of leisure, you will begin to build up anxiety and tension in your body that may trigger an unexplained panic attack.

Managing Your Anxiety

Anxiety can sometimes feel uncontrollable – that is part of the reason for it being so distressing. You may feel as if you have no way of getting it to subside. But this is not true. You have more control than you think and there are ways of managing your anxiety that will help you to live more of an emotionally stable life.

You may wish to engage your parasympathetic nervous system by sitting in a relaxed posture. To do this, you put your hands at your sides and use slow, diaphragmatic deep breathing to help encourage a sense of relaxation and calm.

Non-Medicinal Panic Attack Treatment 

• Recognize – We have to realize that what we are experiencing is anxiety. This can be difficult, as it can literally feel as if you are dying! But you are not, and this must be remembered.Do not avoid or ignore it, but recognize that it is anxiety manifesting in a physical reaction. When it is left to fester, anxiety can easily develop into a full-blown panic attack. Don’t let it get there. Catch it early and don’t be afraid to tackle it head-on.
• Reflect – Some anxiety is essential. The sudden pang of angst that you feel when you remember you left the door unlocked should be acted upon if possible. But going on to imagine your house being ransacked and all your possessions being stolen can cause the onset of a panic attack.Ask yourself: “Is there anything I can do about this right now?” If the answer is, “No,” then stay in the present and don’t spend time dwelling on something you cannot change.
• Redirect – If you notice that you are ruminating on a particularly negative thought, it is time to redirect it to something more positive. Another option is to try and be present in the moment and to enjoy your surroundings.For example, if you start on a bit of work and can feel yourself getting stressed and anxious, just close your laptop, look out the window for a minute and enjoy the blue sky, the flowers, or the birds in the sky.

Give thanks, take a deep breath and continue with your work, with the knowledge that it is absolutely acceptable for you to take another quick break when required. Focus on the task at hand and try to discipline your mind, guarding your thoughts against wandering into a place of worry or anxiety.

Cut Yourself A Break

Be kind to yourself. Dealing with anxiety is not easy, and some days will be better than others. That is to be expected. Don’t put pressure on yourself to break through every issue of stress and anxiety within the first week. It takes time.

When your mental health issue is rooted deep in your past experience, you will likely come back to some similar patterns of thinking. It takes a whole lot of brain training to break those hardwired thought patterns, so make sure you take care of yourself throughout the process. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t appear to be making quick progress. Cut yourself a break!

Make Responsible Choices

As a sufferer of anxiety, you may feel as if you are “failing” if you choose to go on medication. This could not be further from the truth. Taking medication for your mental health condition does not equate to a lack of faith or courage.

If you take aspirin for a headache, you should be perfectly happy with taking an anti-anxiety drug for your panic attacks. As a responsible adult, you should make wise choices that are good for your overall mental health and that lead you to the freedom that God intends for your life.

Counseling, medication, stress relief techniques – these are all things that you should seek to engage in to help manage your anxiety issues.

God Loves You and Values You

Remember, you are a unique reflection of the Almighty God, made in his image. Nothing can change how God feels towards you. He loves you unconditionally, and your mental health issue has no bearing upon his affections towards you.

He loves you so much that he sent His one and only Son to die for you. That is true love expressed in the most remarkable way. So stop accepting the lies spoken over you. You are not weak or defeated – you have the very Spirit of God within you.

Take hold of your faith and make some bold moves to manage your anxiety. God has so much freedom and goodness to offer us and we need his grace to help along the way.

Christian Counseling as a Means of Panic Attack Treatment

Christian counseling can provide a secure place in which you can begin to discover the root causes of your anxiety. A trained counselor will help you to identify the patterns of thinking that are detrimental to your mental health and will assist you in your mission to develop the tools required to beat anxiety and live a life of freedom and peace.