Sure Fire Way of STOPPING Panic Dead!

[rtisan]

This is a great little tool to use in a pinch if you're home alone or out somewhere and get a full blown panic attack:

1. Take a deep breath and hold it.

2. Take another deep breath and hold it.

3. Go limp. Completely!

4. Say to yourself or aloud, "Panic, come and get me"

5. Say it again "Panic, come and get me".

You will feel the slightest, if any, panic fly through you in about a second and that's it. It will be very weak. After this, you'll have jelly legs but feel absolute calm (the jelly legs are the after effects from the adrenaline coursing through your system).

The reason this works:

While holding your breath, it is impossible to feel any panic--try it. Imposssible. So this immediately puts the break on adrenaline that has already started to flow. Another reason is you might be hyperventilating without realizing it. By holding your breath, you are stopping yourself from taking in too much oxygen. It's the same as breathing in your hands or a paper bag, breathing in co2.

While limp you cannot panic either. Adrenaline had no effect on a relaxed body.

Instead of distracting yourself, and making the panic build and build as you try to stop it, you are instead inviting it. The worst part of a panic attack is not the actualy panic attack itself. It's the build up. The more you try to stop it, using distractions, etc. the worse you feel. It could go on and on for hours. So, by inviting it, you stop the build up immediately AND deflate the intensity.

This method never, ever fails. It wil make you feel stronger and not fear the panic.

 

[Phobologist]

Hey I don't have panic attacks anymore but I wanted to congradulate on offering a succinct (and apparently reasonable) solution to this serious problem. This is what the board needs more of!

 

[rtisan]

It's best to do this as soon as you get the first twinges of panic.

 

[rtisan]

I have 3 other tips:

1. While in a car, if you find yourself panicking--get MAD. Start cussing or yelling aloud. Use up that adrenaline. It really really works. You cannot panic if you are pissed off.

2. If you are in a store and get a panic attack, like the grocery for example, leave your cart and go outside, then come back in. Do NOT go home or you will have placed a subconscious marker in your head that grocery stores are scary places to go.

Never run home. Always step back, drive back, ect. so that the panic receded a bit, then go back.

3. Lastly, order or get from library "When I say no I feel guilty" by Dr. Manuel Smith. This will teach you (in a very fun way) how to be assertive (not aggressive which is counter productive or passive aggressive which makes panic worse) and stand up for yourself.

If you examine why you had a panic attack later, you will usually see it is because you are pissed about something but did not resolve it. When you feel helpless and have no place to vent your feelings and hold them in, you panic. By being assertive, you clear out all those feelings.

I highly recommend it. This book teaches you EXACTLY what to say to diffuse toxic people.

 

[Phobologist]

Amazing!.............

 

[exquisite]

wow. very useful, thank you!

 

[rtisan]

haha,

I just had a panic attack about 20 mins. ago while driving to the store. So I used the 5 step technique and was fine. Now i just have to figure out what triggered my panic (this is an important thing to do!).

Always analyze what happened in the past few days and then you can work on whatever was bugging you enough to cause panic.