Sunday, January 11, 2009

Panic Attack Advice: Techniques to Control Acute Fear and Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are part of the bodies "fight or flight" response. But while it is normal and absolutely harmless to experience "fight or flight" sensations from time to time, for some people this sensation can turn into a recurring attacks that caused extreme feelings of fear and impending doom.




One trademark characteristic of all panic attacks is that the intense feelings of fear seem like they will last forever. Anyone can be startled or scared at times, even in tensely so; but panic attack sufferers develop periodic episodes of severe fear and both emotional and physical discomfort that can seem in the moment to be a permanent situation, not something that is casual and fleeting.




There are different types of panic attack advice that can be helpful to different sufferers. We'll take a look at two of the most common tips for controlling panic attacks and severe anxiety.




Panic Attack Advice: Technique 1


One simple but effective way to control panic attacks is to break the cycle of panic as it is building within you. Relaxation techniques are effective way to do this for many people. One of the most common relaxation techniques is the "muscle tension" method. This requires the sufferer to sit or lie comfortably and alternately tense and relax the muscles and their body, usually beginning from the toes, and working progressively up the body to the forehead and scalp.




By tensing and then relaxing each group of muscles, the body is "tricked" into adopting a slower pace, and the heart rate is often lowered considerably by following this technique, as breathing becomes more calm and steady.




The muscle tension method has become common panic attack advice over the last couple of decades, and has proven to be a significant help to many anxiety and panic attack sufferers. It takes just a few minutes to perform, and the effects can be quite dramatic. Highly recommended.




Panic Attack Advice: Technique 2


Guided visualization is a fairly recent technique for controlling panic attacks and phobias. This technique is often performed with the help of either audio or video aides, such as CDs, DVDs or MP3s.




The sufferer is led through a process of visualizing a peaceful and serene environment in which they are perfectly safe and at ease. Through the use of colorful visual imagery, and sometimes NLP techniques to induce a state of relaxation similar to hypnosis, the sufferer can find themselves immersed in a much more pleasant and relaxed state of mind, which in turn, causes panic attacks and anxiety to dissipate.




While guided visualization is slightly more complicated (because it requires an external "guide" in the form of a CD or DVD), it is sometimes considered the most powerful relaxation technique to overcome feelings of panic.




Psychologist, therapist and holistic healers have all used some variation of the guided visualization technique to assist patients experiencing panic attacks or phobias. Overall, the effects of this technique have proven to be very useful, and there is some evidence that the technique improves in efficacy as the patient gets better at using their imagination to "create" a different state of mind.




Both of these techniques represent excellent panic attack advice. They require little in the way of external support, and do not rely on medications in order to bring the panic attacks under control.


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Can Panic Attacks Really Hurt You?

Panic attacks can be terrifying, and many sufferers experience strong (and quite convincing) feelings of being in danger or even close to death during an attack. But can panic attacks actually cause you "real" physical harm, or even put your life at risk?




The preponderance of evidence suggests that the attacks pose no real physical harm to the sufferer, though they are without question emotionally harmful, and can be devastating to a person's confidence and self image. Some sufferers experience the attacks so intensely, that they feel they could even die from them. But in reality, it is extremely unlikely a person would suffer any physical harm because of panic, and there are virtually no known cases of anyone dying from panic attacks or anxiety.




So the good news is, the research and statistics do not support the idea that anxiety or panic pose an immediate threat to anyone; however, there is a great deal of research that suggests that frequent panic attacks can have negative long-term effects on the human body if left unchecked.




A plethora of university level studies have shown a connection between stress and anxiety-- including panic attacks -- and the overall health of the body. For example, it has been fairly well-established that sustained at levels of anxiety can be detrimental to the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable and in a weakened state.




The implications of this connection are clear: prolonged anxiety and recurring panic attacks can leave the body more susceptible to infection, colds, influenza, and even more serious diseases.




So there is little doubt that our state of mind does affect our physical health, and in this sense, panic attacks can indeed be harmful. But like all stress and anxiety related issues, the effects of panic attacks can be brought under control by utilizing a number of proven strategies.




For individuals suffering with recurring panic attacks, keeping physically fit and eating a healthy diet is one of the most important aspects of overcoming the problem. Because, just as our mental health can affect our physical health, it is equally true that our physical health can affect our mental health and state of mind. In other words, it works both ways.




Getting enough physical exercise, staying hydrated, and eating a healthy balanced diet is one of the simplest ways to curb anxiety and panic. Many researchers have also noted that anxiety and panic attacks can often be related to food allergies, so sufferers may want to see an allergist and be tested to find out if something they are eating is affecting their mood.




This is actually more prevalent than many people think, and one common food allergy that is known to cause anxiety and other emotional issues is consuming dairy products. Frequent sufferers of anxiety or panic attacks may want to cut dairy out of their diet for a few weeks and notice the difference.




While food allergies are certainly not responsible for all panic attacks or stress related issues, they are one common cause that is often overlooked. And they are a good example of how our physical health affects our state of mind. By improving their physical health through exercise, proper diet and staying hydrated, almost anyone can reduce their overall level of stress, and their odds of experiencing frequent panic attacks.


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Article Source: www.articlesnatch.com