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How to Stop Panic Attacks

By Sharon Slayton, eHow Member

Panic attacks don't always look like someone running,


screaming from the room. They can be disguised as temper
tantrums, asthma attacks, outbursts of negativity and other
negative behaviors. If you know you are prone to panic attacks,
there are things you can do to stop them from becoming real. If
you're in one, there are things that you and others can do to
help shorten and eventually, rid yourself, of the attacks.
Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions
1 Know what causes a panic attack. There are a lot of triggers

for a panic attacks, but essentially, all panic attacks are


caused by a state of someone being either out of control
in a given situation, or by feeling physically threatened,
particularly when situations are unstable or
unknown/strange. The triggers vary widely by culture and
society, but those are the hallmarks across all the different
landscapes. Sometimes the trigger is real to the person
launching into the attack, but to those around them, the
cause of the attack is unknown, unperceived or
unacknowledged. Remember, when a person is heading
into a panic attack spiral, they probably won't know why,
and won't tell you what is putting them there. The key is
to know what your environment holds that will likely ignite
the spark of an attack.
2 Know the signs of a panic attack. According to experts at the
Mayo Clinic, a panic attack often begins abruptly, peaks
within 10 minutes and lasts about half an hour. But panic
attacks have many variations., and those that suffer from
them often experience warnings that they try or are
required to ignore. There is not much clinical information
available on what those warning signs are, although
several will be suggested here from personal interviews,
and anecdotal reports.. Most approaches and treatments
attempt to interrupt or prevent symptoms, and often do

not focus on the underlying or episode-specific cause.


Clinical reports discuss brain and physiological causes and
conditions, and there are some people who experience
unpreventable attacks due to organic causes. For those
people, medical approaches under a doctor's supervision
are advised. Other health problems - such as an
impending heart attack, an overactive thyroid gland
(hyperthyroidism) or drug withdrawal - can cause similar
signs and symptoms. Attacks may last hours or, on rare
occasions, up to a day.
3Stop the attack before it starts! Know when you are headed
into unfamiliar or unstable conditions for yourself. These
may not be relevant to others, and often, if you try to tell
someone else you do not want to enter into a situation
you are not secure with, you'll be advised to do it anyway,
and "get over" your "fears". Unfortunately, the situation
causes your brain to utilize needed neurotransmitter
resources to face the situation, and makes them
unavailable to functions for self-regulation, temper, and
even physical needs (thus the physical symptoms
described). Once the attack starts, there is little you can
do except let it run it's course - your body has to recover
to the normal neurotransmitter levels, and it will take
between 15 and 20 minutes to do this, and that is
provided that the provoking environment or situation is
totally absent during that 15-20 minutes of time. Let's just
say, it is a better tactic to prevent the attacks.
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4Get plenty of sleep the night before. Sleep deprivation robs
you of the same brain elements you need to self-regulate
and sustain self-control.
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5Maintain the right diet. Stay away from situations where
you will be using stored energy and try maintaining a body
state where you maintain and utilise easily accessible
energy sources. That means a diet rich in complex
carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, whole grains), and
proteins. You also need to include Omega-3 fatty acids in
your diet. These essential fatty acids, like DHA and EPA,
make sure that your nerves are conducting their messages
in true, and "insulated" paths. Its like an electrical wire - if
you run a current through a copper wire with no insulation,
the current looses its effectiveness. Add insulation, and
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the power of the current gets delivered all the way to the
end of the line. Omega-3's can be easily obtained with
fish-oil capsules and flaxseed oils/capsules/ground
compounds. Your body doesn't produce them, you have to
ingest them in your diet. Follow recommended dosages on
the products.
6Keep your brain operating at it's best in the places where
panic attacks occur. The spectrum of B Vitamins (Bcomplex), are fundamental to ensuring self-regulation.
Your body does not store them, so you need to replenish
the supply daily, and intermittently through the day. These
can be found in most daily vitamins, and today, in many of
the new "power/energy drinks" on the market, but there
are many food sources rich in the B-complex vitamins,
including: Brewer's Yeast, Brown Rice, Leafy Green
Vegetables, Eggs, Fish, Legumes, Nuts, Soy Products,
Organ Meats (liver, etc.), and other Whole Grains. Its
important to know that the "RDA" or, Recommended Daily
Allowance, as seen on food and vitamin labels, set
minimum standards for basic health. If you are subject to
panic attacks, you may want to increase the levels of
these vitamins in your diet - most people tolerate 300%,
and possibly more of the RDA; however, overdoses can
occur with sustained over-consumption over several weeks
or months. Some side effects may be diarrhea, some
nervousness (B2/Riboflavin), and in particular, Niacin (B3)
can cause liver damage if more than 500 mg are taken
daily over several months. Talk with a qualified healthcare
expert about safe doses. Get this information before trying
to decipher the labels on the thousands of products that
contain supplemental amounts of these important
vitamins. And be sure to read the labels on those energy
drinks! Caffeine is often used to deliver the vitamins
quickly to your brain and body, but the caffeine sideeffects can cause big problems, especially for people who
are prone to panic and anxiety attacks. Opt for the vitamin
waters, or other vitamin sources when available.
7Control your environment - if you are cold, get warm. If it is
hot, cool off, but don't get chilled or cold! It is a good idea
to always have a light sweater or jacket available to put on
and take off as your body signals the need. If a person is
already experiencing an attack, one of the best things you

can do for them is to make sure they are warm, and that
sights and sounds are allowed to recede. Remove them
from the situation, and make sure they do not feel further
panic or overload by embarrassing them, or by making
them feel responsible or "guilty" for the attack. No matter
how much we take pride at our "self control," all bodies
can experience overload. When you do, the body takes
away all the substances it has from non-immediate need,
and puts everything you have into flight, safety, and
physical defense.
8Look for a small, contained space that removes you from
stimulus overload. If you're at an outing or other event, try
sitting in your car for a few minutes when you feel an
attack coming on. Consuming extra vitamins, or boosting
your levels with an energy drink 20 minutes to hour
before an event will often give you the reserves you need
for the next 3-4 hours, and help prevent an attack.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2110005_stop-panicattacks.html#ixzz4Uhu1v6ZV

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