Do you struggle with panic attacks? Whether they happen regularly or every now and then – panic attacks can limit your life enormously and cause you to withdraw more and more. But that doesn't have to be the case! In this article, we'll show you which 3 Skills for panic attacks can help you to keep your fear under control in acute anxiety situations. So that you can live freely and carefree again!
Are you ready? Well then, let's go!
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What to do in case of panic attacks?
Panic disorders can be very stressful and sometimes difficult to cope with. However, there are many different measuresthat can help you reduce or even avoid anxiety and panic.
The cause of such attacks is often a mental illness, e.g. a phobia. When dealing with panic attacks, it is therefore always about keeping your own thoughts and feelings under control. There are two different approaches to this:
- Help in acute cases (symptom treatment): If the fear has already broken out, the motto is: calm down! It is therefore primarily about self-regulation and self-help. By interrupting the negative train of thought, you manage to regain control. The skills for panic attacks help you do just that.
- Prevention (treatment of causes): If you want to get rid of your panic disorder in the long term, you should deal with the causes of your fear. A Fear Coaching help.
Both approaches are important and should not be viewed as an “either-or” but as Addition see.
A notice: Panic attacks often occur together with other mental illnesses. Be sure to get it checked out by a psychotherapist!
Before we get into the 3 strategies for anxiety management Here is an important basic for dealing with panic attacks:
Rule number 1: Recognize symptoms and react immediately!
If you notice that fear is spreading within you, you should act immediately! The sooner you recognize the fear in an acute case, the fewer stress hormones (e.g. adrenaline) have already been released and the faster you can get rid of it again.
That is why you should develop a keen sense of your fear. Every person can have different symptoms, but typical characteristics of a panic attack are often the following:
- Sudden and strong feeling of fear or panic
- racing heartbeat, heart palpitations or irregular heartbeat
- Shortness of breath, tightness in the chest (or lump in the throat) or hyperventilation
- dizziness or lightheadedness
- nausea or gastrointestinal discomfort
- sweating, tremors or hot flashes
- Tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
- Feeling of alienation from reality or one's own person (derealization or depersonalization)
- feeling like you're going to faint or die
- Flashbacks or fears of future panic attacks (fear of fear)
As you can see, in addition to the psychological reaction, the body’s natural reaction is also one of the symptoms of anxiety.
And now: Let’s get started with the 3 best skills to combat fear!
The 3 best skills for panic attacks to calm yourself down quickly
Whether social phobia, borderline, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder etc. – these strategies can help with almost all anxiety disorders! However, it is important that the method suits you. That is why we present 3 different acute medication for panic attacks and not just one 😉
#1 breathing techniques
Calm and deep breathing is considered a kind of "home remedy for panic attacks" because the autonomic nervous system can be very well regulated through breathing. When you have a panic attack, the autonomic nervous system is often in "fight or flight mode," which leads to accelerated breathing and heart rate. You also automatically breathe more shallowly.
Through deep, slow breaths you can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and regeneration. This can help the body to relax and the panic attack to subside. In addition, calm breathing can direct attention away from anxiety-provoking thoughts and towards your own body and breathing.
Important: To relax your nervous system, you should always breathe out for longer than you breathe in! Breathing in for longer than you breathe out, however, activates the body!
Particularly popular among breathing exercises is the 4-7-8 breathing techniquebecause it is so simple. You breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds and then breathe out for 8 seconds. Repeat this exercise until your fear noticeably decreases or disappears completely.
Tip: If it is uncomfortable or difficult to breathe in this rhythm at first, just count faster. With a little practice, you will be able to do it more slowly.
#2 PALMTHERAPY: Can help particularly quickly and sustainably!
Panic attacks are a symptom of fear. PALMTHERAPY is a method with which you can resolve your fear (i.e. the cause) particularly quickly and “thoroughly”. Many patients and therapists are still amazed by the uniquely fast and sustainable results, that this method can achieve in the treatment of anxiety! Patients even report that their anxiety has already within a few minutes had disappeared.
"Thanks to palm therapy, I've gotten rid of my mouse phobia (for over 50 years). I still can't quite believe it, but it's true. Working in the garden, sitting without being afraid (there could be a mouse somewhere) is such a great feeling, just lovely."
Cäcilie S.
patient
The best thing about it is that PALMTHERAPY really works against the Caused your panic attacks, and not only the symptoms. If you want to get rid of anxiety once and for all, PALMTHERAPY is the method of choice.
Do you want to learn how to regain your focus and control over yourself with PALMTHERAPY? Then register here now:
Download PALMTHERAPY training video now for 0,- EUR
Learn how to FOCUS BETTER and work more efficiently can
Get this training video and find out:
- how to master a challenging situation and why it is so important to be able to focus
- the 2 feelings, that prevent you from getting into the focused state you desire
- 2 stimulation points that relaxed concentration within seconds make possible
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Here you can learn more about the effectiveness of PALMTHERAPY (hand acupressure):
- Can acupressure influence the psyche?
- PALMTHERAPY Instructions & Mode of Action
- Transforming Fear into Calm with Acupressure
Distraction by the 54321 method
The 54321 method is a technique that can help to reduce inner tension or stress and awareness of the here and now to direct. The senses are used to consciously perceive the environment. There are different versions of the method that have been developed by different experts.
The procedure is as follows: To do this, direct your attention, one at a time, to 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste.
Through this targeted perception of the environment, consciousness is directed to the here and now and negative thoughts can be reduced.
Tip for first aid for panic attacks: Pack your emergency kit
In addition to these 3 methods, there are of course a lot of other tips and tricks to overcome acute panic attacks. Many of them produce a strong irritation of the sensory organs, as a "distraction" from the fear. For example, you can:
- snapping a rubber band on the wrist (and other pain stimuli)
- eating something spicy (e.g. a chili pepper)
- smelling sticks
- listening to music
- Reciting visible objects in a certain color
- etc.
The best thing to do is to take one or two of the methods presented here and put them in your “emergency kit”. To ensure that you have them ready to use in an emergency, you need to practice them beforehand. Try to remember the method you have chosen as often as possible in your everyday life and use it as a daily dry run to carry out.
Good luck filling your stress skills emergency kit!
How to prevent panic: 3 tips
You have now learned skills that can help you with panic attacks. Here we will show you 3 more tips on how you can prevent an anxiety attack.
Tip 1: Relaxation exercises
Relaxation exercises such as yoga, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation can help reduce stress and the fear of panic attacks. Regular practice of these exercises can help calm the body and mind and thus prevent panic attacks. Such methods are often accompanying psychotherapy recommended.
Tip 2: Autogenic Training
Autogenic training can help prevent panic attacks because it relaxation technique for anxiety which calms the autonomic nervous system and puts the body into a relaxed state. Regular practice of autogenic training can help the body respond better to stress and reduce symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.
By training your attention to your own body and directing your thoughts to positive sensations and ideas, you can develop an inner peace and calmness that can help you to better control yourself in stressful situations.
Autogenic training is often part of a stress therapy to treatment of chronic stress.
Tip: Autogenic training is also an excellent method to to get rid of tormenting thoughts.
Tip 3: Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle can also help prevent panic attacks. This includes regular exercise, a balanced diet and sufficient sleep. Avoiding alcohol and nicotine can also help prevent panic attacks.
Conclusion: Which skills are the most effective immediate help for anxiety?
All of the panic attack skills presented here will help you control your anxiety and your physical reaction to it. Which one is best for you depends on your preferences. Try several methods This will help you find out which strategy helps you the most when you have a panic attack.
Frequently asked questions about skills for panic attacks
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Learn how to FOCUS BETTER and work more efficiently can
Get this training video and find out:
- how to master a challenging situation and why it is so important to be able to focus
- the 2 feelings, that prevent you from getting into the focused state you desire
- 2 stimulation points that relaxed concentration within seconds make possible
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You've already learned a lot about panic attack skills, but here we answer some frequently asked questions on the topic:
What helps immediately with panic attacks?
If you experience a panic attack, try to stay calm and focus on your breathing. Breathe deeply and slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth. Avoid distractions or escape. Try to stay in the moment and not let your fears overwhelm you. Use PALMTHERAPY.
Which exercises help with panic attacks?
There are various exercises to combat anxiety and panic, such as mindfulness exercises, progressive muscle relaxation or yoga. A simple breathing exercise is to breathe in deeply through your nose while counting to 4, then hold your breath for 7 seconds and breathe out slowly through your mouth while counting to 8.
What makes a panic attack worse?
A panic attack can be triggered by various factors, such as stress, anxiety, trauma such as a psychological trauma after separation in the relationship, or physical factors such as low blood sugar or excessive caffeine. Symptoms can be made worse by focusing more on the fear, trying to distract yourself or escape, or avoiding anxiety-provoking situations. In an emergency, you should call an ambulance if you have a panic attack!
Panic attacks – what to do as a partner?
As a partner, you can be supportive by remaining calm and understanding and making the person feel that they are not alone. It is important to give the person space to express themselves and to listen to them without downplaying or ignoring the symptoms. It can also be helpful to remind them of the skills they have learned to deal with panic attacks and to identify possible triggers of the panic attack in advance.
Christian Jäger & Jana Jäger
Christian and Jana help as founder of the PALMTHERAPY® Academy Psychologists and people in the medical profession use PALMTHERAPY® to achieve quick treatment results with greater ease and to implement these results sensibly as a coach – so that you can look fulfilled into the happy faces of satisfied clients every day.
