Breathing Tips For Panic Attacks - The Most Important Things You Should Know

Finding the right approach to relieving the symptoms of panic attacks might not be as easy as you might think. The main problem is that the causes that trigger the condition of sudden and strong anxiety are different from person to person. However, most of the symptoms are common in all cases, so you can use techniques that will help you reduce their negative effect and the overall one as well. Here is some useful advice on correct breathing and tips for panic attacks associated with it.

Restoring your breathing to its normal state is crucial when experiencing this type of condition. By doing this one of the tips for attacks, your heart beat rate will also slow down and return to normal and the blood pressure will decrease. You will not feel dizzy and your muscle pain will also be relieved. Through the better blood circulation you will not feel your hands and limbs numb and you will stop shivering. Overall, breathing is the key to relieving a large part of the symptoms associated with panic attacks.

Before performing the breathing technique it is important to be in the correct posture. Straightening your back will help you expand your chest. In this way all your body organs will feel relaxed and you will be able to use your lungs optimally. You do not have to stand up - sitting comfortably in your chair will do just fine when applying this one of the tip. You have to inhale fully, but trying to stay as relaxed as possible.

Exhale slowly without pausing in between. Closing your eyes will also help you concentrate on your breathing. You have to repeat this technique over and over again until you start feeling better. One of the best tips for panic attacks is to actually use this method whenever you are in a stressful situation as it might help for the prevention of the condition itself.

Anxiety, Panic and Excessive Sweating - The Links Explored

My link to this topic comes from my experience of panic attacks. I had a speaking engagement at work where I was not feeling entirely confident about the subject matter. Once I began, I imagined I could actually feel my pores enlarge. My face, underarms and torso just started pouring sweat and my mind just started dissociating and checking out. I had no idea how I finished but I did. Guess who got a reputation as a person who could not handle speaking assignments? What a humiliating experience!

Like many men, I had caught the " Dancing with the Stars" craze and thought it would be a great self improvement project to learn some formal dancing moves. What do you think happened when the cute dance instructor started working with a social anxiety sufferer like me? Yes, massive sweating. You would think we were running a marathon not just dancing. Definitely not Cary Grant.

For many others, the experience of anxiety and excessive sweating is an everyday life altering experience. It dictates the clothes you wear, your thoughts and daily routine, and even prevents you from shaking hands, hugging and socializing with others.

The excessive sweating takes its place as part of the anxiety thought loop where you may fear situations that cause anxiety be they social or whatever but you also fear your reaction to the anxiety even more. In this case, that secondary reaction would be sweating. You then have a viscous, self perpetuating cycle that can take more and more of your life away over time. The energy and resources spent just to cope and adjust for the anxiety and sweating is so defeating and limiting.

Despite there being strong evidence to suggest a link between anxiety and excessive sweating, there is disagreement as to the exact nature of that link. Basically, it is a chicken and egg problem...

Which comes first- the anxiety or the sweating? Some experts believe that anxiety and panic attacks are not in themselves causes of excessive sweating. They believe that in most cases, the anxiety merely aggravates an existing medical condition.

Other experts though, give the anxiety component a much bigger role. They believe that anxiety induced Hyperhidrosis exists and manifests itself with generalized anxiety on an everyday basis or as a feature of panic attacks like it has for me.

Whatever the truth of that argument is, it seems clear that there is a link between anxiety, panic and excessive sweating. After a full physical, I recommend an approach that combines medical and emotional components. In other words, treat the anxiety and panic with meditation, relaxation, and cognitive behavioral techniques. By retraining your mind and sympathetic nervous system to respond differently to your environment, and changing the way you approach the world to a more mindful existence, you may find yourself sweating life a whole lot less.

Anxiety Disorder Causes - What Are They & How to Avoid Them

Understanding Panic Attacks and Anxiety Disorder Causes

Stress and anxiety are normal parts of everyday living. Both of these may cause panic attacks, which are the body's innate reaction to danger. Present since prehistoric times, man's brain triggers a set of reactions when faced with danger to prepare the body to either fight or flee. Called the "fight or flight" response, this reaction causes the brain to send signals to the rest of the body and ready itself for physical exertion. Some physiological responses to danger include increased heart rate, dilated pupils and faster breathing. Our bodies return to its normal state when the danger has been overcome.

Today, these chain reactions are triggered by non-life-threatening things such as exams, work and even traffic. The symptoms of panic attacks may disappear after 10 minutes, although some people may often experience more intense attacks, which can develop into anxiety disorders. There are a lot of anxiety disorder causes, some brought about by traumatic childhoods and others by drug or alcohol abuse. Although this disorder can be debilitating for most people, it can be treated and prevented, and the first step to stopping these attacks from developing into a serious disorder is to understand the underlying causes.

1. Family history and genetics. Most people who have anxiety disorders have first-line relatives who suffer from panic attacks. Various studies have proven that those with immediate family who suffer from anxiety disorders have a bigger probability of developing this disorder before they turn 20. Studies also show that women have a genetic predisposition to anxiety disorders.

2. Traumatic experiences. Although losing a job or even a divorce can trigger extreme stress and cause anxiety attacks, these are seldom anxiety disorder causes. More traumatic events such as a car crash may cause recurring attacks and make a person fearful of vehicles and driving. Abuse can also lead someone to display panic attack symptoms simply by just smelling the perfume of their abuser.

3. Chemical imbalance in the brain. Neurotransmitters in the brain send signals throughout the brain and the rest of the body. These neurotransmitters control emotions such as fear, joy, anger, depression and pain. When there is an imbalance in the neurotransmitters, such as low levels of serotonin, the brain gets mixed up and may cause you to feel fear and anger even without any danger or stressor present.

4. Certain drugs and alcohol. Drugs such as Amphetamines or Cocaine are anxiety disorder causes because they can trigger panic attack symptoms such as hyperventilation, increased heart rate and palpitations. Likewise, stimulants such as caffeine and the substances found in asthma medicine can cause symptoms similar to those of a panic attacks. Those who are withdrawing from certain drugs such as Barbiturates may also experience panic attack symptoms such as sweating, nausea and chills. It is, therefore, ill-advised for people to try to remedy the symptoms of these attacks by taking illegal drugs or by abusing alcohol.

5. Other medical conditions. Hyperthyroidism, epilepsy and asthma (particularly those who take asthma medicine regularly) can cause panic attack symptoms. Studies show that mitral valve prolapses, a heart condition characterized by the poor functioning of the valve between the upper and lower left chambers of the heart, may also cause panic attacks.

Stress, as mentioned before, happens to everyone and all of us have experienced anxiety attacks at some point in our life. Although they don't often lead to serious disorders, recurring and intense attacks can become debilitating. One method to prevent an anxiety attack becoming debilitating is by understanding the different anxiety disorder causes. Congratulations, you have just taken the first step to managing and controlling panic attacks.

Have You Ever Asked "Are Panic Attacks Dangerous?"

One of the questions people ask "Are panic attacks dangerous?" The answer basically is "No!" I say basically because people generally are worried that panic attacks can diminish their health by causing a heart attack or causing something else horrific to happen. On the short haul, the answer is no. The effects of stress caused by multiple attacks over time might be something that needs to be addressed.

The most pressing problem with a panic attack is that they scare the daylights out of you when they are happening. Even though I haven't had one in a long time, I did suffer my first panic attack that started in a dream while I was asleep. I was with a group of people and someone with a gun walked in and shot me twice. As I was falling to the floor, I woke up. My heart rate was about 150 beats per minute, double the normal rate. That scared me right there and probably made things worse.

Generally, panic attacks last about 30 minutes and then they are gone. Not so, with my first one. It lasted 3 hours and me trying not to have screaming fits and running out the front door in fear the whole time. I was terrified I was going to have a heart attack, however, thankfully it did not happen. And, apparently, it won't from the usual circumstances connected with panic attacks. You just deal with the effects of stress brought on by the attack: the rapid heartbeat and the fear.

Are panic attacks dangerous? "No!" However, if you were undergoing one and someone told you you'd be all right, you would probably be tempted to grab them by the throat, shake them until their head fell off and scream at them the entire time "I'm dying." That really isn't true, but, honey, it feels so real at the time. That is one of the things that makes a panic attack so scary.

If you ever suffer a panic attack, close your eyes and start deep breathing. Try to relax. It should back off in 30 minutes or less. The scariest part of these panic attacks is the rapid heartbeat that just won't slow down. It will eventually. It just doesn't seem like it will at the time.

I have found one thing that does seem to slow down the heartbeat, at least for me. I roll or massage my feet. A massage roller with grooves seems to work well in that regard especially on the bottom of the left foot where the acupressure points for the heart are located. These points are a little to the outside of the foot behind the thick pad located behind the toes. You can use a roller, tennis ball or golf ball if the acupressure points are not too sore. For me, the heartbeat normalizes in a few minutes.

I haven't had a panic attack in several years. That doesn't mean I'll never have another, however, knowing that I have something to slowdown the rapid heartbeat means that I am not near as fearful of having another in the future. For, in my case, the rapid heartbeat is the scariest part of a panic attack and the fact that my first one lasted 3 hours instead of just 30 minutes scared me even more when I learned of normal duration. Yet, I'm still here.

So, are panic attacks dangerous? No, they just seem dangerous. As with most things, our reaction to what happens to us and the way we handle the effects of stress are the most important things. If we don't contribute more to the frightening effects of a panic attack, we can endure them better. Knowing that they are of short duration also helps that endurance.

Have a great day.

Disclaimer: This article is issued with the understanding that while every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within is accurate, the author will not accept any responsibility for any loss or otherwise, as a consequence of using any of the information that has been presented. The opinions are those of the author who has researched the information and lives by these principles and techniques as well. Users are urged to seek medical advice before embarking upon or changing a course of medication or fitness program or before making extreme changes in their life style.

Treatment to Panic Attacks

When you're experiencing panic attacks and fear that it may attack again this holiday season, it is better that you deal with it right away and get the best treatment before it's too late. I know, it may be a little difficult but it sure is possible.

I know a friend who's been suffering from panic anxiety since she was in grade school. She related an experience when she was a in gathering and she had panic attacks. She said it was the most humiliating experience she's ever had.

When we meet again last week, I asked her how she's preparing for the upcoming Christmas celebration. She excitedly told me that she's discovered an effective way to treat her panic anxiety and that it has also helped her to overcome many other personal weaknesses. Curious as to what has greatly helped my friend, she mentioned a product named PanicAway. From the name itself, I know my friend has indeed from the great help she badly needed to overcome her panic attacks and get away with it. Happy Holidays everyone!

Stop Suffering from Panic Attacks and Anxiety Disorders

Have you been suffering from panic attacks or anxiety disorders? You're not alone, alone 40% of the American population are also suffering just like you. Some people are a little more courageous than others and share their situation with their closest friends and family while others simply hide it from everyone. Having been a panic attack sufferer myself, I know how terrible it is to be experience the attacks in front of almost everyone.

What will you do when the worst scenario will happen to you? Perhaps you'd panic even more and try to shut yourself from the world due to excessive embarrassment. During these times, the very last thing we'd want to do is to be seen by the people that matters to us most. We don't want them to see us suffer, we don't want to see the confusion on their eyes, we just don't like them seeing us uncontrollable.

For several years that I have been suffering from panic attacks, I discovered that the first step to conquering it is believing in God and yourself. With the assurance that God is with us in all things and in all places keeps us from thinking that we're alone and that no one loves or understands us. I suggest that we involve ourselves in various activities such as preparing from the upcoming Christmas celebration. Get involved in the preparation or in various activities for this special season of the year. Start now so you can save yourself from additional years of panic attacks.