No, one would ever want to live with the crippling effects of panic attacks. Panic attacks are so dreadful because they keep you from living your life. It is unfortunate that people do not realize the severity of panic attacks until they hit a point that their attacks have done enough damage to seriously hinder their lifestyle. If you are reading this, you have probably already been through some form of panic attack and if you haven’t yet, it is probably time you did.
First off, it is important to understand how the mind functions and how panic attacks can be treated. There are certain things that you must understand in order to get help. The first is that the mind operates on logic. When something happens, the rational part of the brain, which is our thinking center, automatically tries to figure out what triggered the action, and then tries to find an explanation for the “what” and the “why.”
The logical process is the reason why you are here, and in order to survive, it must be properly administered. The natural state of the mind, however, is to run on emotion. When something bad happens, the body responds to the feelings, whether it is fear anxiety or anger.
So when a panic attack happens, the mind, as it was in its natural state, reacts by getting those feelings “out there” to warn the body of danger. When something bad happens, you will have a feeling that something bad is about to happen. Your body reacts to that feeling in the same way it did during the fight or flight response to a real threat.
As an analogy, this is like telling a kid, “If you don’t open the door, I’m going to have to rip your head off and throw it down the garbage disposal.” But this will not stop a child from opening the door, because he/she has a genuine feeling of fear, even though the real threat is completely imaginary. You cannot avoid having panic attacks, you simply cannot escape them. It is a part of being human.
What is the best way to handle panic attacks? Well, there is no “best” way. There are ways that work for some people, and ways that do not work for others. How you handle them is entirely up to you. However, here are a few thoughts.
First off, let’s try to prevent them from happening in the first place. This means that you should drink a lot of water every day. This alone has been proven to lower your blood pressure, improve your digestive system, and basically ward off many of the common causes of panic attacks. On top of that, you should also try to eat a balanced diet.
A good diet includes a lot of fruits and vegetables, lots of water, plenty of sleep, and exercise. Try to exercise on a regular basis, especially if you suffer from anxiety attacks. Getting up and moving can do wonders for your body and your mental health.
You may think that getting rid of all the panic attacks would mean that you would lose control. However, that is not necessarily true. When you conquer panic attacks, you may still experience occasional, short-lived panic attacks, but they should become less frequent and less intense as you go on.
There are many treatments that are available today for panic attacks. However, if you choose to take medication, be sure that you do it with a doctor’s supervision, and never for longer than a month at a time. Never take over the counter drugs without first consulting your doctor.
There is no quick fix for panic attacks. You have to take your time and be patient and do everything possible to make the attacks as little or as long as possible. If you stick with it, you will be well on your way to recovery.
