Thursday, April 25, 2024
HomeAttackHow To Calm Down From An Anxiety Attack

How To Calm Down From An Anxiety Attack

How Do Psychologists Treat Anxiety

How To Calm Down During A Panic Attack

The treatment outcomes for anxiety are very positive through counselling sessions with an experienced psychologist. This is because psychologists have experience in understanding human behaviour and can assist in identifying emotional triggers. By doing this, psychologists can provide you with practical solutions to address the underlying issue so that they do not keep coming back.

As the practice of psychology is an evidence-based one, many psychologists will employ psychoeducation and cognitive behavioural therapy to treat people with anxiety.

Psychoeducation is a process where a psychologist helps you understand the nature of anxiety so that you are no longer afraid of it.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is based on the reduction and elimination of anxiety symptoms. CBT has been shown to be highly effective in the short-term. Research indicates that over 60% of people who undergo CBT experience substantial improvements in anxiety symptoms. It is also the best long-term treatment for anxiety as CBT teaches you skills that you can apply on-demand.

Keep Lavender On Hand

Lavender is a traditional remedy that many people use to reduce stress and help them relax.

Research suggests it has a calming effect but doesnt lead to dependence or cause withdrawal symptoms. Using products that contain diluted lavender oil may help reduce or manage symptoms of anxiety.

However, the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate essential oils, and strengths and ingredients vary widely.

If you use lavender essential oil, make sure you:

  • get your oil from a reputable source, such as a pharmacy
  • follow the instructions for use
  • avoid applying concentrated oil directly to the skin
  • avoid using lavender with benzodiazepines because the combination can cause intense drowsiness

Which essential oil is right for you?

What Is An Anxiety Attack

Dr. David H. Barlow, Professor of Psychology at Boston University and the director of the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders and Clinical Programs and Boston University, points out that each year people go to the emergency room believing they are having a heart attack.

These can be incredibly uncomfortable and the sufferer can feel like they are going to die or are going crazy. Therefore, the simple fact of informing them that none of these things is going to happen can give them some relief.

However, knowing what youre dealing with is always helpful. Likewise, studies such as the one carried out by researchers at Harvard University show that almost 27% of the population will suffer an anxiety attack at some point. In many cases, these can become recurrent until they completely alter the quality of life of the patient.

Anxiety attacks, also known as panic attacks, are intense reactions that cause a loss of control of some bodily functions. As this publication from the Medical Journal of Costa Rica and Central America points out, symptoms include:

  • Tachycardia
  • Dizziness, nausea, or stomach discomfort
  • Fear or panic

Anxiety attacks, which vary in degrees of severity, are triggered by catastrophic thoughts. They often come on quickly, which is why its so important to become familiar with these tips so you can start treating an attack as soon as possible.

Don’t Miss: What Medication Helps With Social Anxiety

S For Getting Through A Panic Attack

“It feels like I’m dying.” Those are the words people use to describe what a panic attack feels like. The process of addressing and managing them is a journey there’s no immediate cure or course of action that will stop a panic attack in its tracks.

It takes time, patience and dedication to identify your unique triggers. However, there are steps that serve as preemptive measures to help shorten the duration of a panic attack when it is occurring, and reduce the frequency and severity of your anxiety in the long term.

How To Calm An Anxiety Attack

Ways To Calm Down From An Anxiety Attack

It’s important to note that not everyone who feels worried a lot has an anxiety disorder.

Feeling nervous or anxious is normal and can sometimes be good. For example, when you are about to give a presentation, or are overwhelmed with your work, or are lacking sleep and exercise, it can be easy to feel anxious.

But the dangerous part is when you consistently have a fear or a heavy feeling of anxiety.

Don’t Miss: Can Dizziness Be A Sign Of Anxiety

Remember That It Will Pass

During a panic attack, it can help to remember that these feelings will pass and cause no physical harm, however scary it feels at the time.

Try acknowledging that this is a brief period of concentrated anxiety, and that it will be over soon.

Panic attacks tend to reach their most intense point within 10 minutes of their onset, and then the symptoms will begin to subside.

Accept That Its A Panic Attack

So when you have a panic attack, you know that youre having one because you feel terrified, you might be having trouble breathing, you might be having trouble catching your breath, your heart might be beating out of your chest, you might be getting pain in your chest, you might be feeling dizzy, you might be feeling absolutely overwhelmed and out of control.

Thats usually what people who are panicking are going through.

Realizing that its a panic attack really is the first step to bringing yourself out of it and regaining your power from the panic.

Most often, people say to me when they know that they are having a panic attack, their first thought is, Im dying.

Then theres this little voice that comes up in the back of their head or maybe someone says it to them, Are you having a panic attack?

If youve had a panic attack before, you normally can kind of reference against how you felt previously in the past.

Although it doesnt make you feel any bother, what that can do is give you the knowledge that you are having a panic attack.

If youve never had a panic attack before, you might need someone else to tell you.

A lot of people end up at the emergency room with their first ever panic attack.

So, realizing and understanding and getting that knowledge that this is a panic attack is super helpful to calm down during an anxiety attack. Not because it makes you feel better at the moment but because it gives you knowledge in the longer term and knowledge is power.

Read Also: Does Chamomile Help With Anxiety

Ways To Calm Down Free Printable Poster Mindfulness

Being aware of such symptoms will help keep you calm and in the know with your body. Breathing deep naturally helps slow your heart rate to help you calm your anxiety.

19 calming quotes to help you stress less stress quotes. A panic attack is a brief but intense.

4 simple tips to help you calm down and have less stress. According to anxieties, this can be achieved through these steps :

6 best ways to calm down when you are angry calm down. Ask them if they are having one.

6 secrets to calm a defiant child defiant children. Based on that conversation and other research, the guide below tells you what goes down when panic sets in.

7 simple grounding techniques for calming down quickly. Being aware of such symptoms will help keep you calm and in the know with your body.

Alcohol inks on yupo counselling peace and scary. Breathing deep naturally helps slow your heart rate to help you calm your anxiety.

Attack your panictime to fight back with images. Chanting and repeating a mantra in your head can both create a sense of calm and provide grip when a panic attack occurs.

Blowing a pinwheel as a calming strategy calm down box. Derealization, depersonalization, and other experiences.

Calm down anger control flipbook how to control anger. Experiencing a panic attack is never a pleasant experience but with the right strategies, it is possible to learn to manage.

The Complexity Of The Brain

How To Calm Down During A Panic Attack

The brain is the most complex and incredible organ on earth. The brain contains 100 billion nerve cells and each of these are interconnected with other nerve cells through hundreds and thousands of other synapses . There are believed to be more connections within the brain than there are stars in the sky.

Brain cells are constantly fluxed with both excitatory and inhibitory signaling molecules. Individuals with anxiety have a poorly controlled balance that favors over excitation in certain regions of their brain. Here are the key brain regions and mechanisms that may favor the development of anxiety.

You May Like: Can Stress Make You Feel Sick

Read Also: Is Anxiety And Panic Attacks The Same

How To Get Treatment For Anxiety

Rose Hill Center has an onsite psychiatric residential treatment facility available for effectively combating extreme anxiety conditions. We offer a unique approach for those suffering from anxiety by providing therapeutic treatment in addition to clinical assistance. We use a mix of traditional psychotherapy measures and effective behavioral therapy tactics along with group, individual, and family therapy sessions.

If you are seeking effective ways to deal with an anxiety attack, our professionals at Rose Hill Center can offer some. Reach out to us by calling , and let us help you eliminate anxiety from your life.

Concentrate On Your Breathing

Focus on breathing in slowly, then breathing out slowly. It can be helpful to count when youre breathing to focus your mind. You can start small at first, like counting to three as you breathe in and counting to three as you breathe out. When you begin to calm down, you can increase how long you hold each breath to five seconds or seven seconds.

There are lots of different breathing techniques that you can try. You can use apps like Headspace and Calm to practise breathing exercises, or have a look online and see what works best for you.

Don’t Miss: How To Describe Anxiety To Someone

Cold Water On Your Eyelids

A simple trick to prevent an anxiety attack involves applying a stream of cold water over your closed eyes. If you want, you can use it on the rest of your face as well. Cold hydrotherapy is also a really simple natural way to relax the body and prevent an attack.

Read: 5 Surprising Benefits of Drinking Water

Top 10 Natural Remedies For Anxiety

How to Stop a Panic Attack: 10+ Proven Tips to Calm Your ...

The bodys instinctive fight-or-flight response is triggered when you feel threatened. Handling a difficult situation or facing intense pressure is also another trigger of anxiety attacks.

However, anxiety isn’t always a bad thing. In moderation, it is necessary to have during these situations to keep you alert and on your toes. The right amount of anxiety can also motivate you to solve problems or face your fears.

But when you are in a constant state of anxiety, that’s when things can get bad. When you start to experience anxiety interfering with your daily activities, ability to perform tasks and affects your relationships, then you may be crossing from normal and healthy anxiety to an unhealthy anxiety disorder.

Also Check: Can You Have An Anxiety Attack For No Reason

Engage In Light Exercise

Research shows that regular exercise can not only keep the body healthy but boost mental well-being, too.

Experts have found that exercising at 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate for 20 minutes three times per week can help reduce anxiety.

If you are not used to exercising, talk with your doctor before starting. There is some evidence that starting aerobic exercise anew can trigger additional anxiety in people with an anxiety disorder. Building up gradually can help your body adjust and avoid breathing problems. Aerobic exercise includes activities such as running on a treadmill.

If you feel stressed or youre hyperventilating or struggling to breathe, stop and take a rest or choose a more moderate option, such as walking, swimming, or yoga.

Talk To Someone Who Gets It

If your feelings of anxiety are making it hard to function, you should speak to a health professional. But talking to friends can also help. I have friends who have an anxiety disorder too. When Im feeling really bad, I send them a message telling them how Im feeling.

They might have a new hack I can try, or they can point out something that might have acted as a trigger. But sometimes its just nice to vent to someone who knows how it feels to be in my shoes.

Read Also: Is Medical Marijuana Good For Anxiety

How To End An Anxiety Or Panic Attack

An anxiety attack can be terrifying, but it wont kill you. If you want to overcome it, take a deep breath and know it will end soon.

“Anxiety” is a general term that describes a variety of experiences, including nervousness, fear, apprehension, and worry, that are common in several mental health disorders. While most of us have anxiety at some time, this is completely different from an anxiety attack or anxiety disorder. Normal feelings of nervousness, worry, and fear often have a known trigger . But when you’re having a full blown panic attack or anxiety attack, the symptoms chest pain, flushing skin, racing heart, and difficulty breathing can make you feel as though you’re going to faint, lose your mind, or die. The reality is, you wont. The key to surviving is to learn all you can about anxiety attacks and practice the skills you need to get through them.

According to the Mayo Clinic, signs of an anxiety attack include:

  • Abdominal cramping
  • Fear of loss of control or death
  • Feeling of unreality or detachment
  • Headache
  • Shortness of breath or tightness in your throat
  • Sweating
  • Trembling or shaking

The Anxiety and Depression Association of America offers practical strategies in how to deal with stress and anxiety attacks, including:

  • Accept that you cannot control everything.
  • Do your best.
  • Maintain a positive attitude.
  • Learn what triggers your anxiety.

Here’s how to stop an anxiety attack and recover.

Causes Of Anxiety Disorders

Tips on How to Calm Down From a Panic Attack

Researchers have been unable to pinpoint an exact cause of anxiety disorders.

However, one thing is known- anxiety disorders, and other mental illnesses, are not due to character flaws, personal weakness, or even a poor upbringing.

As research continues on mental illnesses, it is becoming clearer that many of them are a result of a combination of factors, including environmental stress and changes in the brain.

Just as other brain-related illnesses, anxiety disorders could possibly be a result of issues in the functioning of brain circuits regulating fear and other related emotions.

Studies have revealed that severe and/or long-lasting stress can cause changes in the way the nerve cells in these circuits send information from one area of the brain to another.

On the other hand, other studies have revealed that individuals with specific anxiety disorders have changes in specific brain structures that control memories linked with strong emotions.

Additionally, it has been revealed that anxiety disorders tend to run in families. This means that they can be partly inherited by one- or both- parents.

Specific environmental factors can also cause/contribute to anxiety disorders. These environmental factors include traumas or other significant events- and can trigger an anxiety disorder in an individual who already has other factors in place.

You May Like: What Is The Best Magnesium Supplement For Anxiety

RELATED ARTICLES
- Advertisment -

Most Popular

- Advertisment -