If you suffer from the constant fear of panic and anxiety you know how important it is to learn how to stop a panic attack quickly. One of the first steps in learning how to stop and prevent panic attacks is recognizing the symptoms of an impending attack. Such symptoms might include the following:

• Racing heart
• Dizziness
•  Shortness of breath
•  Fear of losing control
• Sudden weakness
• Chills
•  Hot flashes
•  Sweating
• Feelings of unreality
• Fear of dying
• Feeling as though you are choking or smothering
• Fear of going crazy
• Feeling detached from oneself
• Fainting
• Unsteadiness
• Trembling
• Chest tightness
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea 

One of the most common problems with panic attacks is that you never know when they are going to hit. In many cases, you might not even know what causes it. As a result, many people feel forced to limit their lives in more and more restrictive ways in an effort to avoid the situations they fear could cause an attack. In far too many cases, this results in agoraphobia.

Understanding the biology behind panic and anxiety is also an important component in the recovery process. While it can be difficult to believe when you are in the midst of an attack, the symptoms that your body produces are actually quite normal. This is known as the fight or flight response and it is simply your body’s way of responding to the perception of fear; whether that fear is real or simply perceived to be real. This is a normal survival response that prepares you to either stay and fight the fear or flee from it by pumping large amounts of adrenaline into your system. It is this sudden rush of adrenaline that causes the symptoms of a racing heartbeat and many others. 

Taking the time to understand what is actually going on inside your body and why it is happening is a critical part of learning how to stop a panic attack. The next step is learning how to cut the fuel to the attack before it has a chance to go any further. One way to do this is to simply accept the panic. Frequently, fear feeds on fear. This means that the more you fear the panic attack the worse it will become. If you can accept it, you may be surprised to see that the symptoms began to dissipate before growing worse. Try stating calming statements to yourself such as “This is just the panic. I’m fine. This isn’t real.” Breathing exercises can also be helpful. 

For total recovery, it is also important to begin looking a possible triggers for your attack. One method that can be helpful is to keep a journal of what is going on around you. By keeping meticulous records and reviewing them later you may be surprised to find that you can identify the triggers for your panic attacks and then make concentrated efforts to eliminate those triggers from your life rather than removing yourself from having a full happy life.  

By taking the time to understand the biology of attacks and how to appropriately handle them, you can learn how to stop a panic attack and achieve recovery.

If you suffer from anxiety, you know how important it is to learn how to stop a panic attack before it gets out of control. Panic and anxiety attacks are not only disturbing but they can seriously interfere with your ability to live a normal life. One of the first steps that should be undertaken in learning how to stop such an attack is to determine whether you are actually having a panic attack. Panic attacks are characterized by an intense feeling that you are dying along with a very rapid heartbeat. Other common symptoms include:

• Shallow breathing

• Fear of having a heart attack

• Fear of going crazy

• Hot flashes

• Chills

• Visual disturbances

• Dizziness

• Numbness or tingling in the hands and/or feet

After you have determined that you are indeed having a panic attack the next step in stopping it is to actually stop yourself. One of the most common problems with many sufferers of panic and anxiety attacks is that the idea of having the attack causes their fear and anxiety to grow. The panic feeds off this and the symptoms become worse almost immediately. Work on physically calming yourself. If necessary, tell yourself and your panic to “Stop!” This can give you a measure of comfort and help you to immediately reduce the onset of many symptoms associated with the attack.

Next, make a point to focus or redirect your thoughts. Racing thoughts are another common problem associated with panic attack. In order to stop a panic attack you need to get your thoughts under control. Diversions work well for this. Consider the following options to divert your racing thoughts:

• Take a walk

• Call a friend

• Exercise

• Snap a rubber band on your wrist

• Listen to calming music

• Read soothing poetry

Breathing techniques can also be very useful in stopping a panic attack. This method can help to soothe many of the symptoms caused by panic attacks including rapid breathing and a rapid heartbeat. Because hyperventilation causes the nerve cells to become more excited when you can get your breathing under control you also stand a much better chance of stopping the attack and reducing your symptoms. Unfortunately, many times individuals suffering from a panic attack tend to hold their breath. They may not even realize they are doing it but this can actually be the worst thing to do in the midst of a panic attack. Instead it is much better to breathe from the diaphragm. In order to make the best use of this technique, it’s a good idea to practice the correct form of breathing when you are in a calm state. Make sure that you are breathing from the stomach and not the upper chest. Practicing this type of breathing when you are calm will better enable you to take advantage of it when you feel a panic attack coming in.

Learning how to stop a panic attack can take time, dedication and practice but the rewards are well worth the effort.