The surest path to overcoming panic attacks is to train yourself to respond to panic in accepting and calming ways.
As you read the steps described below, think about how they compare to what you usually do during a panic attack. The path to overcoming panic attacks requires responses that are quite different from what you usually do. If you keep doing the same thing, you'll probably keep getting the same result. If you seek anxiety relief, you need to look for different methods.
Even if you don't have anxiety on a regular basis, you've probably experienced panic at some point in your life -- those moments when your heart is pounding and your mind is racing with ideas about what's happening. It's not a pleasant experience.
Once panicky feelings
…show more content…
This way, if you are presented with a situation that makes you feel panicky, you'll be better equipped to cope with it. Here are some of my best tips for preventing panic...
Acknowledge & Accept:
All progress starts here. This is the most important single step to overcoming panic attacks.
Acknowledge:
Here I acknowledge the present reality, that I'm afraid and starting to panic. I won't try to ignore it, or pretend it's not there. I won't struggle to distract myself, tell myself to "stop thinking about it!", or snap any rubber bands on my wrist.
I'm acknowledging simply that I am afraid, not that I am in danger. The thought that I am in danger is just another symptom of panic, not an important or useful thought.
Accept:
Here I accept the fact that I'm afraid at this moment. I don't fight the feeling; ask God to take it away; blame myself, or anybody else. I accept, as best I can, that I'm afraid in the same way I would accept a headache. I don't like headaches, but I don't bang my head against the wall in an effort to get rid of them, because that makes them worse. Overcoming panic attacks begins with working with, not against, my panic and anxiety