How to Tell If an Anxiety Attack Is Coming

Everyone experiences anxiety at some time in their lives, but for people who suffer from panic or anxiety attacks, life can be seriously altered, especially if the sufferer begins to avoid situations that may provoke an attack. According to doctors at the Mayo Clinic, anxiety attacks are a combination of chemical reactions in the brain and a thought process that perpetuates or magnifies fears. Sometimes understanding what triggers an attack can give the sufferer an opportunity to stop the attack in its tracks or lessen the severity.

Instructions

How to tell if an anxiety attack is coming

• 1

  Know your triggers. If you suffer from anxiety you likely know where or when panic attacks occur with the greatest frequency. Some people have attacks when they are in small spaces or malls or in a restaurant. Others will have attacks when they are in an airplane or stuck in traffic. If you know where you are most likely to have an attack, you can try deep breathing and other relaxation exercises to calm your body's natural response to stress. You're also more likely to have an attack when you're feeling generally stressed. If you are having a day when you startle easily or didn't sleep the night before, you should be prepared for more anxiety reactions. Don't avoid the trigger situations. Instead, try to embrace them, use relaxation techniques to calm your body.

• 2

  Understand what your body is telling you. Nearly all anxiety attacks begin with the body sensing that something is wrong, triggering the fight or flight response. For some people it's a quickened heart beat, for others it's shallow breathing. Others just have a feeling that something is wrong. The next time you are in an anxiety-producing situation, watch your body's response. Once you can identify your body's reactions you'll be able to employ strategies to nip the attack in the bud. Often you'll learn that your thoughts are perpetuating the attack, and that by challenging them you can defeat them.

• 3

  Make a list of strategies to use once you feel an attack coming on. As soon as you've identified your personal triggers and body reactions make a list of things you can do to stop the attack immediately. Some items on the list would include, distraction yourself, deep breathing, taking a brisk walk, if able, or saying an anxiety buster word such as STOP or a reminder such as: anxiety attacks cannot hurt me or challenge the negative thought.