Ways to Cope With Anxiety Attacks

Anxiety attacks can be debilitating. When one suddenly strikes, you need immediate relief. Luckily, there are coping skills you can do on your own that work well. The more you practice these skills, the more effective they will become. Distraction techniques in particular can help you cope with anxiety attacks, and also lessen their intensity and eventually ward them off.

Educate Yourself

• Education yourself about the origin of anxiety attacks, which are also known as panic attacks. These attacks occur when the "flight or fight" mechanism in your brain misfires and causes your body to produce an over-abundance of adrenalin. Adrenaline is needed if you are really in trouble, as it is your body's way of giving you strength and energy to run or fight the impending danger. Anxiety attacks can be triggered or appear out of nowhere and for no reason. Your body floods your system with adrenalin, bringing on the symptoms of an anxiety attack, including a racing heart and sweating.

  These symptoms along with many others constitute an anxiety attack. You are not losing your mind and there is a logical explanation for why this is happening to you. Once you feel reassured about these facts it will make it easier to cope with this disorder.

Utilize Resources

• Know that you are not alone and that help is available. Many people suffer from this condition, and it is the most treatable of all of the mental health disorders. Joining a group for people who experience anxiety or panic attacks can be helpful to many people coping with this disorder. You also might try getting extra help with cognitive behavioral therapy from a local therapist. There is also very effective medication for this anxiety attacks that can be prescribed by a doctor.

Distraction Techniques

• When you first feel an anxiety attack coming on, there is a few distraction techniques that you can use. It's important that you get your mind off the anxiety, and distraction techniques help you do this.

  Deep breathing exercises are the single most effective way to stop an anxiety attack. An anxiety attack causes excessive breathing, sometimes to the point of hyperventilating, which only perpetuates the attack. Breathe in deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Do this at a slow, steady pace and concentrate on your breathing; it will regulate your attack after a few minutes. This is something you will need to practice periodically so at the first sign of an attack you can start this breathing exercise.

  In a sitting position you can tap your hand on your leg and silently count these taps. You need to continue this until you feel the attack winding down. This is very effective and as long as you can keep your concentration on the tapping and counting, the anxiety attack will go away. It is all about getting your mind distracted and fixed on something else. It is not an easy thing to do while you are in the height of one of these exasperating attacks, but it does work. You need to fight these attacks with determination that you will bring your mind to a distraction.