Panic Attacks: How to get Relief.

1. Know why they happen

Our nervous systems work to protect us from danger. The problem that can happen here is they will respond to both real and imagined threats. This can invoke a fight or flight response in our bodies (heart/mind racing, sweating, a rush of energy) which can leave us feeling out of control or confused.

2. Understand the Nervous System when it's "False Alarming".

Our nervous systems are amazing as they help us avoid very real harm, but we have to understand when the threat is just a false alarm (which is true most of the time).

When you're feeling anxiety or panic, ask yourself, "where is this coming from and how likely is it my fear will happen?".

It's also a good idea to remind yourself that no matter what, this panicky and overwhelming feeling will not last forever. There is an end in sight even if it doesn't feel like it in the moment.

3. "Fear of the Fear"

If we've experienced a panic attack before, we may become afraid of having one again-especially in front of others or in a situation we cannot escape.

This can add to our overall anxiety because we are not only fearful of certain fears coming true, but now we're afraid of experiencing a panic attack associated with these fears in an environment that will make things worse.

Which leads us to our next point..

4. Avoid, Escape, Distract

When we start to feel a panic attack coming on, we usually do 1 of 3 things: Avoid, Escape, or Distract.

​If we've made an association that a situation may cause us to have a panic attack, we might begin to avoid it altogether. This can be a problem because we might begin to stop doing many of the things we used to enjoy.

Escaping might look like trying to find a way out of a situation we're feeling anxious about.

Distracting might look like using things like your phone or substances to numb the anxiety.

​These all may help ease our anxiety in the moment, but they will not help us defeat panic attacks in the long run.

5. Build your Tolerance​
When we're feeling anxious, instead of trying to get away from the feeling-become aware of it and start to "stick with it".

Anxiety and feelings of panic will not last forever and if we ride them out and realize we have what it takes to do so, we can develop a new relationship with them and build our tolerance to manage them.

Watch our latest video about Panic Attacks to learn more:

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