Living with an illness that is unpredictable and potentially life threatening can set off panic. One minute you are living in bliss forgetting you even have an illness and then next minute you could have internal hemorrhaging. Hence, panic attacks can happen.
Nothing is more terrifying then a panic attack and if you have ever suffered from a full blow anxiety attack then you will do almost anything to prevent that from happening again. Panic attacks are a state of mind where you cannot stop thinking about a bad situation, in fact you are convinced that the bad situation is about to happen and there is no way of changing that thought process.
Now whilst there is no guarantee method on ending a panic attack once it kicks off there are a few tips that can help ease the situation.
Take deep breaths – in through your nose and out through your mouth. Try to slow down your breathing and if possible have the person next to you do the same so you can follow their breathing rhythm. This will remind you that you can breathe just fine.
Distraction – Panic attacks are all about implementing terror therefore if you keep thinking about it, it evolves and gets worse. Therefore, sometimes it can help to distract yourself.
Recognize – During the mist of a panic attack, you will be convinced that you are internal hemorrhaging or dying but you have to remind yourself, it is just a panic attack. This is important because when you are in a panicking state, the adrenaline in your body can cause a physical reaction (eg. Such as heart racing etc), so remind yourself that you are not in any danger and allow the feeling of panic to subside.
Talk to someone – You may want to isolate yourself during a panic attack however this is a bad decision as it allows you to continue to get inside your own head, which allows the panic to grow. So reach out to someone and let him or her know that you are having a panic attack.
It will pass – just remember as terrible as they are and although they feel like they may never end, they will end. Try to repeat the thought “this will pass!”