According to a recent research report, more than 2 million people every year experience anxiety attacks, making it difficult for them to perform regular activities. Although it is pretty challenging to cope with anxiety attacks, however with the proper treatment approaches, you can get rid of anxiety symptoms and lead a healthy, happy life.
A person who often experiences anxiety attacks must know how to calm anxiety attack for the instances. However, before discovering the cure for anxiety attacks, we must diagnose the symptoms of anxiety attacks. This article aims to guide and suggest some effective coping strategies for individuals who often experience anxiety attacks.
Know How to Calm Anxiety Attack
Spot the symptoms
The symptoms of an anxiety attack are pretty similar to the symptoms of a heart attack. However, some significant differences make anxiety attacks different than severe heart attacks. Individuals with anxiety attacks experience breathing difficulties, chest pain, excessive sweating, and intense dizziness.
They often feel they are having a heart attack and they might die anytime soon. However, the main difference between an anxiety attack and a heart attack is that an anxiety attack doesn’t impact the heart’s functioning. All it does is cause similar symptoms to a heart attack; however, your heart works fine. Also, anxiety attacks don’t last more than a few minutes.
Engage in deep breathing immediately
According to mental health professionals, deep breathing is the most effective remedy for anxiety attacks. First, slowly take a deep breath using your nose and then slowly exhale from your mouth. Practice this deep breathing technique continuously for 15 minutes. It helps to calm down your mind and offers instant relaxation. Such a deep breathing technique reduces restlessness and lets you breathe appropriately. Therefore, deep breathing is an essential anxiety management technique that you can follow every time you experience an anxiety attack.
Distract yourself with some productive activities
Whenever you experience intense anxiety, you develop a risk of having a sudden anxiety attack. Possessing negative and anxious thoughts often leads to anxiety attacks. Therefore, during anxiety and stress, one must distract themselves with some productive activities and positive thoughts. Invest in activities requiring total concentration, such as painting, reading, and watching funny and cheerful videos. Distracting yourself with such positive thoughts will reduce the negative thoughts and anxiety disorder, eliminating the risk of severe anxiety attacks.
Practice some muscle relaxation techniques
Instead of panicking more about the anxiety symptoms, you must engage yourself in some muscle relaxation techniques. Individuals who question how to calm anxiety attacks must consider these muscle relaxation techniques to cope with anxiety attacks. It requires you to practice some progressive muscle relaxation techniques like Jacobson. This effective muscle relaxation strategy minimizes muscle tension, gradually reducing the risk and symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks.
Have faith in Grounding methods
Individuals with anxiety attacks must practice grounding methods to cope with their anxiety issues. This method requires you to invest all your attention in your five active senses. Ask yourself what five things you can see right now, what four things you can smell right now, and more. Lastly, try some food and ask yourself about their taste. This method works by shifting all your focus on the present things, reducing the fear of the future and symptoms of anxiety.
Positive Affirmations can help
People with anxiety attacks often fear that they are unsafe and can die anytime soon. So here, your aim should be relaxing yourself by offering the feeling of safety. This technique requires you to spell some positive sentences like “I am safe here,” “No one can harm me,” “I’ve got this,” “This phase will pass soon,” and more self-calming phrases like this. This technique helps you to feel safe and reduces the excessive fear of death.
Invest some time in Mindfulness
Mindfulness is another stress coping strategy that offers instant relief from stress and anxiety. This method encourages one to put all their focus on the present moments. Anxiety attack often gets triggered by excessive fear of the future. In such a situation, you must concentrate on the present. Focus on your body and each movement; let your present moment decide your moves. Practicing this self-coping technique reduces your fear of the future and gradually reduces the risk of anxiety attacks.
Counseling & Therapy sessions
Sometimes, anxiety attacks become so frequent that you might require a professional’s help. Visiting a mental health professional and seeking some effective counseling and therapy sessions can be an effective remedy for anxiety attacks. Specific therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Talk therapy, Group therapy, Exposure therapy, and psychotherapy can reduce the severity of anxiety attacks. Here, the therapists help you to identify the root cause of anxiety and then teach you some effective anxiety coping strategies. Practicing these anxiety management strategies can help you fight the anxiety battle with ease, effectively reducing the severity and intensity of anxiety attacks.
Build an Emergency Safety Plan
People who often suffer from anxiety attacks must create a safety plan for the emergency purpose. Here, you must seek help from a mental health professional and let them make that much-needed safety plan. This plan must contain a to-do list that you will follow while experiencing an anxiety attack. From deciding your regular stress-coping activities to suggesting some support resources, let your therapist design a robust safety plan.
Medications
Sometimes, anxiety attack happens due to the chemical imbalance in the brain. Certain chemical neurotransmitters like serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine contribute to maintaining a well-balanced mental state. However, an imbalance in these neurotransmitters often leads to anxiety attacks. Here, medications play a significant role. Also, certain psychotropic medications can provide some instant relief by reducing anxiety symptoms. Proper consumption of such medication often provides a desirable result. Therefore, individuals who are still wondering how to calm anxiety attack can pay a visit to a professional psychiatrist. Only they can prescribe such specific medications. However, medications work best when combined with counseling and therapy.
Conclusion
Although anxiety attack is a severe mental health issue, however, with the correct diagnosis and proper treatment, you can achieve a better state. However, recovery can take more time than you have ever expected. Be gentle to yourself during your recovery period. Do not hesitate to reach out to professionals whenever needed. Remember, you are not alone in this journey.