This article will offer three practical strategies to stop panic attacks when they begin. When you understand what anxiety attacks are; what causes them; how the body responds - the many physiological, psychological, and emotional changes that can occur and why; the stages of the stress response; how stress affects the body; and how you can stop them anytime you want eliminates their threat.
For more information about panic disorder, visit the National Institute of Mental Health's website at or call 1-800-64-PANIC. Panic attacks can make it difficult to catch your breath and can also cause chest pain and dizziness — you may even think you're having a heart attack.
These symptoms are unpleasant and can be very frightening because of their intensity, causing the individual to feel like they are going to die (from a heart attack, suffocation etc) or faint. The good news: Panic attacks are very treatable. It might, of course, seem that during a panic attack, that everything just appears out of control.
A panic attack comes on suddenly, bringing with it short-lived disabling anxiety, fear or discomfort. This can help you come back to your body and control your breathing. But, we still need a way to handle situation-induced panic attacks (like I did with my agoraphobia - the fear of public places) or more importantly,
techniques to stop panic attacks as they are occurring.
Research shows that the most successful treatment for panic disorder is a combination of antidepressant medication and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). You may be very sensitive to how your body reacts to anxiety-causing experiences. Physical and emotional symptoms can occur during an attack, often at the same time.