Relief from panic attacks and anxiety symptoms may come in the form of medication prescribed by your doctor. In fact, most people who suffer from anxiety disorders have been tempted to buy a pill to help the situation. It seems like the fast way to freedom that requires very little effort on your part.

Although this may be an excellent means of panic attack control for some, many anxiety medications cause complicated side effects. This just adds to the problem and potentially compromises your health.

Luckily, there are safe and non-toxic ways to treat your panic attacks and anxiety disorders. To properly deal with panic and anxiety attacks, you must first understand your body and why these attacks happen.

An anxiety attack is basically what happens when unusually high levels of adrenaline are sent into the bloodstream. This causes many disturbing and involuntary symptoms. To the panic attack sufferer, it can feel like the most frightening thing in the world.

First, you feel fear, which signals your brain. Your brain then signals your adrenal glands. When this happens, your brain is basically telling your body that there’s an emergency. This is what causes the feelings of extreme panic called an anxiety attack.

The body further reacts by increasing heart rate, sweating, and pumping extra blood. You may also notice an increase in body temperature and other unpleasant physical symptoms.
Now that we understand the process of a panic attack, we can discuss some ways to deal with and avoid anxiety attacks all together.

Your goal is to stop the panic attack from happening. You can accomplish this by stopping the brain from signaling an emergency message to your adrenal glands. It may sound difficult now, but with practice you’ll discover that it’s easier than you think.

First of all, understand that you’re going to have to force yourself to relax. At the first sign of fear, take slow deep breaths to purposely distract yourself from that panicky feeling.

Count as you breathe by breathing in to a count of 7, then breathing out to a count of 7. Continue breathing using this technique and you should calm down quickly. Breathing in counts requires a lot of attention so it effectively distracts the brain.

You may also want to try interrupting yourself. Many people can stop their panic attack by mentally shouting the word “STOP!”

This takes place in your head, so you can do it pretty much anywhere and you won’t have to worry about getting strange looks. This technique also distracts the brain, which in effect stops the panic attack from ever happening.

Although anxiety medication will always be around, you don’t have to take it if you find a better way to deal with panic attacks. By focusing on your breathing and on your thoughts, you may discover that you can control your anxiety all on your own.

It’s usually defined as a very intense feeling of fear or distress. Sometimes it feels like everything is going to go wrong and the world is caving in. Many times panic attacks happen suddenly, confusing the people who are affected by it.
The symptoms listed below usually accompany a panic attack. You may be having an anxiety attack if you’re experiencing:

* A feeling of impending doom
* Feeling as if you’re going to die
* Racing heartbeat or palpitations
* Shaking or trembling
* Breathlessness, shortness of breath, or feeling as if you’re being smothered
* Sweating
* Feeling as if you’re choking or have a lump in your throat
* Nausea or upset stomach
* Chest pains
* Dizziness or light-headedness
* Fear of going mad or losing control of yourself
* Feeling as if you’re outside of yourself or not real
* Numbness or tingling sensations in the face and body
* Sudden body temperature change such as chills or hot flashes
* Skin changing color, such as blushing or turning pale
* A sudden urge to use the bathroom

When you have a panic attack, your body is responding in the way it would if you were really in danger. However, sometimes they happen at unlikely times and for no apparent reason at all. Anxiety attacks also happen at uncomfortable and unsettling times, which is much easier to understand and apprehend.

Panic attacks that happen frequently are usually due to an anxiety disorder. Anyone who has suffered from even just one panic attack may have some underlying health or mental problems that need addressing. Seeking medical help is a must if you’re worried about panic attacks or anxiety disorders.

Some signs of anxiety disorders are:

* Excessive and unhealthy worrying
* Constantly checking actions and rechecking them
* Feeling fearful and anxious for what seems like no reason
* Worrying about normal everyday occurrences
* Having panic attacks (which was discussed above)
* Feeling extremely uncomfortable in public areas
* Having a constant fear of being humiliated in public
* Unprovoked anger
* Frequent upsetting memories of traumatic past experiences
* Obsession with rituals and routines (OCD)

These are all signs of an anxiety disorder being present. However, just because you have an anxiety disorder, it does not necessarily mean you’ll suffer from panic attacks too. If you display any of these behaviors, please consult with your doctor so they can identify what problems you may be having and how they can be helped.