What to do When Having an Anxiety Attack
3 Important Steps
Would you like to know what to do when having an anxiety attack? If so you are on the right page, so jump right in!
Anxiety attacks can be very frightening and extremely uncomfortable and if you’re reading this article I have a feeling you know exactly what I mean. If you’re a longtime sufferer then by now you probably think that there is no easy quick fix out there, and you know what…
…I kind of agree with that. In fact I don’t really like it when so-called internet gurus and mental coaches claim they have the one and only solution that will fix you in just 2 minutes…as in “do this and you will be 100% cured forever and it will only take a few minutes” (and only cost you 250 dollars)
I have had a lot of experience with anxiety attacks in my life and I’m very familiar with the daily mental anguish, random sporadic bouts of panic, can cause throughout the day and perhaps you recognize it when I say, most of the stuff I tried didn’t really work for me.
So in this article I’m going to give you three steps I want you to do the next time you are having an anxiety attack. You see It wasn’t until I started practicing and implementing these three steps, that I started to see big improvements in overcoming my panic attacks….
… and after a little tweaking, I finally knew exactly how to stop my panic attacks, however I do want to point out that it did take a bit of practice, and it was not fixed in just a couple of days.
What you should know
There are, of course, no guarantees that it will work for you but the fact is the steps I’m about to tell you, have worked for a lot of people and I sincerely hope that you too will find them beneficial and helpful.
Be sure to read everything thoroughly because it is very important that you understand everything, not just logically but emotionally as well. When reading the three steps we need to really get the brain to click….
…so are you ready? Good, here we go!
What to do when having an anxiety attack
#1 Know that there is NOTHING wrong with you!
In the middle of an anxiety attack we are bombarded with negative thoughts how about everything, everyone and especially towards ourselves. We completely rip ourselves apart with merciless attacks like:
- Oh man! you’re such a mental wreck!!!
- Jeez, you’re making a fool out of yourself…and everyone can see it!!!
- God you must be so stupid, when you can’t get this handled even after 10 years of trying!!!
…and on and on the negative voice in our head goes, all while we are doing our best to keep up a strong facade and not lose face….
…after all, we don’t want to show people what a mental wreck we are and how incredible sick in the head we are. This is, of course, like putting gasoline on the anxiety fire and will accomplish nothing more than making the anxiety attack five times worse.
This is why it is crucial that we remember that there is actually NOTHING wrong with us. I repeat:
There is nothing wrong with you! You are NOT sick and you are NOT stupid! It’s just that the alarm center in the brain has decided that today their going to throw a big party and unfortunately YOU are the guest of honor.
It is an illusion
It FEELS like there is something seriously wrong with you, but that’s all that it is, feelings. Just some loud noise from that stupid party….
…and as for the negative thoughts about you being stupid, let me tell you this: there are actually studies made showing people who suffer from anxiety attacks are, in general, above average when it comes to intelligence….
…so yeah, there we shot down the “you are so stupid thoughts” right away. So remember, the next time you’re having an anxiety attack, step one, remember that there is NOTHING wrong with you!
What to do when having an anxiety attack
#2 Be a warrior but do not fight or resist!
“What you resist persists”. If you fight your feelings, resist them or if you try to push them away they grow stronger faster than a speeding bullet. As cliche that may sound, it is very true and it is also backed up by studies.
Listen up here:
This is the very key and if there ever was a “secret” on how to overcome anxiety quickly , this would be it. We should NOT try to avoid the feeling or run away from it. Nor should we fight it or try to resist it. Do not run, fight or resist….
…this is why, when we put a “warrior attitude” on, and go to attack AGAINST the anxiety, we always lose. We lose if we run and we lose if we fight. So how should we use the fighter instinct then?…
…by using the warriors courage!
Using the warriors courage
We need to have the courage to stand there and openly take EVERYTHING that the anxiety attack throws at us. Read that sentence once more because it is the very key how to overcome anxiety attacks. You must understand this part, it is so important….
We…need…to…have…the…courage…to…stand…there…and…just…take…EVERYTHING…the…anxiety…has…got!
Look:
It is is a paradox. The paradox is, by letting the anxiety attack come and do to us “all the horrible thing it wants to”, it loses its power. THIS is where you need to be that warrior, and have that warriors courage, because honestly…
…it is SO freaking scary, just to stand there, ready to invite the demon, being willing to stare it right in the eyes.
What to do when having an anxiety attack
#3 Challenge the demon!
Now that you are standing there determined not to run, fight or resist. You should even start challenging the anxiety demon. Taunt it and make fun of it!
- Come then anxiety demon, I’m right here.
- Show me what you got then…give me your absolute strongest hit!
- Look I’m opening my arms here…here I stand, just come and take me you nasty demon!
- Is that really all you got today? Come on you big nasty demon, you can do better than that!
Now while you are doing this it is very important that you truly are WILLING to feel the anxiety remember, we do not fight, run or resist. What we do is take it all in and simply let the wave of anxiety pass through your body…
…let it come! Take it all in with open arms. You should even keep an open posture to help with this almost like physically inviting the anxiety attack. Don’t close your posture, if you do you are resisting. Hold you head up, keep an open posture and truly be willing to take it all!
This IS the key so if, and when, you really go all in with this, and start practicing it on a regular basis, you will notice the paradox first hand and you will be amazed. The anxiety loses its power….
…you see, by challenging the anxiety to come play with you, it does not want to play any more. A paradox. A true paradox.
So to sum it up:
- Know that there is nothing wrong with you
- Become a warrior with the warriors courage but do not fight, resist or run away
- Challenge the anxiety demon. Want it to come. Dare it to do its worst, all while being willing to feel it all, like the warrior you are…
…and you shall be free!
This poem by Guillaume Apollinaire says it pretty well, wouldn’t you agree?
“Come to the edge,” he said.
“We can’t, we’re afraid!” they responded.
“Come to the edge,” he said.
“We can’t, We will fall!” they responded.
“Come to the edge,” he said.
And so they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew!
A few practical tips to help you along the way
I know how incredible strong the anxiety attacks can be and, for me, some days, these three steps were just too difficult for me to practice without a little “help”. Something to take the edge off, in order for me to go out and really implement this technique….
Provanax
…so some days I did use a few practical tools to help me with the anxiety and one of those tools is a product called “provanax”. It’s an anxiety supplement that has been a real life saver for me in my most difficult days because it is pretty powerful and lowers my anxiety levels significantly….
…so that’s one tip I could recommend if you need a little extra help with this. If you want to learn more about it you can click here to read a review about it
Shoulders
Another practical tip I want to give is, while practicing these three steps, be sure not to tense and raise your shoulders.
You see we automatically do this when we are having anxiety and this makes the panic attack stronger because we have sensitive nerves in the neck are and it also messes with the blood flow to our brains.
With a little effort it is quite easy to keep the shoulders down even when having an anxiety attack but the first step is, of course, to be aware of when you are raising them. When you notice it then just make an effort to drop them back down and have them relax.
Breathing
Another practical and helpful tip on how to stop a panic attack is of course breathing….
…and I’m talking slow breathing here and breathing through the nose. While it may not feel like it, in the heat of the moment, it really calms down the nervous system and it is a tool you always carry with you wherever you go…
…because no matter where you are, you are always breathing…right?
If you on the other hand are breathing through your mouth and if you are breathing too fast, which 99% of us do when having an anxiety attack, you are activating the sympathetic part of the nervous system…
…and that’s not what we want in this situation since the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our “fight and flight” mechanism.
Singing
Here me out here before you dismiss the idea. If you somehow forget how to stop the panic attack (the three steps in this article) then try singing…
…no I’m not talking about singing loudly but just humming a song (or anything) very quietly.
Humming works for several reasons. The vibrations in the throat stimulates the vagus nerve and when it gets stimulated it sends calming signals to our brain. Another reason is it triggers a primal state of “comfort and safety” in us…
…after all, why do you think our mothers sang for us when we could not sleep when we were babies? A third reason it works is simply because it distracts us from the fear itself. So, seriously, if you are in a situation where it’s appropriate, try humming!
Final words
The three steps in the beginning are the big ones and the ones you should put the most effort into because the key to overcoming panic attacks lies in there. The practical tips are meant just to take the edge off if you are having a really difficult time with your anxiety….
…well, the provanax anxiety supplement certainly has the power to do more than just take the edge off, but at the end of the day, it is important to learn HOW to handle an anxiety attack just with our minds. So I would recommend that you only use it from time to time when you are having a really bad day and not as a substitute to learning how to stop a panic anxiety attack.
Remember that It takes a little bit of practice but I’m sure you can do it! Now you know how to stop a panic attack when and should you ever forget, then come back and reread this article. Try to use the mindset “I will practice and improve 1% every day” and you have a very good chance to overcome your anxiety attacks.
I’m rooting for you!
Thank you for reading the article “how to stop a panic attac attack”
-Bob Castle-