Everyone knows it can be very hard to stop a panic attack, but the good news is there are 3 simple tricks you can use that really do work.
The first tip is called “The Paper Bag Trick.”
I recommend having paper bags with you wherever you are, and to also leave them lying around anywhere you might happen to be, such as your home or your place of work. When you feel an attack is on the way, you’re just going to alternate your breathing between the paper bag and your normal breathing – about 30 seconds of each.
It’s become almost a cliche these days to tell someone having a panic attack to breathe into a paper bag, but it really does work, and it’s a proven method to stop panic attacks.
#2. Don’t Suffer In Silence:
So during all panic attacks from this point on, make sure to turn on the TV or radio whenever that’s possible. Or maybe even try listening to something via headphones or earphones.
It’s normal to feel like you’re losing your mind or losing control when you’re in the middle of a panic attack, and a silent or quiet room can make this seem even worse. Putting some added noise into the room will overcome this situation, and it will also help to “ground” you in reality.
And if you happen to experience depersonalization as part of your anxiety you’ll find that this tip helps to stop that too, which is a great bonus.
The third tip I’d like to share with you is all about self-assurance.
Back when my own anxiety disorders was ruining my life, I made a big mistake, and that was trying to rerassure myself in my head whenever I had a panic attack. What I should have been doing, and what you should do, is start reassuring yourself out loud. Hearing your own voice out loud has a very different effect on you, and it can be very powerful in stopping attacks.
I found that my internal thoughts didn’t help at all in calming me down, and in some cases the internal thoughts actually became negative thoughts.
“Out loud” thoughts are much more powerful, and the panic finds it much more difficult to overpower them the way it overpowers your “in your head” thoughts.
So whenever a panic attack strikes from now on, tell yourself out loud that this is just another panic attack like all the others, and that it will soon be gone and you’ll feel safe and calm again.
So those are 3 simple tips you can start using right away to stop panic attacks, but I also have a “bonus tip” for you, and this one is a little more advanced.
Following all future panic attacks, take a few moments to write down what happened during the attack: how you felt, what thoughts you had, etc. If you don’t like the idea of writing this down, why not do exactly the same thing but on a voice recorder instead?
Once you’ve written or spoke about your attacks a few times you’ll see that your anxiety has very noticable patterns, and all progress the same way.
And this is good, because once you know your patterns you’ll know what’s going to happen in all future panic attacks even before they strike.
This can almost single-handedly stop panic attacks because knowing in advance where your panic and anxiety are going takes all the terrifying unknowns away.
During future panic attacks, when you’ll have your notes or your voice recording with you, you’ll see that by getting rid of the uncertainties your attacks are gone much sooner than before.
The method of writing or recording “panic notes” like this is one of the most powerful I’ve ever found, and I hope you’ll try it, along with the other tips I’ve shared with you.
tips for panic attacks