Panic Attack Tips 101: Proper Breathing
We all experience being in panic every now and then. We go through attacks of panic whenever we find ourselves in a situation of embarrassment or discomfort. However, there are persons who suffer from panic more often and much worse than the rest of us. So, here is one of the most basic and readily doable of all panic attack tips: correct and controlled breathing.
Whenever we breathe, we take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. If one’s breathing pattern is normal, the exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood, and therefore in our brain, is normal. However, when people suffer from hyperventilation, enough amount of oxygen cannot flow through their brain and can cause them to pass out or faint. In worse conditions, lack of oxygenated blood in the brain within a prolonged period of time can lead to irreversible brain damage such as stroke.
As we can observe, a person who undergoes panic attack usually endures shortness of breath and/or hyperventilation. Shortness of breath is characterized by laborious breathing while hyperventilation, also known as over-breathing, is characterized by breathing deeper and faster than necessary. This is a symptom of a panic attack, and it can aggravate one’s feeling of fear. Hyperventilation and shortness of breath are also often interchanged, one being described as a symptom of the other.
In cases of both shortness of breath and hyperventilation, one of the basic panic attack tips is to calm down and relax. You can go outside where you believe the air quality is better and can be of help for your faster recovery. If walking towards a larger, unconstrained space seems next to impossible, you can find a snug chair where you can be seated. Once in a comfortable position, you should take in slow and deep breath for ten counts or until the breathing returns back to normal. Closing your eyes and imagining yourself to be on a peaceful place such as a sunset beach or mountaintop while performing the breathing exercise can also lower their level of anxiety and assist in gaining your normal breathing pattern.
Discovering how to control your breathing pattern can be a powerful tool in order to steer away from further panic attacks. Aside from being an immediate remedy for sudden strikes of panic, this fundamental advice can also offer a technique for the patients to divert their attention away from the origin of their anxiety. Still, completely managing one’s breathing pattern takes time and effort (in terms of practice). But the rewards of mastering one’s own respiratory pattern will come in handy when an urgent situation comes.
A breathing exercise can grant a patient instant relief from emergency panic attacks but there are numerous things that can be carried out to prevent them from recurring and/or worsening. There are a lot of other panic attack tips that are directed to techniques more aggressive than simple breathing exercises. These other tips, together with proper breathing, can help everyone lessen the frequency and negative impact of sudden panic attacks in the future.
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Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: panic attack,panic attack tips,panic attacks