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By: Christina Olivares on Wed Apr 30, 2008

I’ve suffered from hyper-anxiety and panic attacks for most of my adult life, trying all of the panic attack remedies and panic attack cures that well-meaning friends and doctors prescribed to me. Time and time again, I’d find that the only way to overcome panic attacks was learning to cope with them, and building from that. The bad news is that there’s no easy way to stop a panic attack, that they’ll all involve a bit of work. The good news is that the most effective methods of stopping a panic attack are free, and can actually prove beneficial in other areas of your life. Below are some of the ways I’ve found I can slow a panic attack, and eventually reduce the amount of panic attacks I suffer from, as well as their frequency.

(Note that you should always consult a physician if you’re experiencing even minor panic attacks! They’re the experts, after all.)


Relaxation Exercises
Relaxation exercises are by far the most effective. The most basic of relaxation exercises is based on tension and release. Starting from your toes and working the way up your major muscle groups, tense and untense your muscles, each to a count of 5, from rigid to relaxed as possible. Ensure your eyes are close and you’re breathing through your nose. As you tense your muscles, breathe in deeply; as you relax, exhale. Depending on the time available, this exercise will take as little as five minutes, or as long as fifteen.

If you find that this exercise isn’t effective or demanding enough you should consult your healthcare provider or therapist, who’ll be able to give you a list of exercises to try, or help you customize a breathing exercise for your situation.

Ensure that you rerform your relaxation exercise whenever you need to – on the subway, in a plane, at work. As you continue to perform your relaxation exercise, you’ll develop a keener sense of your body and where tension and stress localize themselves, and you’ll be able to target specific areas, allowing you to relax your muscles and reduce stress in a quick and effective manner.


Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises are great preventive measures, and help reduce the frequency and intensity of panic attacks. If you take time out twice daily to practice your breathing exercise for a couple of weeks, you’ll soon witness the benefits. By regularly practicing control of your breathing, you’ll not only be prepared for the next time a panic attack strikes, you’ll also reduce over-all feelings of anxiety, and reduce the likelihood of experiencing a panic attack.

Make A Support List
Always have on hand, and at your home, a support list of people, with full names and telephone numbers, that you (or someone else) can contact in the event of a panic attack. Also, make sure to group the people on your list by the time of day that it’s appropriate to call – your friend might be available in the evening, but perhaps she or he has a job that won’t allow her to leave, or isn’t able to be contacted during certain hours.

Possible people to include on your support list include your therapist, your family physician, family members, friends, and fellow support group members. Try to have a large a list as possible, to reduce the burden on the list members, and to ensure that you, or someone else, will be able to contact someone in the case of an emergency.

You should also keep note of crisis hotlines in your area, especially those that offer 24 hours a day support, and even if they’re not directly linked for panic attacks. Many hotlines will, at the least, have training in complimentary disciplines, and be able to assist you in the case of an emergency panic attack.

National Suicide Prevention LifeLine 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

A List of Distractions
During a panic attack, the most important thing is to keep your mind from shutting down, or going into shock. To do this, you need to be able to distract your mind from itself. This is incredibly difficult, but you can help by creating a list of activities that might distract you in case of a panic attack. Write the list when you’re not feeling stressed, and you’re able to keep something of a distance from the emotions of a panic attack.

You’re the only one who knows what works for you, so don’t put suggestions on your list that others have offered if you’re unsure of them. A panic attack is an incredibly subjective experience, and you have to use your knowledge of your self and your limits to fight it. If you find an activity reduces your anxiety in general situations, it might help reduce your anxiety in a more desperate situation, like a panic attack.

For example, my list is three or four items long, but occasionally I’ll add or subtract an activity, depending on how I feel that month about it. Last month, I found that I was particularly soothed by thinking about a pleasant term I spent researching a pack of macaques monkeys at the Rock of Gibraltar during my undergraduate days, whereas the month prior, it had been how much I was looking forward to watching the NHL playoffs and cheering on my favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens, with my husband and his family.

A Coping List
List all of the thoughts that go through your head during the course of a panic attack, and as a corollary to that, write down a statement that refutes the statement, or at least presents you with options to cope with the thought, and minimize its negative impact. A coping list can help you rely on your own inner strength during a panic attack.
First and foremost, if you have crippling panic attacks, or even mild panic attacks, it’s important that you consult a physician, as I mentioned earlier. I hope this has been of some help!