Thursday 14 November 2013

Panic Attacks: How To Cope With Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety is common. We all experience anxiety in our lives in different ways: stage fright, first day of school worries, exam stress, nervousness before having a baby. The difference is some of us can deal with so much anxiety that one day we suddenly can't cope with it in the same way we did before. We become overwhelmed.

If anxiety is interfering with your life, even smaller aspects of it, then there are things you can do to reduce and treat your anxiety. Half Of Us is a website for people experiencing (or who have experienced) stress, anxiety and loneliness.



If you have a partner or someone close to you then I recommend you have an open conversation about what you're experiencing so that, during a panic attack, you can speak to them or call them. Sometimes having another person telling you that you're going to be OK when you're finding it hard to reduce your anxiety is exactly what will help you handle the situation.

Many people experience anticipatory anxiety: because we know we have anxiety and are prone to panic attacks then we almost set ourselves up for a panic e.g. "I'm about to get an injection. I hate injections. I bet I'll have a panic attack." 
Or sometimes panic attacks are more extreme, e.g:
"I'm really aware of my breathing right now. If I fall asleep and I'm not focusing on my breathing maybe I'll stop breathing and die in my sleep"

Breathe, relax, try to challenge your negative automatic thoughts, talk about your feelings and experiences with someone you trust and if you're really suffering then go to see your doctor and talk about being referred to a psychiatrist/therapist. They may be able to help you work through your anxiety in small and more manageable ways. 

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