Defeat Stress and Anxiety

I wanted to scream. I remember myself trying to say to my husband that I was feeling weird, but I couldn’t talk even tough all my body and mind was shouting Anxiety Attack Help. At that time I wanted the best anxiety attack remedy. I had several anxiety attacks and they are frightening but the good thing is, episodes are generally harmless. In most cases, attacks rarely last for more than 30 minutes, with peak of intensity within the first 10 minutes.  

These are the symptoms of anxiety attack episode

• Hyperventilation
• Heart palpitation (increase in heartbeat)
• Hot flashes or chills
• Feeling detached or unreal
• Nausea or stomach crams
• Sweating
• Chest discomfort or pain
• Choking sensation
• Dizziness
• Feeling of losing control, going crazy; or fear of dying
• Trouble breathing
• Surge of overwhelming panic
• Trembling or shaking

Anxiety attack help comes in all shapes and sizes. 

To handle an anxiety attacks try this tips and treatments:

Relax – Even though it is often impossible to relax during an attack, do not submit yourself to your emotion. Breathe. During an anxiety attack, focus your breathing to slow down your heartbeat. Deep breathing helps calms and relaxes your mind and body.

Think positively – Again, during an anxiety attack, it is often impossible to relax or even calm yourself, but you have to be in control. Push more optimistic thoughts to your head. Instead of thinking that you are going to faint because you cannot take the pressure, think of things that are positive and nice. Do no think that something bad will happen. Keep in mind that the more you think negatively, the more anxious and panicky it is going to be.

Think that it will be over soon – and it will. Anxiety attacks rarely last for more than 30 minutes so relax. You don’t even have to count every minute that passed. What you should be doing is be conscious that it will not going to last forever.

Start an exercise program – Exercise has lots of benefits both to the mind and the body. It is also a great stress buster and anxiety reliever. Experts agree that as little as 30 minutes of exercise, 3 to 5 times a week is enough to reduce the chances of having anxiety attacks and at the same time lower the level of stress. What we do can have an effect on our quest for anxiety attack help. It is also a good idea to take some time and practice deep breathing exercises even if you are not stressed or feel anxious.

Talk to someone you trust – It can be your wife or husband, a friend, a relative or a therapist. Often, having someone who listens and understands what a person is going through will make a lot of difference. This is because it allows you to bring out your emotion rather than keeping it to yourself.

Meditation – has long been credited to relieve stress and anxiety as it promotes the release of negative energy from the body, relaxes tensed muscles, and calms the mind, which in turn, effectively reduces irrational fear and apprehension. Meditation may not be for all because of the time required to master the technique, however, with proper guidance of an expert or a little bit of patience and dedication, you can reap its benefits.

Breathing technique – is one of the most effective ways in controlling anxiety attacks. Proper breathing helps slow down heartbeat and helps calm the tensed muscles as a result of the attack. Breathing also diverts the mind’s attention from the “trigger” and calms the self, thus, stopping the attack even faster. Proper breathing techniques are easy to learn and master. 

Herbs – (such as passion flower, lavender, chamomile and ginkgo biloba) are very effective long-term treatment for anxiety attacks. Since they are all-natural, they posses no side effects. They may not be as aggressive as prescription drugs but they work just as effective.

Prescription medicines – are a major help in stopping the symptoms of anxiety and episodes of anxiety attacks. Antidepressants are the most common anxiety treatment. They must be taken continuously, which may take as long as six weeks before noticing the effects. Beta-blockers are a type of drugs that prevent symptoms from recurring.

Eat balanced diet – Like exercise, a well-balanced diet is important in keeping the body healthy, resistant to illnesses, and reduce stress level. Try to eat natural or organic foods. Keep away from processed foods or those that include preservatives and chemicals. These are some processed foods:

• Packaged cakes and cookies
• Sugary breakfast cereals
• White breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those
• Frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners
• Boxed meal mixes
• Made with whole grains
• High-fat convenience foods, like cans of ravioli
• Packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
• Canned foods with lots of sodium
• Processed meats

Therapies – are a very important anxiety treatment. These target the psychological aspect of anxiety. CBT or the cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to alter the way of thinking – converting negative thoughts into positive ones. Techniques used in CBT include role-playing and relaxation technique. Exposure therapy exposes the person to the physical sensations of panic in a safe and controlled environment. Through repeated exposure, patients gain greater self control and more confidence in facing fearful situation.

Avoid smoking and caffeine. Caffeine (from coffee, soda and tea) as well as smoking cigarettes can provoke anxiety attacks. It is wise, to avoid these things as much as possible.