A very large number of people are the victims panic attacks every year. This is not a trivial matter. They can have a devastating  effect on your daily life. The fear that another panic attack could happen is almost as bad as the attack itself. Knowing that one could happen at any time can make it hard to cope with work, social situations, driving and many aspects of normal life

Some doctors like to prescribe medication for panic attacks. But are they really a permanent solution? They can make you feel better in the short term and mask the symptoms, but they do nothing about the underlying causes of panic attacks. They will not prevent future panic attacks.

Talking therapies like CBT are effective for some people, but they again have their short comings. A lot depends on the therapist having an understanding of the condition. They may teach techniques for dealing with a panic attack but not look at why they happen.

The triggers that spark off panic attacks in some people, have little effect on others. Why is this? Some of us have a higher level of general anxiety, that causes us to be more sensitized to these triggers. A permanent solution to panic attacks must also take this into account.

There is no instant solution to panic attacks. There are bound to be setbacks on the road to recovery. For a complete solution, the sufferer needs to help to deal with these, and even embrace them as a part of the healing process.

A really effective panic attack solution needs to:-

• Take away the fear of the attack itself
• Provide ways to reduce the underlying anxiety level
• Help to smooth the path to permanent recovery

Are there any panic attack solutions that cover each of these areas and provide a permanent end to panic attacks? Even for people who believe they have tried everything. Read about the only panic attack solution I have experienced that really works.

The Panic Away Program

If you have experienced a severe panic attack, you will know how frightening it can be. It is all the more frightening when you don’t know what it is. My wife suffered several attacks over a period of more than a year. The medical profession was slow to recognize the problem and when it was finally identified, they offered no solutions. Luckily, we came across our own.

It was when she was in so much distress that I had to call an ambulance that we found out what the problem was. But the paramedics only focused on the physical symptoms. They reassured us that there was no physical danger and tried to get her to control her breathing and calm down. But the nature of a panic attack is that you are not in control.

No Advice

When the attack had subsided, they left, offering little advice about what we should do. They had told us that there was no point taking her to hospital as there was nothing they could do. We had no idea why these attacks came from nowhere, when she was sitting, apparently, relaxed. What we wanted to know was how to prevent panic attacks in the future. I found the answer by chance when I was looking for something else.

The Panic Away Program

It was in the form of a book called The Panic away Program, (It is due to be retitled, ‘The Anxiety Release Method‘). As soon as I saw the website, it struck a chord. Some of the symptoms it talked about were exactly what my wife had experienced. There were many testimonials from people who had been helped by it. I had no idea there were so many people who continued to suffer, despite apparently trying everything. Some people had been having these attacks for years, totally disrupting their lives. At least we weren’t alone.

A Useful Website

The website offers a lot of useful information and you can get more free advice by email. There is also a facility to ask questions about any concerns you may have. It is written by a former panic attack sufferer who, when he couldn’t find a cure , developed this one himself. I think this is why what he says rings true. He talks about one of the main problems with panic attacks being the fear that you will have another one. That was exactly how my wife felt. Any little unusual sensation or dark thought and she would imagine that another one was on the way. Then that would start a downward spiral. The way he wrote about it, it was as if he was talking to us. We had to get the book.

Visit the site

It is quite a long book with a lot of background information and scientific stuff. Doctors disagree on the causes of panic attacks and on how to treat them. This book offers one of the more reasonable explanations I have heard of why they happen. There is also a reassuring section on why they can’t really hurt you and what is actually happening to your body. I think it needs this preamble because otherwise we would be asking, ‘if it’s that simple, why aren’t the doctors offering it’.

What’s in the Book?

The actual method is in three stages. The first covers what is known as the ‘One Move Technique‘. This involves a taking a totally different mindset when you feel an attack beginning. This is not at all what you might expect and takes some getting your head around. But it really does help to overcome that barrier of fear. It helps you to take back control during an attack and reduce the fear of future attacks.

The second stage is about addressing the generalized anxiety level that makes you susceptible to panic attacks. In this more sensitized state, little triggers that wouldn’t bother the average person can start the cycle of fear. There are many little, not too difficult, lifestyle changes that can reduce this anxiety down to a normal level.

The third stage is about making the change permanent. Here, it is explained that this is not an instant solution. If you have suffered for years, you can’t expect to change in minutes. There are likely to be setbacks. But this is part of the healing process. The book offers advice on how to persist and not be discouraged by these bumps in the road.

The Conclusion

After a thorough explanation of how to prevent panic attacks, the last part of this section goes back to what they are all about. It talks about some of the physical sensations that people have and the fears that these produce, like, ‘Am I going mad’, or ‘Am I having a heart attack’. And it gives reassurance that these are usually perfectly natural and nothing to be alarmed about.

The book ends on a note of hope. No matter what your personal history, it is possible to prevent your panic attacks and claim your life back. My wife is so much more positive having used these techniques and I believe that seeing her gripped by fear is a thing of the past. If you are a sufferer or know someone who is, visit the site and at least get the free information.

The Panic Away Program

P.S.

I forgot to mention the videos. I am an avid reader and had no problem with the book, but my wife is not. For people who aren’t so into reading, there is access to the content of the book in video format. I think this also helps to reinforce the learning even if you’ve read the book.

Also, if you don’t have anyone to support you through an attack, there is a friendly audio walk through of the technique. This really helps you to focus when you need it. we found it invaluable.

Visit the site

When a person has symptoms caused by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS); anxiety can occur. SNS is active on the sympathetic tone base level and stressful situations can increase it’s activity. The “flight or fight” response occurs from here. However, people can have anxiety that is not triggered by outer situations. Anxiety is often based on irrational or illogical fears.

Panic is related to the “fight or flight” mechanism. It’s a reaction brought on by outside stimulus and is a product of the sympathetic nervous system. It is generally a unexpected rise of fear, that dictates to the brain on how to react. This is a stronger defense response the body has in place to help protect itself from a perceivably life threatening or harmful situation. Panic can result from an anxiety state, that a person starts to think about.

Stress, on the other hand, is a psychosocial reaction by the body. It’s influenced by the way a person filters nonthreatening external events. It can develop based on a person’s expectations, assumptions and ideas. All these type of assumptions, ideas and expectations are referred to as: ’social constructivism’; and it may appear to be natural and obvious to those who accept it, but in reality is an invention or artifact of a particular culture or society.

Panic and stress both play important roles in the natural survival instinct. The body defense devices will engage every time the feeling of the need to ’fight or flight’, kicks in. Preparing for which ever course of action is decided upon to preserve life, health or whatever is in danger.

However, anxiety will not only occur when a person is fearful or has a defensive mindset regarding a situation. Escaping situations that make us feel anxious may bring relief, but these feelings are intensified when we face similar situations causing anxiety. This encourages us to escape the situation again instead of working through the anxiety.

Taking a proactive stance combined with self reliance can help handle and overcome anxiety panic attacks

Anxiety panic attacks occur generally as a response to various undesirable and discomforting situations. Sudden occurrences of rapid heart rate, sweating and shortness of breath are typical in anxiety panic attacks and it can strike almost any person. Other symptoms such as trembling, chills, rapid heart rate, dizziness and faintness occur as a response to stress situations such as attending an interview or making public appearances/speeches. These attacks may also catch you unaware while driving, while in a mall or even when sleeping.

Going crazy or about to die?

Dangerous symptoms of anxiety panic attacks are heart pain and in some cases a sense of impending death. Anxiety panic attacks may push you to the point that you think you are going crazy or even about to die. These are characteristic symptoms of anxiety panic attacks. Intense anxiety panic attacks often lead to fear of an impending attack. This fear of fear leads further to panic attacks and a vicious cycle of fear ensues.

You are not alone in your quest

The symptoms of anxiety panic attacks are physical and anxiety sufferers often mistake their condition for a medical illness. A patient suffering from a panic attack therefore will not go crazy or die regardless of the symptoms. An unbelievably large percentage(about three fourths) of people have had at least one incidence of an anxiety panic attack

Fear of fear

When the anxiety panic attack is severe, it is an extremely distressing experience and greatly traumatizes the sufferer. All kinds of irrational fears and phobias arise and the fear of an attack in future looms large. Fear of an attack can hamper normal activity and is often as damaging as an attack itself. This fear born out of an earlier attack can by itself lead to a new attack.

Anxiety over dose

Anxiety is embedded in the human system as a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal and cope with tense situations. But when anxiety becomes excessive and results in irrational fear of daily routines it becomes a disabling disorder. As a result of fear of a future attack or fear of a particular condition a person may find it difficult to pursue normal life. This leads to withdrawal syndrome which in turn may lead to another attack.

Types of anxiety disorders

Several types of anxiety attack disorders are present in everyday life. These are generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, panic disorder, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. All of these can be overcome with medications, psychotherapy, counseling and other therapies.

Seeking effective solutions

Fear of an impending attack is the main dampener in the process of cure of panic attacks. It is extremely important to overcome this fear and confront anxiety panic attacks with a preplanned course of action rather than running away from it. This will effectively lead to cure. Proactive people are less prone to anxiety panic attacks. Seeking effective long term solutions rather than medications or other forms of treatment will truly help combat and overcome anxiety panic attacks and the related fears.

It’s true that the degree of emotional disturbance will vary, and the more intense panic attacks can have longer lasting effects. The attack is generally very irrational though a factor that does seem to contribute to the onset of panic attack is low blood sugar. Certain studies on panic and anxirty attacks have demonstrated a clear connection between this condition and low blood sugar levels.

Not really knowing what causes a panic attack is not very reassuring to the sufferer; nevertheless, it is possible to take certain measures with which to manage a panic attack. For one, using different kinds of relaxation methods can help; medication and antidepressants are also helpful and widely used. Unfortunately, no single remedy has been proven to be most effective in all cases. The chance of you suffering a panic attack can certainly be lowered by reducing your stress levels.

Another disturbing fact related to panic attack is that if the problem is not treated or ignored the attacks will last for many years. The good news is that panic attacks are not too difficult to treat although the effectiveness of any treatment will vary from person to person.

Some people will at first respond well to treatment methods only to experience fresh bouts of panic attack when they become older; still others may be able to overcome their problem with a single treatment.

Sufferers of panic attacks may rest assured that there is hope – treatment will almost certainly help overcome the problem. Even if you happen to be suffering from anxiety panic attack you need not be too concerned even though the condition comes in different forms and under varying situations. By consulting a professional healthcare giver, you will get sound advice regarding the best treatment options as well as learn about steps that will help minimize the risk of future panic attacks.

The first form of panic attack relief we will talk about is going to be self help. There are many things you can do for yourself to make sure this attack never cripples your mind again. It is important to think back on when the attack occurred and what it was that triggered the attack. After you figure out what was triggering the anxiety you can work to stop this from occurring again. If the attack occurred because of a social issue at work or in a relationship, proper communication can work out the problem so that it never reaches such a horrible point again.

If you have panic attacks frequently that have derived from other things you cannot change through communication then you need to find ways to help yourself relax. Taking a warm bath or shower and analyzing ways to change your life for the better so this does not happen again is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. Perhaps you have a favorite hobby that brings you happiness. If so you should spend more time doing this during the day than usual to help relieve symptoms. Proper exercise such as going for a walk or run is another great way to relieve anxiety and stress. If none of these self help options seem right for you then you should talk to your doctor about a variety of available medications that are for panic attacks.

If you are looking to get panic attack relief now one of the best places to go is your local doctor. He or she will be able to listen to the symptoms you are having and prescribe you a medication or refer you to a therapist who can help much better than they can. Some of the most widely used anxiety medications are those such as Klonopin, Xanax, Ativan, and Lorazepam. One should use extreme care in monitoring dosages because misuse of such drugs can lead to unintended medical consequences. Withdrawal symptoms of the above anxiety medications include but are not limited to: shakiness, headaches, dizziness, trouble sleeping, or in severe cases seizures. If your doctor does end up putting you on one of the above medications be sure you don’t abruptly stop because you will experience withdrawal symptoms if you aren’t weaned off slowly.

While these are not the only solutions you have to panic attack relief, they are among the best. So, hopefully this article has helped you learn a bit more and you will be able to find some panic attack relief now.

Wilber McNamera spent countless hours researching all of the panic attack programs on the market. Please visit www.panicattackselfhelp.com, you will find several programs that we have found to be the best.