Fighting Panic - Panic attacks are harmless

Panic Disorder is the name given to the illness in which people have recurrent anxiety attacks.

I have a website totally dedicated to Panic Disorder and I've seen lots of cases during that experience, therefore I'll expose some of the common info I get from those afflicted by this illness.

An anxiety attack is a scary moment when everything seems out of control, chances are, if you are visiting this hub, you already know what a panic attack/anxiety attack is.

For those who don't know: You have the feeling you are going to die/faint, your heart pounds faster and faster, skips beats or beats irregularly, you feel sick, you gasp for air and start feeling lots of scary symptoms.

The difference between a person with panic disorder and a person with generalized anxiety is that panic disorder patients have panic attacks very frequently. It can be a very debilitating disease that will pin people in their homes or even make them develop Agoraphobia.

Panic Disorder is treatable, but I'm not going to lie to you - it's hard! Many times it's a chronic disease. Even though my panic disorder is controlled I still feel anxious lots of times - I just cope with it better than before, and I've walked a long path to the healthy place I am now.

What I am going to give you are tips on how to overcome your panic disorder, how to control it, to be able to live normally.

I'm giving you my tips trough a "two steps to success" scheme.

First step: learning the effects.

Learn that all panic attacks, yes ALL, are harmless. Nobody ever died from a panic attack. Even though you think you're going to die - you are not. Thinking about dying is just another symptom of the attack.

So, the Panic Attack releases lots of stress hormones and substances. Adrenalin for example, its the substance that makes your heart pound faster.

But do you think our body would release substances in a fatal amount? Think again. Whatever you do, the Panic attack will pass. You can run, you can freeze, you can go to the hospital, you can puke, you can scream - but after your body notices you are getting dangerously stressed it makes the body anti-stress mechanism kick in, and you will feel better in 3 minutes. You will even feel sleepy and weak after that, so you don't have to worry about getting over stressed, it wont happen.

Step 1 summarized is - Learn that panic attacks are harmless, and every single one of them passes.

Knowledge is second step.

To learn how to cope with panic attacks you have to learn why you feel the way you do. Its simple:

Panic attacks are actually the body's defense mechanism to flee or fight any danger to your life. If you face a wolf, you will get these symptoms, and maybe they will save your life. Remember, Panic attacks are the defense mechanism kicking in when you are not in real danger - that is why you find it so disturbing.

Rapid Heartbeat: Your body makes your heart pound faster so the blood gets pumped to the main muscles in your body, so you can fight the wolf, or run away. It raises the amount of oxygen transported to them. It's a good buff if you are fighting, but its really uncomfortable when you are at the groceries or something.

Numbness: You feel numbness because the blood stops circulating on the surface of your body. This happens so if the wolf bites you or injures you, you won't bleed out. It's a great defense mechanism, but annoying when it is not needed.

Sickness: Your digestive system shuts down so the blood can be pumped into giving you additional strength.

Fear and Panic: You get terrified because your body wants you to run away and get to safety. It will do everything, even frighten you, to get you safe.

Getting Pale: The blood is not needed on the skin, and goes to your Big Muscles to aid you, once again.

So you see, these annoying symptoms give you an inhuman strength, but if you aren't needing it, you may feel the adverse effects more than the benefits, and think you are going to die.

So, now that you know of this, I think it will be easier for you to cope with the next panic attack you have.