P
anic attack is a horrendous experience but it is not physically dangerous to you. One of the most discomforting types of symptoms is shortness of breath. You can feel that you just can not get any air inside your lungs. You can feel dizzy and think that you will suffocate, but you will not.
You will not suffocate during a panic attack.
This was the symptom I feared the most and as a result would get most often. Panic attack is fear of fear itself and due to that you get what you fear the most.
Doctor David D. Burns has developed a very effective breathing exercise which disrupts the escalation of panic attack and stops it completely. This technique has been proven to be highly effective in terminating panic attacks as well as having a number of health benefits.
You may be tempted to use the paper bag technique we often see on TV. As many other things you see on TV - this technique is used by cinema and TV not due to its effectiveness but due to its visual properties.
It is much easier for the audience to understand that an actor is trying to deal with a panic attack if he or she is heavily breathing into a bag as compared to someone using measured breathing.
Measured breathing is a 5 - 2 - 5 technique which employs breathing using your diaphragm. It is very simple and easy to employ but for the first few times please practice it while you are in a calm state.
Usually when you breath you can feel your shoulders and chest rising. Follow these steps to learn diaphragmatic breathing:
1. Lie on your back on a flat surface (or in bed) with your knees bent. You can use a pillow under your head and your knees for support, if that is more comfortable.
2. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly, just below your rib cage.
3. Breathe in slowly through your nose, letting the air in deeply, towards your lower belly. The hand on your chest should remain still, while the one on your belly should rise.
4. Tighten your abdominal muscles and let them fall inward as you exhale through pursed lips. The hand on your belly should move down to its original position.
You can also practice this sitting in a chair, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head, and neck relaxed. Do this until you get used to it.
Once you got used to diaphragmatic breathing it is time to practice measured breathing technique for stopping panic attacks. It simply adds one element to diaphragmatic breathing - counting.
1. Breathe in through your nose for 5 seconds.
2. Hold air in for 2 seconds.
3. Slowly breathe out through your mouth for 5 seconds.
Repeat this process until you feel that your panic attack symptoms dissipated.
This exercise might sound deceptively simple but it actually has a number of positive effects that are extremely effective at stopping panic attacks.
First off, counting and concentrating on breathing distracts you. I learned the power of a distraction very early on. As a child I was terrified of needles. The idea of a needle penetrating my skin put me in a state of panic. Every time I had to have a shot, right before the doctor administered a shot, my dad would surprise me with a toy or a candy. I never felt those shots.
Second, diaphragmatic breathing stimulates release of serotonin - the happy chemical. This way diaphragmatic breathing reduces stress, improves digestion, sleep and mood.
Third, breath counting and steady pace of breathing reduces your heart rate and blood pressure.
Finally, diaphragmatic breathing exercises abdomen muscles and improves your posture.
Use this exercise on a regular basis to take advantage of these numerous advantages it has to offer.