Panic Attacks Have Power Because You Let Them!

1, 2, 3 - panic! Make yourself have a panic attack right now. Go ahead, try it. You probably won´t have any luck. Why? Because even though I´m telling you to do it, there´s nothing really to panic over at this moment and you have decided not to have a panic attack.

Just as you decide not to have a panic attack, you also decide to have a panic attack. This sounds pretty crazy doesn´t it?  After all, aren´t panic attacks out of your control?

That´s what we´re always told that the anxious sensations that course through our bodies preceding and during a panic attack are actually beyond the ability of our bodies to control. 

This misconception simply adds to the fear factor associated with panic attacks. We tell ourselves that they just happen, we can´t do anything about it and then we live our lives plagued by the fear of a panic attack, worried about the impending doom that will disrupt our day. 

No wonder so many anxiety sufferers just get depressed and give up. It seems so hopeless when it´s framed in a way where attacks seem arbitrary and capricious.

This belief has been encouraged by multiple people and groups who don´t want to blame the sufferer for their problem. However, we have to lay blame where it belongs. It is your fault you´re having panic attacks. 

Rather than finding this statement incendiary, you should find it liberating and empowering. If you are causing your panic attacks, you can also stop your panic attacks. Panic attacks, while certainly disturbing, should not take on a gargantuan proportion in your mind. Panic attacks are survivable! 

If you take inventory after a panic attack you will realize there is no lasting harm to your body.  Your heart has not exploded out of your chest as you feared it would, feeling has returned to your hands and feet, your breathing is normal again, you digestive system is working properly again. No harm done or at least no lasting harm.

Since panic attacks don´t kill you, they don´t leave lasting physical scars, and your body resumes its normal functioning, all you need to do is overcome the mental anxiety surrounding the panic attack. This is of course easier said than done but by changing your attitude about panic attacks you can lessen your anxiety and nervous anticipation preceding them. 

Some of the key to controlling your mental disturbance is to control your physical sensations. These corresponding feelings often fuel the cycle of fear, causing an ever upward spiral of panic. 

By practicing deep breathing, muscle relaxation and positive thought redirection, you can help your body and mind stop the vicious cycle and get off the panic express.

Controlling your physical symptoms is just the first step in overcoming and eliminating your panic attacks but it is an important first step. 

End the anxious feelings, eliminate the terror, and end the panic. It can be done, by you, without medication. There´s no reason to let your life be disrupted or inconvenienced any longer. Live your life to its fullest and start by controlling your panic attacks.

Once you realize that these feelings are not something to be feared but to be embraced, the power they have over you will release and you will find the comfort you seek.