Anxiety Attacks Relief

A mammoth number of people experience some kind of anxiety attacks annually. So much so that there is nothing very alarming if you tell someone that you had a panic attack. It has become so common. Anxiety attacks are characterized by irrational fear, restlessness, heart palpitation, shortness of breath, etc. These vary depending on how severe the anxiety disorder is. Anxiety attacks are a part of an enmeshment of complicated psychological problems. Therefore, before we move on to the cures, a bit about anxiety attack symptoms.

Anxiety Attack Symptoms
The various symptoms of anxiety attack include:

• Rapid heartbeat
• Increased blood pressure
• Irrational fear
• Muscle tension
• Headache
• Chest pain
• Sleeplessness
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty in breathing
• Irritability
• Fluctuation in body temperature
• Depression

These were a few of the anxiety symptoms experienced during an anxiety attack. Basically anxiety attacks are all about periods of extreme anxiety and high psychological arousal, leading to physical problems. These are associated with various cognitive and somatic symptoms. Even though these attacks generally last for around 30 minutes, these attacks are enough to make the person go totally haywire and pose a serious problem for others, as the person who is panicking becomes completely uncontrollable.

Dealing With an Anxiety Attack
While looking out for ways to obtain relief from anxiety attacks, it is important to realize what gives relief to the person having the attack. It could be anything - from exercise to medicine or induction of comforting memories. Following are the usual methods to get relief from these attacks.

Relaxation
In case a stressful and hectic lifestyle is the culprit of an anxiety attack or disorder, observe which activities help you get out of the mental rut. See what helps you take the load off your head and just relax. Deep breathing, meditation, positive visualization exercises, soothing music, working out, etc can surely help reduce the stress and anxiety. Inculcating a habit of doing this daily will definitely pay rich dividends and bring down stress levels.

Organic and Herbal Way
Another very effective way for getting rid of stress is to opt for herbal remedies. Herbs like ginseng, Valerian root, gotu kala (Indian herb), passion flower and a few others are believed to be effective for stress reduction and increasing immunity. Siberian ginseng especially contributes in increasing stamina and gives an individual the ability to be calm even in stressful circumstances. Wild yam is believed to be a natural muscle relaxer and also has some hormonal properties. On the other hand, Valerian root and passion flower have a calming effect on the frayed nerves due to stress and anxiety, thus reducing stress. These are a major part of the standard anxiety cures.

Behavioral Therapy
One of the most common and effective way to get relief is cognitive behavioral therapy. Although it is not an instant relief mechanism, it is very useful in minimizing anxiety attacks. This mainly involves making those who get these attacks, understand what this disorder is and explain to him/her that he/she is not the only one who gets these attacks. Further it includes cognitive restructuring which refers to altering the patient's mind to look at the attacks in a positive and realistic way.

Amongst other methods for quick relief from panic attacks are intake of antidepressants and antianxiety drugs. Another technique is the paper bag breathing technique, where the sufferer is asked to breathe into a paper bag. However, this technique has been a bone of contention amongst experts, saying that it might worsen the attack.

If you see someone having an anxiety attack, just be calm and try to pacify that individual by positive affirmations like 'you are going to be okay', 'relax' and so on. If it seems to be getting worse, call for medical help. Whatever happens, just help the sufferer relax, and hopefully everything will be fine.