Content Warning:This article mentions panic attacks.
Coming back to college, or coming to a new place altogether, is indeed all fun, thrilling, and adventurous, isn’t it? The thrill of stepping into the unknown—whether it’s meeting new people or facing upcoming exams—is exhilarating, but can turn out to be a siren song too!
For some of us, facing new ordeals and leaving the comfort and safety of the home brings a lot of uneasiness, fear, anxiety and stress! The very thought and feeling of having to face all of this haunts such people, let alone actually doing it. This overpowered and uncontrolled anxiety sometimes makes you panic, to the extent that it creates imagery of you being attacked as if you’re doomed and might vaporise off the face of the planet in no time with your heart palpitating, your body’s extreme ends tingling (paraesthesia), vertigo, tremors and hot flashes all over your body. Yes, quite an eerie feeling! This is what a panic attack feels like. A person can experience as many or a few of the aforementioned symptoms. Depending on the occurrence and frequency of these, it can develop as a panic disorder.
Being a sufferer of panic disorder myself, I’ve been trying & finding ways to cope with this hell of an experience. By this trial and error so far, I’ve found some methods that might help people going through the same.
HUFF… BREATHE!
Eh, everyone does it! But, the key here is to breatheee slowly and steadily. During the attack, your breath goes shallow and erratic leading to hyperventilation, which fuels the flames by sending more panic signals to your body. So, try incorporating the 4-7-8 formula—where you start inhaling for about 4 seconds, then hold it for about 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. Lion’s breath can help you too, which just involves forceful exhalation. You know, it’s just about making your breaths as deep and slow as possible.
PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION
This technique is now being used by psychologists quite actively, where you start by tightening the muscles of various parts of the body and then progressively relax them in order to ease the tension that is being reflected in your muscles.
GROUNDING
Experiencing the states of derealization and depersonalization are not uncommon while going through a panic attack. Therefore, ground yourself in the present moment by paying attention to what’s around you e.g. people, places, things, time, whatever! Just focus on now.
POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS
A panic attack stems from worrisome thoughts and inexplicable fear. Feeding positive thoughts alters your cognitive patterns and eventually helps subdue your attacks.
“The best use of imagination is creativity. The worst use of imagination is anxiety.”
Deepak Chopra
H2O’s Magic!
It’s called a ‘wonder liquid,’ but not without substantial merit. It has been shown that sipping on water (better if brine) or adding any energy formula in it, might help you alleviate the symptoms. This actually distracts you from the attack psychologically.
MOVE TO ANOTHER PLACE
Oftentimes, moving out of the place where you initially experienced the panic attack helps create a shift in your environment and acts as a ‘reset button.’ This can help disrupt the neural pathways linked with panic.
FRIENDS
Talk with them when you feel uneasy. Again, distraction is the key! And your pals do it effortlessly.
EAT, REPEAT, REPEAT!
Feeling low on energy can act as an incitant, making you susceptible to panic attacks. So, make a habit of eating at regular intervals as low sugar levels can exacerbate the feelings of anxiety.
AROMATHERAPY
There’s something inherently pervasive and soothing about the power of scents, and of course, some lovely, refreshing breaths of air can help calm your mind and bring about that feel-good moment instantaneously.
“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”
Benjamin Franklin
NOTE: While these are some of the potential solutions and coping mechanisms, the amount of benefit and their workability is subjective, and alters from person to person. Please consult a professional before using any of the methods stated as these aren’t tailored specifically for any individual.
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