Key tip to deal with panic attacks. Panic attacks, which happen when you are not in real danger, are your brain sounding a false alarm. It thinks you are in serious trouble when i...

Key tip to deal with panic attacks. Panic attacks, which happen when you are not in real danger, are your brain sounding a false alarm. It thinks you are in serious trouble when in reality there is no danger. Have you ever noticed that the physical sensations of panic and anxiety are the same as those we feel when we are excited? For example, if you are going on a date with someone you are particularly into, your heart might pound, your breath might quicken, and your stomach might churn in knots, but you might call this excitement rather than anxiety or panic. The difference is the interpretation of those body sensations. You cannot just switch off, or stop, a panic attack. Trying to fight it or escape it only makes it worse. If you fear the sensations associated with the attack, the brain will think that they are really dangerous and then get you to panic even more. So the goal is to change your relationship with the sensations in your body. Instead of resisting or fearing them, let them happen. Accept them as signals from your nervous system, meant to keep you safe. Panic always has a beginning, a middle and an end, and when you stop fearing the sensations, they lose their power over you. So the key is to stop fighting the panic, allow the wave to pass, and your brain will learn the sensations are not a threat. Next time panic hits, find a statement you can use to help you get through it. For example: - This is a false alarm; I am safe. - Let the sensations come: they’re just my nervous system reacting. - It will pass: I don’t need to fight it. Panic ends not because we stop it, but because we stop fearing it. I know this is easier said than done, but this is actually the key to managing panic attacks. I hope you find this helpful.