1. Panic and anxiety feelings are there because too much adrenalin is pumping around your body. Try to breathe deeply and slowly, counting to five as you breathe in and counting to five as you breathe out. (Be careful that in your panic you don’t breathe too quickly in the mistake belief that you are not getting enough air into your lungs. If we breathe in too much air we end up light headed and tingly. Slow down your breathing.)
2. Exercise seems to reduce the impact of adrenalin, so put on loud music and dance it out of your system. (If you have dental treatment, ask for the pain killing injection without adrenalin.)
3. To get rid of the sense of tension, so some relaxation exercise (lie down if you can but you can do them standing up). Tense up every muscle in your body one at a time. Tense your feet, then release; tense you legs, then release; and so on.
4. Be aware of when the bad feelings start. What triggered them just at that moment? Identifying triggers can help us to feel we’re making progress.
5. Feeling anxious all day can be tackled by taking time out to relax, but it would be a good idea to see your doctor.
6. Panic attacks are different from that all day anxiety. An attack is distinctive: an inability to breathe normally; a pounding heart; an intense feeling that we might not survive this; and sometimes dizziness and nausea. It’s important to tell your doctor.
7. The most crucial thing to do is to accept that this is a panic attack and you are not going to die. Breathe deeply, say your mantra (‘I’m ok, this is a panic attack, I’m not going to die’), and ask yourself what triggered it if you can. If not, leave that until you are stronger.
8. Bad days are normal. Focus on your good days and believe the good days will become more numerous as you get better at handling your panic.
9. Suffering from overwhelming fear is normal – it’s not an illness and you can get rid of the panic and anxiety.
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