How to deal with panic attacks and calm yourself down from the attack after and during the attack

Panic attacks and how to calm yourself.

In my experience I have only ever had two panic attacks and I can honestly say I did not know what had hit me! The first was one caused by total disbelief after hearing something that was going to effect me for the rest of my life, and the other was due to getting myself worked up over attending an interview.

On both occasions my heart was racing, sweat was running down my face (in the second instance this was before I attended the interview so I had time to sort myself out! would have been dreadful if it had been during!)the anxiety that I was overcome with was overwhelming and I never thought that during the space of time that I was in that situation I was going to come out of it. Luckily on both ocassions they only lasted a minute or so but for those of you reading this who have experienced them a minute seemed like forever.

They can be beat you know, I started to talk myself out of them by telling myself I'm ok it's just a panic attack. I told myself this over and over until it went the first time. I also started breathing deeply, similar to those you take when your having a baby deep breath in, slowly breath out, I promise, it works!

Try relaxation as well, sit in a chair, clench your right fist, keep it tightly clenched for about 10 seconds then release and let it go limp. Do it a few time and then repeat with your left hand, exactly the same, clench your left fist, kee it tightly clenched and then release and let it go limp. Then bend your elbows and tense your arms, hold for 10 seconds and then release. Tense your shoulders, honestly this works, hold for ten seconds then release. Close your eyes and squeeze for ten seconds then relax.

You'll find that once you have done this process a few times the anxiety will go away, your breathing will go back to normal and things will look a lot better and brighter!

If you start telling yourself that your going to have a panic attack in the first place this will not help at all!

My situation was one of complete nervousness, not the same I know but it didnt help when I told myself I was going to have a panic attack because low and behold I did have a panic attack.

If I had not got so worked up in the first place and done the relaxation exercises before I went to the interview I am sure that the panic attack would not have happened in the first place!