| Anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack | | | | to feel anxiety and might even bring on a panic |
| knows how devastating they can be. If you've had an | | | | attack? |
| anxiety attack yourself, you know the intensity of such | | | | Start paying attention to those anxious moments in |
| an experience can feel truly unbearable. And it doesn't | | | | your own life and you'll begin to see the connection |
| end there: afterwards, you're always worrying about | | | | between your anxious thoughts and the feelings that |
| when the next one will happen. You may begin to | | | | follow. |
| avoid places and situations that you fear may trigger | | | | So How Do I Change It? |
| another panic attack. The stress of living like this, | | | | Here's the secret to self-treatment for panic attacks: |
| feeling helpless in the face of another attack, can | | | | Pay attention to your thoughts when you're beginning |
| make life miserable. Fortunately, there is a solution that | | | | to feel anxious and make a conscious effort to |
| really works. | | | | change them right away. |
| Is There Anything I Can Do To Stop These Anxiety | | | | For example, in the situation above, you might stop |
| Attacks? | | | | yourself and say this: |
| The most effective treatment for an anxiety attack | | | | My panic attacks happen because of my anxious |
| generally helps you change the way negative, anxious | | | | thoughts. I am therefore in control of my panic attacks. |
| thoughts snowball into panic-inducing thoughts. | | | | I can change my panic-inducing thoughts and as a |
| Experience shows that once you interrupt this | | | | result, I will stop feeling the panic. Whenever I start to |
| destructive pattern of thinking, your panic attacks will | | | | feel anxious, I will stop and take a deep breath and |
| cease and you will once again feel in control of your | | | | remind myself that I am in control of my thoughts. I am |
| life. | | | | OK and all is well. I've been to the store hundreds of |
| Before we go on, it's important that you understand | | | | times before and I was fine. I will be just fine today. |
| this key concept: your thoughts are the key to freeing | | | | When I had that panic attack, I was stressing about |
| you from your panic attacks. | | | | work and I hadn't slept much the night before. I'm doing |
| Panic At the Store | | | | so much better today. People won't look down on me |
| An example will help to clarify what I mean. Imagine | | | | for having anxiety. Most people are pretty nice and |
| that you had an anxiety attack a few days ago when | | | | understand that it happens to everyone. It's really OK. I'll |
| you went to the grocery store. You realize that you | | | | be fine. I'm feeling better already. |
| are out of food and you must go to the store again | | | | Can you see how this positive self-talk could really |
| today. And here come the thoughts: | | | | shift your feelings for the better? You are in control of |
| Oh no. What if I get to the store and have another | | | | your life and your experience because you control |
| anxiety attack? All those people laughing at me and | | | | your own thoughts. You can only have one thought at |
| staring at me. I just can't do it. That was the most | | | | a time. If you choose consciously to think more |
| humiliating and horrible experience I've ever had. I can | | | | empowering, positive thoughts, you will find your |
| already feel it coming on. Am I going crazy? | | | | anxiety diminishing dramatically. Ultimately, this |
| As you were reading along with those anxious | | | | understanding puts you back in control of your own life. |
| thoughts, could you see how they would lead a person | | | | |