In the high- pressured, dangerous world we live in today, it is difficult to escape feelings of acute tension, stress and anxiety that frequently lead to panic attacks. Stress victims are to be found in every walk of life. If you often feel stressed, extremely anxious and unable to cope, it may be due to a variety of different reasons. Whatever the reason it is important for you to recognize that severe stress could be harmful to your health. Stress is regarded by medical science as one of the most important contributory factors in many illnesses. Hypertension, high blood pressure, heart attacks, asthma, skin disorders, stomach ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis and many other medical problems are all believed to be directly related to stress. Your stress may be due to money problems, family disagreements, unhappiness in your home, unpleasant conditions at work, concerns about the welfare of your children, uncertainty about your future or a wide range of different fears – some real, some exaggerated; some imagined.
It makes no difference whether your fear is real or imagined, the mental suffering from self-induced stress can be just as harmful to your health. When a person has been under stress for some, it often results in a condition known as “panic disorder”. It is condition that is becomingly increasingly common.. “Panic disorder” is described as a psychiatric condition that brings about recurrent waves of panic that sometimes persist for lengthy periods. It is an emotional state accompanied by feelings of dread that something terrible is about to happen. People who suffer from these panic attacks are sometimes fearful of getting on a bus; or entering a strange house.; or even going to a supermarket. These panic attacks can occur without warning. They are often unrelated to a specific incident or event. Very often these feelings of panic are accompanied by alarming physical symptoms such as dizziness, tightness in the chest or the throat, shortness of breath, a racing pulse, or hot flushes.
There is a two way of treating panic attack, one is by meditation and another one is by medication. first we will discuss about meditation. Here are two meditation techniques that are helpful to the students
Meditation practice 1: 1. Depending on your religious background, select your favorite Deity or Guru. 2. Sit in a comfortable pose, close your eyes and imagine yourself to be present in your favorite temple of the Deity or Guru. Feel the presence and chant the mantra associated with deity. If you do not know the mantra, just frame a sentence in your own words as prayer and repeat it. 3. Maintain the awareness continuously for 10-15 minutes. Then open your eyes and start your routine work. Meditation practice 2: This is very effective for relaxing your mind. It combines the benefits of music also. 1. Listen your favorite music and song. 2. Now visualize the words of the song. Maintain your awareness at the word, which you are currently hearing. 3. Just imagine a single word, which is current. Switch over to the next word as soon as it is heard. Extend this process further by imagining the current alphabet as the song is played. After meditation, here comes now medication. Medication may include a prescription of various medicines that are used to treat anxiety and depression like SSRIs or selective serotonin reputake inhibitors that include Prozac and Paxil. Others include benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax that are known to decrease the discomfort associated with it. Aside from these treatment options, the following may also help stop panic disorders:
1. Lifestyle changes and modification. Several over-the-counter medications, various alcoholic drinks, and prescription and illegal drugs can make anxiety and depression worse so it is best of you stop taking in these once the doctor has diagnosed your condition. If you are not getting enough sleep or you’re working excessive and extensive hours, you are not eating healthy foods, and you don’t have a regular exercise, you only increase your risk of developing a panic disorder. It is best if you get rid of these toxicities and stress to veer away from possible attacks.
2. Changes in diet. Avoid foods that have high amounts of sugar, processed foods, caffeine and alcohol because these are known as major triggers of anxiety and depression. Try to shift to a diet that mainly consists of lean meat, veggies and fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairies, and healthy fat.
3. Workout. By now, you should know the wonders and benefits of exercise. If you are prone to panic attacks caused by panic disorder, you should start developing a routine that includes exercise to help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
4. Relaxation techniques. The fast-paced and stressful world often opens up to a lot of stressful avenues. If you are prone to anxiety attacks and depressions, meditation and visualization can help you to calm down and relax. If you think that you are on the brink of a panic attack due to stress and constraints the fast-paced, modern world has brought, it is best that you assess your condition so you know if you need to seek professional and medical help.