Panic Attacks - Tips and Tricks

Nowadays there are a lot of people who suffer with panic attacks and absent seizures...Sadly i'm one of them. They are very real, very awful, and emotionally debilitating. I've suffered with them since the age of 9. 11 years on, and I'm still suffering with them. Not as frequently but they seem to be getting worse each time - I never used to twitch and never used to go numb in my legs, arms or lips.

Some people who suffer with panic attacks describe the feeling as if they think something bad is going to happen to them "right now at this very moment". Others feel as though they are having a heart attack as their heart races so fast and they tend to think the worst of everything. For me personally it's been getting easier to control, I know now how to try and help prevent an attack or at least make sure I'm in the best place possible before it happens. My attacks happen mainly because of stress and what goes on in my life - even if it's something silly. My brain for some reason likes to take every little bit of stress and swirl it up and BAM - panic attack! 

When I was younger I was always told by the doctors  that it was a "Hormone Thing" and the doctors just assumed that as I get older it would just gradually fade down, which it did at one point...I hadn't had an attack for about a year, but then I had another one and knew that hormones wasn't the reason behind it. So they continued to scan me and to this day, I'm still having scans but there isn't much that they can do. It's all about how I can control it and prevent it. Panic Attacks have stopped me from doing a lot whilst growing up. It would affect me going out with friends, meeting new people, going out to parties, clubbing etc. Below are a few tips on how I prevent myself from having attacks or to calm myself down in the process.

Tips on what to do when your feeling 

stressed or anxious:

Take time out: 

Stepping back from the problem helps clear your head

Eat Well Balanced meals: 

Eat Healthy and keep hydrated (Maybe keep an energy snack in your bag)

Limit alcohol and caffeine: 

It's known to aggravate anxiety

Get enough sleep: 

When your stressed, you tend to need more sleep to calm the body down 

Take deep breaths: 

slowly exhale and inhale

Count to 10: 

slowly and repeat

Laugh: 

A good laugh goes a long way

Maintain a positive attitude: 

Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones

The main ones that help me, are to take deep breaths and avoiding junk food because I find that it affects my mood the most. I also think that keeping a positive outlook helps too. We just all need to remember that instead of aiming for perfection which isn't possible, be proud of however close you get to achieving something. Accept that we can't control everything. We just need to put our stress into perspective and wonder if it's really as bad as we think it is. 

I hope this post has helped at least one of you! Let me know your hints and tips on panic attacks too!

#M O N D A Y M O T I V A T I O N

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