Panic Attacks: Home remedies to help

What is a panic attack?

A panic attack (otherwise known as an anxiety attack) is a short episode of extreme anxiety which causes physical sensations. Panic attacks can occur unexpectedly and frequently, and are quite often caused by an accumulation of untreated prolonged extreme stress or anxiety. A panic attack can last from a few minutes to half an hour. Read on to learn about panic attacks: home remedies to help.

The physical sensations of a panic attack can include:

• heightened vigilance for danger and physical symptoms
• anxious and irrational thinking
• a strong feeling of dread, danger or foreboding
• fear of going mad, losing control, or dying
• feeling lightheaded and dizzy
• tingling and chills, particularly in the arms and hands
• trembling or shaking, sweating
• hot flushes
• accelerated heart rate
• a feeling of constriction in the chest
• breathing difficulties, including shortness of breath
• nausea or abdominal distress
• tense muscles
• dry mouth
• feelings of unreality and detachment from the environment.

If you have ever experienced a panic attack, you will know how scary these can be and without treatment, frequent and prolonged panic attacks can be severely disabling. A person will experience persistent fears of repeated attacks and in an attempt to stop themselves having a panic attack, a person may choose to avoid a wide range of situations (such as leaving their home or being alone), impacting their quality of life.

Seeking treatment for anxiety or extreme stress early is essential to preventing panic attacks. Once panic attacks are experienced, if left untreated, can develop into “panic disorder”, where a person will have recurring and unexpected panic attacks and persistent fears of repeated attacks.

Home Remedy Treatment for Panic Attacks

We have complied the best home remedy tips you can potentially use in the comfort of your own home to assist with managing anxiety and thus reducing your risk of a panic attack:

Exercise

It may not sound like a home remedy for panic attacks, but it very effective. Most people think that exercising is just beneficial for physical health, however, it is essential for mental wellbeing. An increase in exercise means we can regulate hormones and increase endorphins. In addition, the benefits from exercise include better sleep, helps breathing, reduced excess muscular and mental energy and burns stress hormones.

These are each essential steps for controlling anxiety. There is evidence that suggests that anxiety and panic attacks can increase due to a lack of exercise. Therefore, ask yourself – do I exercise frequently and still experience panic attacks?

Journaling

Journaling is another strategy that has the potential to have significant benefits. The process of sitting down, taking time out of your day, and writing down your emotions and thoughts, helps us release it from our mind. The more we consistently think about something, and let it grow, only intensifies the issue. Writing it down takes the power away those strong thoughts, helping reduce the intensity of the feelings.

Relaxation

Taking time out to consciously relax and unwind is essential to ground and recenter our mind, especially when we are feeling anxious or stressed. Find a quiet place in your home or outdoors (at a park, etc) free of distractions where you can take some time to journal, walk, meditate or stretch, focusing on your breathing.

Technological Distraction

We all know that technology can be triggering for anxiety, however, when we are feeling overwhelmed to the point, we cannot calm ourselves, technology can be an avenue that can help us relax, such as listening to a guided mediation, using a wellness app, listening to a podcast, playing white noise (rain etc), or watching a something we enjoy (cats playing, sunsets).

Bathing

As simple as it sounds, research suggests there a scientific benefits to taking a bath. Not only does a warm bath make the blood flow easier, it also makes it more oxygenated by allowing you to breathe deeper and slower, aiding in relaxation. Warm water bathing can also increase levels of serotonin, which is the chemical produced by the brain associated with happiness and wellbeing.

When home remedies aren’t enough

It can be very difficult to know what to do and how to cope with extreme anxiety and/or panic attacks, but help is available!

Whilst these home remedies may assist with de-stressing and temporary relief of anxiety symptoms, you will often need to combine home remedies with professional treatment to successfully treat panic attacks and live harmoniously without the fear of having a panic attack looming over you.

Treatment can be very effective in reducing the number and severity of panic attacks in most people.  Talk therapy is considered an effective first choice treatment for panic attacks and panic disorder. This can help you understand panic attacks and panic disorder and learn how to cope with them when they arise. CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) is also a common treatment used in assisting persons to overcome fears of situations that you’ve avoided because of panic attacks, understanding how to cope and ways to decrease panic attack symptoms.

Here at CBT Professionals, we offer tailored and effective Anxiety and Panic Disorder treatment. Across all three of our convenient practice locations, our clinical team is highly experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate, with a vision to help individuals that are struggling with anxiety or panic attacks.

Contact us now via telephone or please download our referral form here, to book an appointment and take that first step to understanding and managing your panic attacks.

Coomera – (07) 5551 0251

Nerang – (07) 5668 3490

Mount Gravatt – (07) 3102 1366

If you, or someone you know, requires urgent help with panic attacks, please reach out to organisations like Beyond Blue. Or call the mental health helpline on 1300 22 4636. If this is an emergency, please contact 000 or visit your local emergency department.

Disclaimer: Content on this website is provided for education and information purposes only and is not intended to replace advise from your doctor or registered health professional. Readers are urged to consult their registered practitioner for diagnosis and treatment for their medical concerns. CBT Professionals is not an emergency service – please call 000 in an emergency.

REFERENCES

Abraham, M. (2020). Best Home Remedies for Anxiety and Panic Attacks. CalmClinic.

Abraham, M. (2020). Home Remedies for Panic Attacks. CalmClinic.