Forget about living in constant fear of another panic attack. Here are some of the things you CAN do to cope with panic attacks:
1. Accept it and deal with it!Don't spend your time worrying about when your going to have another panic attack. Admit that you have it, PERIOD. Panic attack is very frightening and uncomfortable, BUT its not dangerous. It may be difficult to come to terms with these feelings but this is where the healing process must come from.
2. Understand what it is.Panic is just excess adrenaline that automatically runs through your body when it is confronted with a possible life-threatening situation. During panic attacks, these adrenaline are released accidentally, with no apparent danger or reason. Hence, the feeling can be very scary, but you need to understand that your not in any danger or suffering from some illness. No heart attack, no dieing.
3. See your doctor.A lot of panic attack sufferers strongly believe that they are ill and that something is very wrong with them, when its simply not the case! You will not be able to start your recovery if you are still convinced that there is something physically wrong, so you will need to have a medical examination to confirm that.
If the doctor does find a physical condition that is causing the symptoms then you may find that once it is treated and cleared up, the panic attacks will stop.
Above all, if you are given a clean bill of health, you MUST believe that panic attack is not going to kill you and with some effort on your part, recede and stop forever.
4. Stop running, hiding and avoiding.Be it panic attacks or going for medical examination, avoidance will only "reinforce" your beliefs that there's something wrong with you. The more you avoid, the more panic the avoided situation will generate. Don't let that happen! Accept these feelings, know that they are just temporary and will, in time, pass and fade away naturally.
Don't turn to alcohol or drugs to help you cope with panic attacks. By doing so, your running away from the problem, not solving them. Acceptance, professional help and educating yourself are the more productive way you can cope with panic attacks.
