How to Control Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Anxiety is very wide spread today because of our busy lifestyles and poor eating habits. I have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks for about 14 years myself and have tried lots of different ways to cope or possibly cure my anxiety. I decided to share a few of the things that have worked for me.

The adrenal glands are very important in understanding anxiety. They are responsible for dealing with stress to the body in whatever form it takes. That means both mental and physical stress. In order to help your anxiety, you need to improve your adrenal health. Anxiety can also be a sign of adrenal fatigue or overload.

The first thing you need to do is support your adrenal glands with the supplements below:

Vitamin B100 complex

Vitamin C (2,000-4,000 mg/day)

Vitamin E w/mixed tocopherols (800 IU/day)

Pantothenic acid (1200-1500 mg/day)

Magnesium citrate (800-1200 mg)

Liquid trace minerals

Adrenal Glandular

Two excellent herbs that will support your adrenal glands and give you immediate relief are ashwagandha and Siberian ginseng. Ashwagandha has been shown to have a sedating effect on the body and helps to rebuild the digestive and nervous system. I especially like using it to help me fall asleep when I'm feeling restless at bedtime. Siberian ginseng has been used traditionally to stimulate and nourish the adrenal glands and increase mental alertness.

You may also benefit by adding salt to your diet. First thing in the morning and before the time of day when you're the most tired, put 1/8 to 1/2 teaspoonful of sea salt or Celtic salt into an 8 oz. glass of water and drink. You have probably been told that salt isn't good for you, but if your adrenal glands are not functioning well, you most likely have a sodium deficiency. Sea salt or Celtic salt are so much better for you than table salt and also supply up to 80 other minerals that are beneficial. If you have had anxiety for a very long time you may also be potassium depleted and may need to take it along with the sea salt. Long term adrenal fatigue can deplete both potassium and sodium.

Adrenal fatigue can also cause low blood sugar or hypoglycemia, so eliminating all sugars from your diet will help tremendously. Instead of three meals a day eat five to six smaller meals or snacks throughout the day to keep your blood sugar balanced and you will feel better. Make sure these snacks are healthy foods with an equal ratio of fats, proteins and complex carbs.

You will do much better on a high protein diet along with healthy sources of saturated fats such as butter, coconut oil, and olive oil. Eliminate or reduce the amount of coffee you drink as it stimulates the adrenals and can cause further stress. For the same reason also avoid chocolate.

If you find yourself in the middle of a panic attack, here are some tips to help you get through it.

First thing you need to do is relax. Sit down or lay down immediately and begin to breath in very slowly and then exhale very slowly. You need to tell yourself that everything is alright. This may sound simplistic, but it works. If you respond to the panic attack you begin to fuel the attack and make it worse, so don't respond.

As most panic attacks are caused by a dive in blood sugar you need to drink a glass or two of diluted fruit juice (all fruit no sugar) or eat a banana. This will quickly bring your blood sugar back up to normal and you'll feel a lot better. You will then need to eat something that has a combination of protein, fat and complex carbs. This will make sure that your blood sugar does not drop again right away.

I have found that supporting my adrenal glands with the above supplements, herbs and diet has stopped my panic attacks completely and has improved my anxiety greatly.