Are you trapped in the fear of not knowing when an anxiety attack may come? Do you avoid certain places or activites because you think they might bring on an attack? How would you feel if you knew how to stop panic attacks? There is a way to break the cycle of the fear of panic attack.

If you knew a panic attack was coming, you could get yourself ready. But you can be doing anything and start feeling the symptoms of a panic attack. While you are getting dressed in the morning you start to get this feeling of impending fear. Your heart starts beating fast, you start to sweat and sometimes you feel as though you are on the outside looking in. Many people even suffer from panic attacks while they are sleeping. Can you imagine waking up to the fear of a panic attack?

This attack can last anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours. Most attacks are short in duration but they seem like they last a very long time. The amount of time that it takes your body to get back to normal can be long, and the fear and dread of having another attack lasts even longer. Many people mistake the symptoms of a panic attack for something more serious like a heart attack. They end up in the emergency room only to find out that their illness was only in their mind. It may seem hard for the sufferer to believe, but you cannot die from a panic attack.

Because no one is really sure of the causes of panic attacks, you can't predict when you will have another. A panic attack is your body's reaction to a perceived threat. The body goes into 'flee or fight' mode. The body is doing what it is supposed to do when threatened. The only problem - the threat is not real. Adrenaline is released and your body gets ready for a fight. That's why your heart rate quickens. Many people notice a tingling in arms and fingers. That's because blood is moving away from the lesser needed extremities and going to places like the legs and brain.

Since you can't predict when a panic attack will occur, everything you do starts to revolve around trying not to have another attack. You may stop going places for fear of having an attack. By doing this you start to neglect other daily activities. The place where you feel comfortable, that you don't feel like you will have a panic attack is called your safe zone. If you don't get help for your problem, your safe zone could get smaller and smaller. Agoraphobia is the fear of going outside. Many people with severe anxiety disorder develop agoraphobia as their safe zone eventually shrinks to the interior of their house.

Some people feel you can stop panic attacks by reducing the amount of stress in your life. Perhaps you are going through some life changing experiences that you are having trouble dealing with. Even if they are good, positive experiences, they can still be stressful. Counseling may help you work through some issues that you have.

Regular exercise can take the place of counseling to reduce stress. There are many relaxation techniques you can use. This is a holistic method of stopping your panic attacks. The best relaxation technique you can use is deep breathing. When you feel an attack coming on, take deep breaths in through your nose and out of your mouth. Reassure yourself that you are not going to die, that it will be over soon. Try some relaxation techniques that will take your mind off the increasing fear. Start from the top of your body and go down slowly, relaxing each limb. Before you get to your feet, your panic attack will be over. You can find many other ways to treat a panic attack.

Panic attacks are treatable, you can do it yourself. You can learn how to overcome panic attacks. Stopping panic attacks means stopping the fear that you will have another one.