For people who have experienced panic attacks, the mere idea of recalling the events could be a trigger for another episode. There are different situations that prompt the attack to surface. It could be something you are aware of, or something you are just about to discover. In this article, I would like to share with you the proper coping mechanism during an attack.
There aren’t right or wrong answers when you ask “Which is the right technique?” Each individual is different. Therefore, one tip may work for you while others would not. That does not mean that if other techniques do not work for you, it is entirely untrue. If one tactic does not work, go and try another. We do not have to resort to medicine at all times. Simple activities can actually give us a fix.
Like in my case, I was told to listen to some music during my attack. The rationale behind this is my mind would be distracted ,and I could avoid making things worse by worrying too much. It did work for me. However, when I shared the tactic to my friend, he said that it did not work for him. Instead, he tried to read a magazine or newspaper. The result, his mind focused on the story and images. In his case, this is the proper coping mechanism.
One thing that I have noticed during my episode is the tendency of my panic attack to elevate once I start to worry. The increase in the intensity is worsened when I began to rush for a medicine and water. Just imagine how my thoughts could actually double the amount of panic I feel. So, I began to practice breathing exercises and activities that would let my mind divert its attention away from the panic attack.
The first breathing technique that I learned was the “breathing on brown paper bag” tactic. In the course of the attack, hyperventilation is one of the problematic symptoms. When we are ventilating, we tend to over-breath. The over-breathing tends to lower down the CO2 or carbon dioxide inside our body, giving us a hard time to breath. The brown paper bag technique stops the CO2 we released from diffusing into the air. By breathing it in, we can recuperate the carbon dioxide we lost.
To do this, get a clean brown paper bag. The size does not matter, as long as it covers your mouth and nose, and it does not allow the air you breathe out to escape. Do not rush when doing this. Count one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, and so forth. Do the breath in and breath our alternately. Try to do it for six times and check if your breathing has improved.
The next panic attack coping mechanism is the four-seven-eight breath. Sit and make sure that your back is straight. Rest your hands on your lap. Close your eyes and try to listen to your breathing. While you are doing this, your tongue should be at top of your mouth just behind your teeth. When you inhale it should be through your nose. On the other hand, exhalations are done through the mouth.
Inhale while you mentally count to 4. Make sure that you fill your lungs with air. Afterwards, hold your breath for 7 mental counts. Then, slowly exhale for 8 counts. When you exhale, let out all the stress and anxiety you fell inside you. Do these until you feel relaxed. This is the type of technique that could help your body during panic attacks. It’s easy and you can do it practically anywhere.