A panic attack, driving, and the symptoms experienced during all of this simply spells trouble. When driving, our attention needs to be focused on that task for both our safety and others. When panic attacks occur, it becomes difficult to focus on driving, or even seemingly impossible. It can even develop into a fear of driving. So what can we do?

There are a few things we can do while driving to help prevent an attack from starting. Walk with some snacks, food, and water. It is easier for anxiety to spike on an empty stomach. Listening to some favorite music can keep some attention away from expanding the symptoms of a panic attack. This of course, does not mean the type of music that can give us a rush of adrenaline, as this can actually work against us instead of helping. (more…)

When faced with a panic attack, driving panic can ensue and compromise our safety on the road. It can be quite a horrifying experience to go through, but fortunately there are some things we can do to help. We should take note of the fact that dealing with this safely is important for both us and others.

There are a few things we can do outside of driving to help with this. These are basic things, but are highly recommended regardless. Proper amounts of sleep can lower anxiety. Keeping nutrition balanced with proper meals will help to keep our body to run optimally. Regular exercise is a widely known method of reducing anxiety as well. Avoid substances that could contribute to anxiety, such as caffeine. (more…)

Signs of a panic attack can be fairly obvious when we experience them. However, there are some signs that are little known until they get out of hand. One of these major signs is the constant worrying we do. Managing it quickly becomes another question. Where do we start?

Naturally, at the beginning and how it progresses. One of the major things we may contend with is that constant state of worry. It starts off with just a simple thought! This thought is often a harmless and neutral thought initially. For example, a thought of a family member that went to the grocery store and you get a funny feeling about the violence and crimes going around. (more…)

Panic attack stories may catch our attention from time to time. After all, we may be interested in reading about the experiences of other people. Not only this, but in a way we verify that we are not the only ones that suffer from them. There are a few key notes to understand about the stories however.

The story or experience a person may talk about at times may seem absurd. Possibly even silly at times, or directly on target with an experience we may have had ourselves before. The important thing to note here, no matter how absurd or silly the experiences of someone else may sound, that it was real for them. Afterall, think about the experiences we may have had ourselves. (more…)

A panic attack, what to do when it happens, and managing it are thoughts we may have from time to time. Not just us, but the millions of others that suffer from it each and every year. When panic attacks enter our lives and decides to stay, it can prevent us from living life the way we used to. One way to reduce the odds of them occurring is through the anxiety. What do we do with Anxiety?

We work at reducing it! By reducing our anxiety, it will in turn help us to lower the odds of having a panic or anxiety attack. With this in mind, we will need to target the largest sources of anxiety. (more…)

The cause of a panic attack may be a relatively common thought when we begin thinking about them. Unfortunately can come from many different, individual, and combined sources. Some sources of anxiety are major, some minor, but they all add up enough to cause the attacks. How do we identify the sources?

A very reliable way to do this, is to keep a daily journal that we can primarily keep our thoughts on. Every time we take an action and get a negative or uneasy feeling, just remember to write down what we were doing, how others reacted, how we felt about it, and any other details we may judge necessary. (more…)

Coping with a panic attack the first few times it occurs can be extremely difficult. As they happen more after that it still does not get any easier if we do nothing about it. We do not become immune to the intense fear and panic, it usually feels the same as the first time. It actually becomes progressively more difficult as it can affect our lives directly. How do we cope with these?

We have probably heard at some point or another that the mind can be very powerful. Making use of it can help us cope with the attacks. One of the worries we may have about the attacks, is that they may last forever. Do note that the attacks and panic disorder are treatable conditions, and it does not have to last forever. (more…)

When dealing with panic attacks, a support group may be an option available. There are many reasons why it may be considered. Dealing with the attacks can be one reason. Learning how to keep our lives on track may be another. This can be helpful when we think about the others that share similar experiences.

The groups help us to connect with others easier than we think. The reason behind this, is the pain and suffering experienced. Although the experiences may be different, the general symptoms experienced are similar. We may also learn how others deal with their issues. This in turn can provide us with ideas that can help us. There are things that may work well for us, and these can be shared to help others. (more…)

As a natural tendency, we may try to avoid a panic attack. This is normal, as anything else we do in life we may try to avoid pain or danger. Is avoidance always good for us however?

There are two ways to look at avoiding a panic attack. The first one is trying to avoid having one. We may go about this in a variety of ways. This can mean applying many self help methods to reduce anxiety so that the odds of having an attack goes down a little, or it can mean seeking other help.

The next way this can be looked at, is that we may try to avoid a panic attack by dodging situations that we think may cause it. If we were in a restaurant when an attack happened, just the atmosphere, the situation, and the vivid memory of the experience is enough to get us worked up over it. (more…)

I read a marvelous article several days ago entitled, “Understanding the Anxious Mind.” Written by Robin Marantz Henig, it appeared in the September 29, 2009 edition of The New York Times Magazine. The article was so good I knew I’d have to spread the word moments after I began reading it. And you can be sure I’ll keep it handy for future reference.

Henig wrote about the longitudinal anxiety studies of Harvard psychology professor Jerome Kagan. Also featured was the work of Harvard psychiatrist Carl Schwartz who conducted follow up research on Kagan’s work.

Kagan’s studies focused upon the role of temperament in the predisposition for anxiety. His methodology consisted of establishing anxiety baselines in infants and tracking the unfolding of anxiety as the subjects progressed into adolescence and adulthood. The work brought to mind the temperament-based personality theory of Hans Eysenck, which I’ve written about in the past. (more…)