How can you deal with panic attacks without medication?
32 Answers
Last Updated: 05/13/2019 at 2:19am
Moderated by
Johanna Liasides, MSc, PhDc
Psychologist
I work with youth and young adults to help them improve depressive symptoms and self-esteem as well as effectively address family, relationship and peer conflicts.
Top Rated Answers
Panic attacks are awful! I get them sometimes, and I'm not currently on any medication. What helps me survive a panic attack are grounding exercises. My go-tos are the 5 senses exercise and a specific breathing exercise. For the 5 senses exercise, I try to find five specific things i can see, four things i can feel, three things I can hear, two things I can smell, and one thing I can taste. If I can't smell or taste anything, then I think of something that has a strong scent or taste and concentrate on that. For the breathing exercise, I generally go with breathing in for four counts, holding my breath for two counts, and breathing out for four counts. Hope this helps!!
Anonymous
December 21st, 2014 2:54pm
If you can, try to distance yourself from the stressor. Be internally mindful by observing your body's reaction to the stress and then try to release that tension. Breathing deeply and mindfully can help to calm you physically and emotionally. Re-ground yourself in reality by using your 5 senses observe your environment without passing judgement.
meditations, exercise, yoga , painting, writing and talking with folks on 7 cups of tea! All these in one day can make a person feel much better.
Something that really helps me is to identify the attack as it is beginning and before it can get any worse I make it stop or reduce it through a breathing exercise in which I breath in, hold my breath for 6-7 seconds and then let it out slowly. I repeat this until I am calmer. I hope this helps.
Anonymous
December 12th, 2014 10:55pm
I drink a glass of water while holding my breath, then take a nice big breath afterwards. A good way to practice breaths is to breathe in slowly through the nose, filling up your belly area, then exhale slowly through the mouth.
Anonymous
January 16th, 2017 7:34am
Panic attacks are a frightening thing to experience. Several things you can do to deal with them without the use of medication is when you feel them coming on take slow deep breaths focusing on your breathing not the way you're feeling. Another way you can accompish this by talking through how you feel.
By changing your focus on a single piece of target and talking to yourself under breath that you can deal this
Anonymous
February 8th, 2016 9:01am
Try breathing in cycles. Deep breaths, counting from 1 to 10. Just opserving how air inhales in and out.
Anonymous
January 25th, 2016 7:29am
one way to deal with it is telling yourself you are having a panic attack. Telling yourself that you are having a panic attack and that you will be fine calms you down knowing you will be okay
Anonymous
December 29th, 2014 7:27pm
Use diaphramatic breathibg. Take deep breaths, feeling it fill up your abdomen. Use thoughts reassuring it will be okay. Find 5 unstressing objects in the room and identify them.
Because I have personally dealt with panic attacks, I know there are times that you really don't know what to do when you are having a panic attack. I think the best thing is to recognize your "triggers". For example, I know a panic attack is coming on when my throat feels like it is closing up and I feel like I will choke if I try to swallow. I usually focus on my breathing and think myself out of it. "Breathe in, Cosmos, visualize your diaphragm contracting, pulling your lungs down as they fill with air. See, you are breathing, now, exhale slowly, push out the fear, the dread, the nervousness." Try to assure yourself that it's not the end of the world and that you can get through it!
Learn to control you're breathing. If you feel that you're going to have a panic attack, take slow long breaths and try to calm yourself. Take stock of your surroundings and focus on your breathing.
Anonymous
December 12th, 2014 9:55pm
Relax your muscles. Take slow deep breaths and count to 5. Close your eyes and focus on squeezing your toes on every fifth count. Sometimes going outside for fresh air helps too!
This may be discovered through trial and error with yourself, but there are a variety of tools that people find helpful such as counting techniques, holding grounding objects, breathing exercises, showers, touch from another, etc. I would look into DBT skill building and build a plan that works best for you. If you have a mental health provider, state that you would like to build a plan together for when you start to feel one coming on.
Breathe! Breathing is the best thing you could ever do. First, you need to remember in your head to breathe in and out. That's the first thing you should always think about when you have a panic attack. Also, think of some things that calm you down. Does music calm you down? A person? Try and find that and stay away from things that trigger panic attacks as much as possible
Anonymous
September 26th, 2016 7:56pm
Medication can be helpful, but there are many stress management techniques such as controlled breathing and meditation that can greatly help.
There are many ways to cope with panic attacks without medication. From my experience with panic attacks, I usually focus on my breathing to stop my from hyperventilating. I try to get some music that I know calms me down. I think about one thought to distract me from my panicking. But in the end you know you best, so find whatever method works best for you.
I put my favorite song on. I take deep breathes. Sing the song and if you must you can pace in a private place. Allow yourself to calm down. If you want you can also sit in a meditating position and just take deep breathes in and out until you are calm. Try to do this outside because I know feeling enclosed in walls could possibly make you feel worse. Take your time to soothe yourself do not rush it.
There are actually a lot of ways to do this. If you have the patience for meditation i've heard it works perfectly. I personally make chamomile tea. It has a slight sedative effect and can also help you sleep better. Find it in the tea isle of any grocery store, but make sure to get pure chamomile or a tea blend by Yogi. Some people mix tea herbs and the taste can turn out to be not very good.
When you are panicking, try taking a deep breath in, tensing all of the muscles in your body at the same time. Hold it for 5 seconds, and then as you exhale and relax your body, picture yourself blowing out the anxiety/emotional tension. Keep doing this until you're calmer.
Something else you could do would be something called progressive muscle relaxation. You could google it, put on a youtube video, and listen to what it says.
Anonymous
March 15th, 2016 8:02pm
There is this one way that you could do and pretty much you look at one thing and compare it to another than smell and compare it to other smells and repeat and go though all the sesnses until you feel calm
Anonymous
December 24th, 2014 3:25am
I deal with them by trying not to think of things that would make me panic. Example; thinking of an upcoming test I think I might do bad in or a place that I don't know anyone in.
Anonymous
January 3rd, 2015 1:47pm
Just stop thinking. Deep breaths. People ask you to count, but I think what I'm gonna say would be better. Think of a word, or just something like 'um' 'om' just something like it, just concentrate on that word. People use it while meditating it helps you concentrate. But During panic attacks when you start concentrating on anything else, you tend to relax. When you know your mind is calm take a few deep breaths and then just do something light, like listen to silent or nature's music.
Breathe thoroughly in and out to calm yourself down. This could help keep your brain calm and less stressed
I find when I am having a panic attack, before I choose to take any medication, I bring myself to a quiet place where I can control my thoughts and calm down my body. I close my eyes, take deep breathes, and drink a full glass of water.
Anonymous
September 14th, 2015 12:23am
Find something that calms you. This can be different for each individual. For example, listening to music or breathing exercises. Find what helps relax you and helps you refocus.
Anonymous
May 31st, 2015 3:46pm
With techniques, such as box-breathing (breathe in 4 seconds, out 5 seconds) and room sweeping (go around the room NAMING every single object you see no matter how familiar). There are tons of them.
I breath deep and hold my breath for a mere 10 seconds, eyes closed, i listen to beating of my heart... the pulsating feeling resonates in my ears... and when i exhale i open my eyes. The opening of the eyes makes me focus on my surroundings temporarily diverting my focus from my attack. If i have water nearby, i take it... the colder the better, it calms the nerves and the chill jolts my senses again diverting my attention.
Anonymous
May 27th, 2015 12:56pm
Yes, there are many different ways to deal with panic attacks including different breathing techniques and different types of cbt.
Anonymous
May 24th, 2015 7:55pm
There are lots of different coping techniques for panic attacks that can help you manage them without medication. Different things work for different people.
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