Article: Panic attacks are the result of your body responding to a perceived trauma or threat. However, a pattern of panic attacks occurs due to the individual's anxiety related to the actual panic attack and his fear that the attack will be painful or harmful. This fear leads to increased anxiety, which can trigger another panic attack. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an evidence-based treatment for panic attacks, focuses on changing thoughts in order to alter your feelings (both physiological and psychological) and actions. Ironically, the fear of having a panic attack can lead to more panic attacks. Your fear of having a panic attack is directly related to your thoughts about having an attack. If you change your thoughts to more realistic evaluations, then you can prevent or lessen future attacks by reducing your anxiety and fear. It is important to de-catastrophize the effects of a panic attack. Instead of thinking, "I'm having a heart attack, or I feel like I'm going to die," change this thought to, "I am okay, I'm just having a panic attack, and it will pass." Use a panic attack thought record sheet in order to track your thoughts and actively change them in order to reduce future panic. Go to www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/PanicThoughtRecord.pdf. Allowing fears (especially worries about having a panic attack) to build up can increase the severity and frequency of panic attacks. Thus, reducing your fears by facing them head-on could alleviate panic because instead of avoiding the issue you are dealing with it appropriately. This helps to alleviate some of the anxiety that usually builds up and causes an attack. Instead of suppressing your fears or hoping they will go away, deal with them in a straight-forward manner. Label your fear. As you feel fear coming on assign a number to it from 1 to 10. Your fear likely won't stay at a high number for long, so as the number decreases you can feel more relieved. When you fear failure, try new things you've been afraid to do in the past. If you fear social situations, meet new people and accept invitations to parties and gatherings you may have declined in the past. Individuals who experience panic attacks may avoid emotions more often and not accept their feelings as often as those who do not experience panic attacks. Learning to accept your emotions instead of avoiding them could help to decrease the incidence of panic attacks because the more acceptance you have the less fear you might have about getting a panic attack. Since more fear and worry is associated with more panic attacks, less fear (and more acceptance) may help to reduce panic. When you feel a negative emotion - say to yourself, "This emotion is natural, and it gives me important information about how I am doing. It is okay to feel this emotion and I can get through it." Attempt to be in tune with your emotions (anxiety, panic) instead of avoiding them. Sit with the emotion and experience how it feels in your body and what thoughts you are thinking when you have that emotion. Sometimes we may worry about things we cannot control such as what others say or do, and what might happen in the future. However, thinking about what we cannot control is futile. Worrying about what you cannot control can increase anxiety, so avoiding this can help to decrease the fear and worry that may produce an attack. Observe your surroundings and situation and examine what is actually happening as opposed to what might happen or what you fear might happen. For example: Accept constructive criticism and praise for a job well done rather than worrying about how you could have performed better. Prepare for things that may be out of your control, whether it's a possible illness or a potential disaster. Build positive relationships with others. Let go of what others may think of you and embrace those who spend time with you.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Realize that trying to avoid the attack is part of the problem. Understand that the panic attack will pass and it will not kill you. Face your fears. Accept emotions in general. Focus on what you can control.