Imagine a horrifying experience that you would never want to go through again – a pounding heart, sweating, flushed face, rapid breathing, shivering, dizziness and unstable legs. Now, imagine being unable to keep that feeling from taking hold of you multiple times in your life, or even multiple times a week. Panic attacks are a serious problem for a great number of people. Women tend to experience panic attacks more often than men do and in many cases, panic attacks tend to occur in the morning. Morning panic attacks often create a vicious cycle that keeps many people from enjoying daily life. Fortunately, you can learn how to stop panic attacks in the morning to enjoy a healthier and happier life. First, we will take a look at why panic attacks tend to occur in the morning.
Why Panic Attacks Occur in the Morning
In order to learn how to stop panic attacks in the morning, it helps to understand exactly why you are feeling the way you do. The morning is when we start to think about all the anxiety and stress we need to face throughout the course of the day, so it makes sense that panic attacks tend to occur more often in the morning. The stress from the day can last up until we go to sleep, which is when our minds are relaxed and finally able to forget about daily happenings. After we face all the stress of the day, most of us can put our minds at peace. However, the following morning the anxious mind once again faces the reality of another stress-filled day, which can trigger another panic attack.
Panic attack disorder is the hardest anxiety disorder to treat because of the vicious cycle that it creates. Cyclic morning panic attacks leave the sufferer feeling discouraged and wanting to hide rather than confront the panic. This can create severe anxiety, depression and even agoraphobia (fear of leaving the house due to panic attacks). A major problem for people with excessive panic attacks is the feeling of being unable to control them. Therefore, the first step in learning how to stop panic attacks in the morning is to learn how to control the panic.
Ways to Control the Panic
There is hope for people suffering from morning panic attacks. Once you learn how to deal with panic attacks the right way, you can begin to feel better as you anticipate one coming on and gain control of the situation. If you want to learn how to stop panic attacks, here are some important steps to take:
- Simply understand that panic attacks and other anxiety problems are extremely common. Avoid beating yourself up about panic attacks. Always remember that you are not a bad person or a “freak”.
- Talk to your doctor. Ruling out the possibility of related mental illnesses will bring added insight into how to stop panic attacks in the morning.
- Take a time out to keep stress levels under control. Relax and do something you enjoy.
- Practice deep abdominal breathing for a few minutes each day for relaxation.
- Understand the panic attack. One effective way to learn how to stop panic attacks is to reassure yourself that it will not do you harm and that it always goes away no matter how bad it feels at the time.
- Improve your diet. Eat vegetables, fresh fruit, eggs and fish. Also, cut down on processed carbohydrates while avoiding stimulants, alcohol as well as fatty and sugary foods and drinks.
- Take a moment to appreciate the good things in your life. This could be your family, dog, friends or even something simple like the sunshine or your garden. Make a mental list of three good things to remind yourself that your life is more than the panic attacks you experience.
- Remind yourself that you are not alone.
Practice Makes Progress
With enough practice, you can learn how to stop panic attacks in the morning. Practice will also help you learn how to stop panic attacks before the attacks have a chance to intensify and leave you feeling even more debilitated. Remember that the goal of these steps is to help you control panic attacks and to ultimately break the cycle of morning panic that disrupts your daily life.
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