My high stress life style is pumping up my BP

what might is the best way to stop a Panic Attack in it"s Tracks

I've had Panic attacks since 1985. A panic attack involves a lot of biochemical changes so stopping it dead in its tracks is unlikely but you'll probably feel much better after a session. Since I've been using resperate, I no longer get full blown panic attacks. When I feel one coming on, I strap on my resperate and hope for the best. In my case, bringing my breathing under control breaks the cycle of the attack and by the end of my resperate session I feel much better. Sometimes I do an additional session immediately after for deeper relaxation. Good luck!

what might is the best way to stop a Panic Attack in it"s Tracks ?

One thing I find that helps is this EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). It little tricky to get on to and one can feel a little foolish thumping around on the body, but strangely it seems to work. The positive affirmations, the simulation of nerve endings, the distraction from our anxiety producers combine to give it an effect.

"Even though I'm feeling a panic, I'm a good person."
"Even though I'm feeling a panic coming on, I chose to be calm, I am calm."
"Even if I have a panic attack, I'm an ok person, I will live."

When I'm in public I just think the steps, I don't actually do them .. and it still works. When I'm alone, I will often go through the steps.

Nothing like a nice slow breath or two, and conscious relaxation of body ... it helps too.

I have this image of wonderful place I was on warm summer day, in a meadow, with butterflies around me in an ocean of flowers and the sun shinning, and world be all beautiful and hopeful. When in stress, I often close my eyes and bring up all that wonderful feeling again, the smell, the feel of gentle summer breeze on my skin, the feeling of the sun's warmth, the huming of the bees in the flowers, the explosion of color around me. It can be very peaceful.

good luck ....

I actually have a young family member (20 yrs old) who has been suffering from anxiety attacks since she was 17. Her doctor put her on Xanax. In my own personal opinion I thought that the doctor was too quick in this decision. This actually upset me. I ended up getting her a RESPeRATE device. Ok, she's a 20 yr old college student. She does not faithfully use it, but she says that she DOES actually use it. She says it helped her learn about the way she breathes. She is more conscious about her body and recognizes when she is about to get an anxiety attack. She does admit that if she is at home she will do a session to help calm her. If she is in the car driving and gets one, she said she will pull over and begin deep breathing to try to calm herself down.
She has gotten fewer attacks since last summer, when I got her the RESPeRATE.
Hopefully you all will have the same response.
Breathe Easy!
Marguerite (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

I never thought of doing that Marguerite but this weekend it happened to me, since I was the passenger and my wife was driving, I started breathing to the tones as I remembered them and by the time we reached the store, I aborted the panic attack and was feeling fine and relaxed. I love this machine!

My best experience has been with airplanes. I was terrified of flying, even though I have flown over 100 times and 150,000 miles. My biggest fears lie in the takeoff and first 10 minutes of flight - I set on my resperate, nobody is the wiser around me, go through the motions and during what is supposed to be my single biggest fear (besides dying) I find I am more relaxed. Granted, the whole mountain thing is still there, but controlled breathing does appear to be one of the keys to reducing anxiety, facial flushing, numbness, tingling, chest pains, shortness of breath, etc. Believe me, it is better than the anxiety alone.

1. Ice or bagged veggies from freezer on BACK OF NECK, it makes your body think that it is diving into frozen water, so the body will slow down its heart rate to compensate. Old pyschiatrist trick.

2. Deep breathing into a brown paper bag, believe me you are hyperventilating. Get a .50 brown bag and carry it in your car or at work.

3. Make it as bad as you can, run out of your house, run up the stairs and if you survive, well, you will be just as fine as you were the 400 other times you had an attack.

4. Tell yourself it will not harm you. Feels like all hell, but it probably will not hurt you.

5. Get full workup: echo, nuclear stress test, EKG, check BP, etc. If you heart is fine, it is likely anxiety.