How to control the anxiety crisis:
Explanation:
1. Take attention away from symptoms
: One of the main reasons for the anxiety crisis to become more intense is to start worrying even more about the symptoms that are coming up. Chest pain begins to feel like a heart attack and this creates even more fear, accelerating the heart and increasing the impact. It is critical to divert attention from symptoms and focus on a specific activity, such as breathing control.
2. Slow down breathing: When you notice a seizure coming, hold your breath, place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest and start breathing slowly using the diaphragm. Inhale through your nose, hold your breath for three seconds and exhale through your mouth slowly. You should feel the abdomen rising and falling. Keep this breathing rhythm until you feel muscle relaxation and clarity of thought.
3. Relax the muscles: The immediate tendency of a person experiencing an anxiety attack is to contract the muscles as a defense, however this contraction ends up bringing more pain and discomfort, intensifying the sensation of heaviness. Once breathing is controlled, begin the process of muscle relaxation. Turn your attention to the muscles, relaxing one at a time from exhalation. Start with your head and neck and move to areas most affected by stress, such as the jaw, mouth, neck, and shoulders.
4. Get distracted: Another common activity during a crisis is to whirl through thoughts, causing an emotional overload. The rush of adrenaline awakens our nervous system and leaves the mind alert. The way out of this is to slow the thoughts down by creating distractions outside of them. If you are with someone you know, try to start a conversation and pay attention only to them. If you are alone, try to count from 1 to 10 over and over, sing a song, recite a story, make lists, or any other mental activity that gets you out of trouble.
5. Use guided imagination: Think of a place that you feel peaceful and relaxed. As you think of this place, keep adding details to the scene. Focus your whole mind on the field of imagination. This type of activity is very effective in turning your mind off anxiety symptoms and calming your breath.
