A Cure for Panic Attacks: Adjusting Your Attitude
March 26, 2012 
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A growing number of online sources offer a variety of natural cures to panic attacks. Many of them outline routines and various therapy programs that patients can adopt and practice on their own.
But just like any other debilitating condition, disorders require a change of attitude when it comes to finding a cure. Panic attacks are no exception.
A well-adjusted, positive attitude is critical when overcoming a disease as physically and psychologically crippling as chronic panic attacks. Medication and therapy can only go so far without the right amount of mental discipline, perseverance, and positivity; but having the right kind of attitude can mean the difference between resounding success and abject failure.
In this article we’ll examine just how a strong, positive attitude can help you, or a loved one, cure panic attacks. And how having a negative attitude can derail all that.
About Panic Attacks
A common question victims ask themselves during an episode is “am I having a panic attack”. It’s a simple question at face value, but cannot easily be answered without the expertise of a medical specialist.
However, the American Psychological Association has reported that an estimated one individual out of seventy five suffer from chronic panic attacks. It becomes even more problematic when these victims aren’t able to identify these episodes as panic attacks at all.
Most victims of panic attacks mistake their first episodes for heart attacks. Although the attacks are entirely different, sufferers easily cite similarities between the two.
The Mayo Clinic readily defines a panic attack as: “a sudden episode of intense fear that develops for no apparent reason and that triggers severe physical reactions.”
The symptoms of panic attacks are numerous but initially hard to distinguish from a standard anxiety attack. They can last for as short as ten minutes up to a whole seven days. And sadly, the anxiety of having another panic attack usually triggers the panic attacks themselves.
Here are just a handful of the symptoms found in acute panic attacks: Read More
- Sudden feelings of intense anxiety
- Heart palpitations accompanied by pains in the chest area
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Trembling and shaking of the hands
- Uncontrollable sweating
Despite these numerous symptoms, most people still have trouble communicating what it is actually like to suffer through a panic attack. This condition has known to affect millions of individuals all across the world in a variety of degrees.
But one thing is for sure, a panic attack strikes without word or warning, and can end up redefining your life, for the worse.
The After Effects of Panic Attacks
Much like any other sort of physical or psychological attack, the after effects are felt long after the episode has been over.
Most sufferers of panic disorders find themselves in constant fear of the next attack. They are paralyzed both mentally and socially as the fear begins to eat away at their work, their relationships and their personal well-being.
Although panic disorders can be diagnosed by doctors, their existence is very much psychological as they are physical. But that doesn’t mean the condition is any less severe.
However, their psychological nature makes it even more important to reinforce yourself with enough positivity to overcome it.
This is where a healthy attitude becomes important.
A Healthy Life is a Healthy Attitude
Make no mistake, adopting a strong, solid and positive attitude is easier said than done. The very nature of panic attacks is that they leave their victims vulnerable, helpless and hopeless.
It takes an extra amount of effort to prepare both your body and your mind to tackle panic disorders with any shred of optimism.
However, the success of any cure is hinged on the fact that there is hope. The right attitude to curing a panic disorder involves:
- Being able to celebrate the “ups” and cope with the “downs”.
- Realizing that relapses are inevitable.
- Accepting that a cure will take time.
- Knowing that the road ahead will be difficult, but a cure is possible.
The previous points may sound like the mantra of a fatalist, but in truth, victims of panic disorders need to steel themselves for the struggle ahead. Unlike other conditions that can be easily cured with a magic pill or a trip to the doctor, panic attacks need to be resolved through time and persistence.
Victims committed to curing themselves need to be able to recognize that there will be more than a few pitfalls. But having a positive attitude means being able to get back up even after falling face down.
Celebrating the “Ups” and Coping with the “Downs”
When working on a cure to panic attacks it is important to celebrate the “ups” while coping with the “downs”. Like any other life, there will be good days and there will be bad days. But it is imperative that the bad days don’t get the best of you.
Most patients tend to believe that any onset of attacks is a clear sign of regression. It’s easy to come to that conclusion after weeks of steadily reduced panic attacks, only to be caught of guard by an episode that last days on end. However, this is all part of the healing process.
Studies have shown that dramatic relapses as late as two months of steady progress. This does not mean that the patient has failed. Relapses occur for a good number of reasons.
Sometimes a relapse is triggered by physical illness or mental strain and stress. Other times, a relapse can be triggered when the victim begins to fall back to old habits that have aggravated his or her panic attacks through the years. Sadly, there might be no sound reason why there was a relapse in the first place. But the fact of the matter is that the victim should be willing to pick his or herself back up again.
A Negative Attitude is the First Step Towards Failure
People suffering from panic attacks need to understand that relapses are inevitable. Setbacks and pitfalls are a fact of life, and that is a truth that extends far beyond panic attacks. But under no circumstances should you believe that simply living with this condition is a better alternative.
Most of the time, individuals unable to cope with the stress of a changed lifestyle hides behind a number of excuses:
1. The effects are just too much to bear.
Although this reason is most likely true, it is unfair to both yourself and your loved ones to choose a life of social and mental paralysis over one that allows you to be free and fearless. As mentioned earlier, the road to recovery is a long and difficult one, but having a negative attitude is a step in the opposite direction. Panic attacks can be debilitating, but taking control of the condition is the first step in making sure that the condition doesn’t take control of you.
2. They’ve tried and failed miserably.
For anyone suffering from chronic panic attacks, it’s only normal to try a variety of different cures before finding something that works (if any). After countless kinds of programs, therapies, pills, and drugs it’s easy to lose hope with another empty promise. But the fact of the matter is that your attitude has to align with the goal you’re setting yourself up for. If you’re anticipating failure from the beginning, then you’ll most probably find it sooner than you think.
3. They’ve been sick for too long already.
Despite what a majority of individuals might think, studies have shown that recovery has nothing to do with the length of time you’ve had the condition. An individual who has been having panic attacks for two decades can just as easily be cured alongside someone who’s had it for two weeks. What differs is the manner that these two people have become accustomed to their respective lifestyles. Habits and routines are harder to break after having them for such a long period of time. But with hard work and determination even that can be overcome.
Getting Back Your Life, One Day at a Time
In the end, panic attacks can’t be cured by a positive attitude alone, but it is essential in being able to continue down the path to recovery day after day, week after week, month after month. Despite the daunting inevitability of a relapse, you need to be steadfast and committed to your goal.
The sooner you accept that the road ahead will not be easy, the sooner you’ll be able to begin rebuilding your life.
There is no miracle cure to panic attacks. There is no magic drug, silver bullet or overnight therapy that frees us from the crippling effects of panic and anxiety. It takes time, dedication, patience and perseverance to soldier through the worst of it.
But it is never too late to start, and it is never too late to start changing your attitude for the better. And it is something you can begin doing one day at a time, bit by bit.
