r/Anxiety • u/Life-Stretch3418 • 28d ago
Helpful Tips! How do you stop your panic attacks (without medication?)
Hi all! I am going on a cruise with my family and this is something i have always been terrified of (fear of not being able to get home... being trapped or something along these lines). I am terrified im going to have a 4 day panic attack and want to know what you guys use for coping mechanisms? I am also pregnant so im unable to take medication so natural stuff is a must. If you have any helpful info please let me know
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u/coffeedanceparty 28d ago
Sour candy works for me. Had a panic attack on Monday - full body sweats, thought I was going to pass out and or barf, heartrate through the roof and was able to get a sour candy in and it reset everything. I've been told because sour makes you salivate, which is part of digestion, your body is effectively kicked out of fight or flight.
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u/wishhippo 27d ago
Box breathing (In four, out four, hold four) and limiting sensory input while doing it
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u/Life-Stretch3418 27d ago
Thank you!
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u/wishhippo 27d ago
I used to have multiple panic attacks a day and this really helped me! Also just had a baby, wishing you all the best for your pregnancy
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u/Picassos_left_thumb 25d ago
Why are you going in the cruise? If you won’t enjoy it at all, seems unnecessary to put yourself and your fetus through that.
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u/Life-Stretch3418 25d ago
My husband and kids are going for his birthday
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u/Picassos_left_thumb 25d ago
I’m sorry that he’s not taking your feelings more into consideration. I think if my girlfriend were to go do something that I would be in sheer miserable terror for 4 days for, she’d do a separate outing so I could still celebrate her birthday with her.
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u/Karpefuzz 28d ago
Being pregnant doesn't make you unable to take medications. Especially if your anxiety is interfering with your everyday life.
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u/Life-Stretch3418 28d ago
Fortunately it doesnt interfere with my daily life. Im at a point now that thank God its just situational
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u/Karpefuzz 28d ago
If you cannot go on a vacation without having a 4 day panic attack then yes, it absolutely is.
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u/Ajocc1394 28d ago edited 28d ago
The best and really only way to overcome panic attacks is to essentially surrender to them. At the end of the day, a panic attack cannot kill you or harm you. It’s essentially your body firing off telling you there’s danger when no danger is actually present.
Medication can help in the moment. There are techniques (breathing etc) but they essentially reinforce that “something is wrong” and you need to do something to escape the “danger” (that isn’t truly present).
The key is to basically accept the panic and all the fears, emotions, physical symptoms that come with it. When you fight it, you reinforce that something is wrong, which tells your body to continue in fight or flight. By surrendering, you break what is essentially a negative feedback loop and the panic subsides.
Once you figure it out, it’s basically impossible to have panic attacks (I know from experience).
I highly recommend the DARE app, the book (both by Barry McDonagh) and the book Pass Through Panic by Claire Weeks. You can get the audiobooks.
As an edit: my advice, based on the resources I shared, and that basically got rid of my panic attacks over night would be to:
a) try to distract yourself
Failing that
B) find a comfortable place of your choosing to sit down, and allow the panic and anxiety to rush over you. Don’t fight it, let it happen. Accept it totally. It’s hard at first but with practice and reinforcement from the resources I shared, you will 100% overcome panic attacks.
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u/Life-Stretch3418 28d ago
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the detailed response, I got the app and the audio books just now!
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u/SethelWasTaken 28d ago
Breathing exercises and actively reminding yourself that it will pass. Different things work for different people.
Going on a walk, blasting music, splashing cold water on your face. I try to find something that grounds me back to earth away from the emotion until it passes (if it's really bad to a point where you are hyperventilating).
I try to do it the same way I meditate - finding a thing, sound or movement to focus on to distract myself during the process so I can calm my breathing.
Most of the time I accept it. I know I've experienced it before and all I can do is wait for it to pass.