How to deal with your panic attack .

A panic attack is a feeling of sudden and intense anxiety.

Panic attacks can also have physical symptoms, including shaking, feeling disorientated, nausea, rapid, irregular heartbeats, dry mouth, breathlessness, sweating and dizziness. 

The symptoms of a panic attack are not dangerous, but can be very frightening.

How to handle a panic attack

Professor Paul Salkovskis, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Applied Science at the University of Bath, says it's important not to let your fear of panic attacks control you.

• He says don't look for distractions. "Ride out the attack. Try to keep doing things. If possible, don't leave the situation until the anxiety has subsided." 
• "Confront your fear. If you don't run away from it, you're giving yourself a chance to discover that nothing's going to happen."
• As the anxiety begins to pass, start to focus on your surroundings and continue to do what you were doing before.

"If you’re having a short, sudden panic attack, it can be helpful to have someone with you, reassuring you that it will pass and the symptoms are nothing to worry about," says Professor Salkovskis.

Breathing exercise for panic attacks

If you’re breathing quickly during a panic attack, doing a breathing exercise can ease your other symptoms. Try this:

• Breathe in as slowly, deeply and gently as you can, through your nose. 
• Breathe out slowly, deeply and gently through your mouth. 
• Some people find it helpful to count steadily from one to five on each in-breath and each out-breath. 
• Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. 

You should start to feel better in a few minutes. You may feel tired afterwards.

Visit the No Panic website for another breathing exercise to calm panic.

panic-attacks.co.uk  give you reliable, practical, easy-to-understand information on how to control anxiety and panic disorder to help you towards a cure as quickly as possible.