Self-Help and Tips for Recovery

One of the most important things in working towards recovery is a good support system. This consists of support groups, such as a group of people with whom you can relate, where you can talk and express your feelings and know you are not alone. Another way to get help is to enlist the support of friends and family members. You may want to share books about this disorder and other materials with them so they can better understand panic disorder and its treatment.

Exercise of Specific Types:

Certain exercises are also very helpful in reducing the number and intensity of panic attacks:

• Yoga - It incorporates breathing, and it is deeply meditative as well as being centering. Aerobic exercise because it lifts your mood, and alleviates "sluggishness", and strengthening exercises, such as sit-ups, pushups, squats, because a strong body, a capable body, can translate to a strong mind.
• Abdominal Breathing - Begin by breathing in slowly, through your nose while mentally counting to five. When you are inhaling, picture the air going down into your stomach, not your lungs. Put your hand on your stomach and you should feel it expanding. Now, slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of five. Picture the air emptying out of your stomach until it's totally expelled. Repeat this ten times during practice and as long as needed when you are experiencing symptoms. If you are doing it properly, your shoulders and chest will have very little, if any movement, whatsoever. It's important to practice this everyday so that it will be second nature to you.
• Self-Talk - Replace the Negative with the Positive. You can change your negative self-talk with awareness and practice. Next are some types of negative self-talk, paired with positive alternatives.

  Focusing only on problems: This is the essence of complaining. We dwell on the problem, instead of solutions. Instead: Assume most problems have solutions, and ask "How do I want this situation to be different?"

  Catastrophizing: Every bad thing that happens is a horrible disaster. Instead: Be realistic in your assessment and stop scaring yourself. Yes, bad things do happen, and many bad things are often inconveniences, mistakes, and foul-ups---not necessarily traumas, tragedies, or disasters.

  Expecting the worst: "What if he doesn't like me?" "What if I don't pass the exam?" Expecting the worst does not encourage you to behave effectively. Expecting the worst only promotes anxiety. Instead: Ask questions that presuppose positive outcomes. "How can I make a favorable impression?" "How can I prepare for the exam?"

  Blaming: We assign guilt, instead of solving the problem. If we can blame others, then we can feel vindicated in any wrong-doing and avoid responsibility. Instead: Focus on what YOU can do to promote a solution to the problem.

  To maintain positive self-talk, fill your mind with uplifting ideas. Recognize your strengths. Comfort yourself when things go wrong. Let your self-talk be like the soothing, supportive words of a counselor, friend, or mentor. As you improve your self-talk, commit to changing your actions accordingly. Lasting accomplishments come when we change our behaviors as well as our thinking.

• A Basic Meditation Sit in a chair with your back straight and ankles crossed or in a comfortable cross-legged position on the floor. Fold your hands gently in your lap and close your eyes. Take a few deep diaphragmatic breaths. Then let your breathing find its own level. Imagine that a beam of rainbow light is entering the center of your forehead. You don't actually have to see anything (although you may), just imagine the presence of a light. Imagine that the light travels down the center of your body and diffuses into all of your cells. Repeat silently to yourself a few times, "I am in The Light. I am filled with The Light."
• Relaxation Techniques - Relaxation techniques can be a useful way to help yourself feel better when you are depressed, stressed out, or angry. To try a relaxation technique on your own, simply follow these directions:

  Mental Imagery Relaxation: As you focus on your mental image more-and-more, you direct your attention away from anxiety provoking situations. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply and slowly. Think of a place where you feel entirely safe and comfortable. Your place should be real, such as a childhood tree fort or a waterfall you once visited. It could be imagined, like a lush deserted island or in a castle high above the clouds. What does that place look like? What sorts of things are in your special place? What does that place sound like? Breathe deeply. Does your place have a particular smell? Imagine that smell. What does your place feel like? What is the temperature? Is it sunny or dark? Humid or dry? Your special place will always be somewhere you can go whenever you are scared or sad. You can also go there to simply relax. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes.