Panick Attacks

You’re out there living your day to the fullest—walking in the sunshine, reading a great novel, cooking a special dinner—and suddenly, you’re stricken by irrational and intense terror. Nothing in the outside world has changed, but your heart is racing, you’re having trouble breathing and you feel a sense of impending doom.

Panic attacks such as this are common and could be a sign of panic disorder, an anxiety-related condition that affects as much as 5 percent of the population. Panic attacks are also marked by dizziness, shaking, fainting and fear of dying or of losing your mind. They are often linked to agoraphobia, an intense fear of open spaces. Overcoming panic attacks may require medical care. The natural remedies in this chapter—in conjunction with medical care and used with the approval of your doctor—may help prevent panic attacks or reduce their severity, according to some health professionals.

Aromatherapy

“Lavender is very calming in times of emotional or psychological distress,” says Los Angeles aromatic consultant John Steele. He suggests inhaling directly from the bottle or scenting a handkerchief with three or four drops of lavender essential oil. Inhale slowly and deeply whenever panic strikes, he says.

For information on preparing and administering essential oils, including cautions about their use, see page 19. For information on purchasing essential oils, refer to the resource list on page 633.

Flower Remedy/Essence Therapy

Anyone prone to panic attacks should keep a bottle of the emergency stress relief formula on hand, says Eve Campanelli, Ph.D., a holistic family practitioner in Beverly Hills, California. “Place three or four drops of the formula under the tongue as soon as you feel an attack coming on,” she recommends. “The effect is subtle, but it’s a very safe, effective way to restore emotional balance.”

The emergency stress relief formula, sold under brand names such as Calming Essence, Rescue Remedy and Five-Flower Formula, is available in most health food stores and through mail order (refer to the resource list on page 635). For information on preparing and administering the formula, see page 40.

Food Therapy

“Try to eat more whole grains, rice and millet,” advises Allan Magaziner, D.O., a nutritional medicine specialist and head of the Magaziner Medical Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “These foods are good sources of B vitamins, which have an overall calming effect and keep the nervous system healthy.” (For other food sources of the B vitamins, see “Getting What You Need” on page 142.) And, he adds, there’s another bonus: These foods are unprocessed. “It’s best to stay away from foods with artificial colorings, additives and sugar, because they can make panic attacks worse,” he says.

Homeopathy

“If someone experiences panic and shock following a traumatic event such as an earthquake, a car accident or seeing another person injured or killed, you might try giving him one 30C dose of Aconite. That will often calm a person down,” says Mitchell Fleisher, M.D., a family practice physician and homeopath in Colleen, Virginia.

Aconite is available in many health food stores. To purchase the remedy by mail, refer to the resource list on page 637.

Imagery

To subdue panic, close your eyes, breathe out very slowly three times and imagine that you are in a closed coffin wrapped like a mummy, writes New York City psychiatrist Gerald Epstein, M.D., in his book Healing Visualizations. Accept your feelings and stay with them for a long moment. Then push open the coffin, step out and unwrap your bandages. Make the bandages into a ball and throw the ball into a dark cloud, which has formed overhead. Watch the ball go into the center of the cloud and break it up. Allow the rain to wash over you, and realize that your panic is gone. Before you open your eyes, visualize the landscape around you.

Dr. Epstein suggests doing this for three minutes every one to two hours until the panic ebbs.

Relaxation and Meditation

Panic attacks can be helped by various forms of relaxation training, says Martin Shaffer, Ph.D., executive director of the Stress Management Institute in San Francisco and author of Life after Stress. It’s a matter of finding the one that works best for you. Ask your therapist for help or see page 113 for a brief description of each of these techniques and how to use them.

Yoga

Fifteen to 20 minutes of daily meditation (see page 153) will give you the strength and courage to beat panic attacks, says Alice Christensen, founder and executive director of the American Yoga Association. Meditation calms and focuses your mind, she says, helping you to overcome the fear and feelings of helplessness that can trigger an attack.

In addition to meditation, Christensen suggests a daily routine of at least six yoga poses. She says to include those that require a complete breath movement, such as the standing sun (page 607), windmill (page 610) and seated sun (page 616). This will help make you physically strong and more able to cope with stress, she explains. Choose your poses from the Daily Routine, which begins on page 606, and be sure to vary the poses from day to day. This will keep your interest high and strengthen different parts of your body, according to Christensen.

See also Anxiety; Phobias