Alcohol Abuse Advice

How to Avoid Panic Attacks – 4 Tips to Help You Cope With Panic Attacks

In order to avoid triggering panic attacks, suffers should take note of the following points:

Alcohol

Reduce your alcohol intake…or stop drinking altogether. Studies have shown that alcohol can cause depression and vitamin deficiencies, which can worsen your panic symptoms. Alcohol will also cause hyperactivity in the nervous system and elevates alertness. Although being alert is not necessarily a bad thing, this increase in alertness can causes agitation and irritability and make you more susceptible to panic attacks.

Caffeine

Same thing with alcohol. Reduce intake or avoid it completely. Tea, coffee, coke are a few examples that you should avoid. In numerous studies, caffeine has been shown to provoke panic attacks in people with panic attacks. In addition, it may increase anxiety and cause insomnia (which most panic attacks suffers are already experiencing).

Cigarettes

Stop smoking, there is no better incentive to stop smoking than the fact it will reduce the frequency and severity of your panic attacks. A study on thousands of smokers have shown that they are three times more likely to have panic attacks as compared to non-smokers.

There’s a range of products like nicotine lozenges and gums which smokers can use to help them slowly kick the habit.

Food

Watch your diet and avoid food/drinks which are high in sugar contents. Sugar causes hyperactivity, thereby bringing about emotional imbalance that may ultimately lead to panic attacks. Sugar also initiates mood swings. The sugar from the starchy and simple carbohydrates that you eat when digested and assimilated will lead to fermentation and subsequently broken down into alcohol (as mentioned earlier, alcohol raises stress levels that can lead to panic attacks).

Contrary to popular beliefs, this body-made alcohol is no different than the alcohol that you purchase from the local liquor store.

Maintaining healthy eating habits is a very important step in getting rid of panic attacks. With a proper balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, you will be able to reduce the frequency and severity of the panic attacks and hence makes it easier to overcome.