Turbo Brag

There are some tried and true techniques that work for me, so I'm not sure if they work for anyone else.

Most important: Square breathing. It's not magical, it's not a magic bullet, but it's a step in the right direction, and it can stop a panic attack cold in it's tracks when applied once you realize on is coming on.

Square Breathing Inhale for four full seconds. HOLD for four full seconds. EXHALE for four full seconds. HOLD for four full seconds.

Why is this good? It's a measured way to breathe that insures that you are getting two exact measured breaths, which are enough to get the CO2 out (most important in a panic attack) and get enough oxygen in.

This is effective at both the beginning (where you feel the hot rush of adrenaline running through your brain like an angry wave.) and during the worst stages (when your face is going numb, and you're getting feelings of impending doom)

This is a tried and true method used by military snipers around the world to calm themselves in tense situations when they need to aim.

The STOP method Very simple. When you start having racing thoughts, imagine a BRIGHT, GIANT stop sign, and scream the word STOP inside your own head. You need to silence your mind before you can distract it. This is effective.

** Repetitive movement** You're full of nervous energy, use it up. Grab a plastic bottle and drum out a drum beat, distract yourself with something simple like that. Keep that drum beat going. Focus on it. There's nothing 'magical' about it, but it's a repetitive movement that can help you reign in those thoughts.

For people with palpitations and arrythmias A lot of us get crazy heart palpitations, from the mild PMC (lub dub.. lub dub... lub du............................................... DUB lubdublubdlub lub dub lub dub. You all know what I'm talking about) to the scarier arrythmia, where your heart races on a 'creative' rhythm. This was taught to me by a fighter pilot at a bar, and it's incredibly effective.

COUGH as hard and as quickly as you can, it's called 'bearing down' and 9 times out of 10 it will put your heart in the right beat. YOU CANNOT HURT YOURSELF DOING THIS. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE. Sometimes it takes a few tries until you get it right, but it works almost every time once you figure it out.

Focus on a still object Moving objects can distract a hyper vigilant brain which is looking for sources of danger, stare at something at the ground while you do everything else. It gives you less to scare you while you're trying to get a grasp on everything.

Drink cold water Get a glass of water and drink it. This will make you breathe properly, and your body has a natural calming reaction to a drinking water. Might be a survival instinct, who knows, but it calms most people down.

MOST IMPORTANTLY It takes 15 seconds for your adrenal glands to stop pumping adrenaline into your blood stream, and 15 seconds for your body to stop reacting to it. Give these techniques time to work, ride through the adrenaline, it WILL go away.

REMEMBER You are not crazy, this is just the chemicals in your brain going haywire. Everyone has a mental problem. Everyone. You just happen to have one that's simple, but very scary. After some time, you will become comfortable with the adrenaline, with the rush, and you'll be stronger for it.