Many people who suffer from Panic Attacks or Generalized Anxiety Disorder have seen dramatic improvements results through the use of a managed regimen of relaxation techniques.  Relaxation techniques seek to force the mind to relax and unwind by doing the very same thing to the body.  Scientifically it is yet to be fully explained, but most clinicians agree that the technique tends to work because the mind of a relaxed person will normally relax emotionally.

Several subsets of this technique or practice are abounding in the press, but the majority of them surround controlled breathing nd the associated relaxation that follows. The slow breathing increases the content of carbon dioxide (CO2) in bloodsream. This then changes the chemistry of your body and has a flow-on effect that generally calms the nervous system.

The problem, however, that many people experience in the process of slowing down their breathing is that they have difficulty concentrating or become easily frustrated. Other people are very sensitive to increases of CO2 in their blood and get panicky. Therefore, for many people, managed breathing simply doesn’t work.

Specific Relaxation Regimen to prevent a Panic Attack 

• Get into a comfortable position, preferably prone, and concentrate on breathing deeply but slowly through the mouth.
• Focus on making each breath an extended and gentle process. Concentrate on keeping it up until you begin feel a sense of relaxation and visualize on a serene country or woodland setting.
• Use positive feedback and tell yourself – as you begin to relax – that it’s working.  This will produce a reinforcement of the effects and relaxation should increase.

Many people who attempt this technique are frustrated by their tendency to experience hyperventilation as a result of the altered CO2 content in their blood.  It is a practiced effect and a regular process that often results in the person simply falling asleep.  This is, in itself, a form of success in learning to manage your emotional via your physical state.  You should try to relax before you even begin this regimen and expect the sessions to last only 10-15 minutes.  The use of this technique should be daily with a single session, adding additional sessions when stress levels or anxiety begin to emerge.  Over time it will be possible to lengthen the interval between breathing sessions until you are doing them weekly instead of daily.  Then you should try eliminating them altogether and monitor your overall experience to determine if you can now avoid an anxiety attack.