Panic attacks can happen unexpectedly and are often associated with other types of anxiety disorders. For those who have them, it’s important to find virtual panic attack support to provide assistance when panic attacks flare up or when symptoms get worse.
How Virtual Panic Attack Support Can Help
So, how does virtual panic attack support help? For starters, virtual programs provide access when and where you need them. Panic attacks can happen unexpectedly with very few indicators. That means people who are struggling with panic attack disorder or panic attacks as part of another disorder might need support on an ad hoc basis or need someone to check in a few times per week.
Focus on the Present
When you have panic attacks, sometimes you need support from other people to help you focus on the present.
Panic attacks can come with very little or no warning, but they are always grounded in anxiety. when you work with a panic attack support program, you can learn which go-to strategies work best to calm you down and help you focus on the present, like:
- Exercise
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Breathing
- Mindfulness
It can take time and practice to get accustomed to these types of techniques, which is why having virtual mental health treatment can be instrumental in giving you the guidance you need while you practice steps to reduce your overall anxiety and reduce your subsequent panic attacks.
Plans of Action
When you participate in a panic attack support program, you have the opportunity to work with people like yourself as well as qualified mental health professionals who can guide you through CBT practices that help you check your emotions and your anxiety levels on a regular basis and make plans to carry out some sort of action.
For example, if you catch yourself having anxious thoughts that often lead to a panic attack or you are in the middle of a minor panic attack, you can use CBT techniques to pause and ask yourself, “Can I do something practical about what’s worrying me?”
If the answer is ‘yes,’ then you need to work on a more specific plan of action, including:
- What is it I can do?
- How would I do that?
- When could I do that?
- Do I need other people or other things to do that?
- If I have to wait, when can I take action?
If there’s nothing you can do in the present moment then you can utilize other techniques like breathing exercises or progressive muscle relaxation. Then when those same worries start to come up again you can remind yourself that you already have an action plan and you don’t need to focus your attention on those symptoms or those emotions.
Sometimes working with someone can help you come up with these plans and to practice these techniques until they become second nature.
Medication Management
In some cases, you might be prescribed medication to help with panic attacks or other anxiety symptoms, in which case having panic attack support groups and programs can give you a way to monitor how you feel and discuss the effects of those medications.
In many cases, it can be helpful to discuss the impact of medication with someone outside of your medical care team as doctors tend to have limited time during appointments to talk about symptoms or fluctuations in your emotions and anxiety levels from day to day, but someone in a panic attack support group does.
Let Go
While anxiety is a natural part of human development and can serve a purpose, too much can lead to panic attacks. When working with a panic attack support program or panic attack support specialist, you can learn to accept the fact that you can’t control everything or eliminate anxiety or panic from your life entirely.
What you can do is much more effective: Identify the things that you can control or do something about and let go of the things you can’t by shifting your focus, relaxing, or distracting yourself.
Professionals and group programs can give you techniques to help you move on to something within your control, shift your focus, relax, or utilize self-care.
Getting Panic Attack Support from Aligned Living Group
At Aligned Living, we provide virtual panic attack support. These types of virtual mental health coaching services are straightforward and transparent, a form of virtual aftercare that can help anyone regardless of where they are in their recovery journey.
We offer significant flexibility with many of our virtual programs so you can choose to have longer sessions on a weekly basis or shorter check-in sessions at 15 minute increments spread out throughout the week. We are here to work with you and give you the support you need when panic attacks come back or get worse.