Those who have suffered from Panic attacks know that they are one of the most unbearable and traumatic experiences out there. You may feel like you are stuck with these for life and that going outside of the safety of your four walls will prove to be a lot harder than normal. However, I hope that I can offer some true advice, and help you get over these fucking horrible experiences.

I am 19 and I have been suffering from panic attacks and anxiety for almost 2 years. When I had my first ever 'attack' I was left very confused as to what had happened to me. For a period of time the simplest of tasks and interactions would induce panic attacks. Walking into a bar, supermarket, crowded place or even sitting at the dinner table with my loved ones would cause me anxiety. I avoided going out for months. Previous to these attacks there was a space of about a year and a half where I was 'clinically diagnosed' with depression. But I can tell you for certain that none of the lows I had in that period came anywhere near to how excruciating these panic attacks were.

The physical symptoms and sensations people experience when having a panic attack can vary from person to person. For me the most distinctive are as follows:
 - Dizziness,
 - A powerful sense that space and time has slowed down; almost similar to the 'slow motion' cliché,
 - A fucking fast heart rate,
 - A numb feeling throughout your limbs and chest,
 - Nausea.

As far as mental symptoms, these are the strongest and most consistent ones:
 - "What the fuck is happening?"
 - "The last time I felt this shit was one I had that bad trip on that shit weed I smoked once."
 - "I need to run home and curl up in a ball in my bed."
 -  The strong belief that at some point you are going to collapse and die.

Now, as horrible as all these are I can tell you that if you work hard enough at it, you can overcome anxiety. I can offer you some advice that I have learnt and now use RELIGIOUSLY, but you however, have to do the hard bit.

Here are some FACTS that will help you realise that panic attacks are merely a creation of the mind.

• Everything, and I mean every living thing you can think of ... is IMPERMINENT. Nothing lasts forever. Proof of this is that no panic attack has ever lasted for ever. Feelings of anxiety will pass if you stay with them. (Fight the anxiety, instead of flying from it).
•  The physical sensations that you experience when having a panic attack are a product of your brain MISTAKEDLY receiving a dangerous situation and therefore sending ADRENALINE into your body. Adrenaline is useful when fighting the school bully, cycling down a steep hill or dodging fast cars coming towards you, BUT when you are sitting still the effects of adrenaline racing around in your body is quite fucking unpleasant.
•  It is impossible to faint or worse; die, from a panic attack! You are not going to faint because fainting is caused by a low pulse and you will have a heart attack!

These facts may seem all well and good, but you are probably more worried about what to actually do when having a panic attack. Here are some exercises and thoughts that will help you if you try hard enough and believe what you are telling yourself.

• BREATHE. Deep breaths help, but most people do not do them properly and therefore give up and go back to hyperventilating again. One method is to try breathing in through the nose for six seconds (or as long as you can), pause for two seconds, and then breathe out of your mouth for eight seconds (or as long as you can). Another method is to take a really deep breath in through the nose, pause for two seconds, and then breath out through the nose but breathing out through the mouth towards the end of the out-breath.
• As mentioned above, think and tell yourself that THIS WILL NOT LAST. However you must stay with the attack and 'let it in', instead of running from it or a situation.
• Tell the people around you how you are feeling. This will eliminate the fear of being humiliated or someone noticing you acting odd. If the company you are with are not the type that will be sympathetic got to the toilet or the bar etc... but do not leave.
• Try not to fidget. Restlessness not only looks nervy but can make the panic worse. If you try and stay as still as you can and see what the attack has to offer (a sort of "fucking bring it on" attitude) I personally guarantee that the attack will be over sooner.

Although you may feel like you have overcome this momentary attack, this does not mean that you won't ever feel anxious again. You have to put in hard work in order to overcome anxiety as much as you can. Here are some exercises and thoughts that will help you in the long term.

• MINDFULNESS. I won't go into this in too much detail but I would almost say that practising and believing in mindfulness is one of the most important and influential ways of battling anxiety. It is the teaching that you need to stop cruising through life in 'auto-pilot'. Tap in to how you are feeling (good or bad). If you are feeling shite, don't banish it, just sit there and recognise that you feel like shit and that it will pass. This leads to one of my biggest DO NOT's:
• AVOIDANCE. If you are feeling like crap or there is an event coming up that you know is going to make you feel anxious do not avoid it. If you do, yes it may offer you momentary relief, but in the long term it is crippling. Don't avoid how you feel! Tune into you emotional world and just ACCEPT how you feel. Put yourself in anxious situations that you are scared of because I can guarantee you that you will get through it. Yes you may feel anxious or have a panic attack, but these feelings won't last and you will feel better for it least TRYING.
• BODY SCAN. This exercise may not suit all, but I can honestly tell you that it has worked wonders for me and that I try my very best to practice it daily. I am not going to run through the whole exercise now as it will sound tedious but if you Google "mindfulness body scan audio/video" you will find it. You can do it lying down or anywhere sitting down or even walking down the street. I now do it without an audio aid. The relevance of this exercise is that it forces you to tune into not only your emotional world but also into the sensations that your body is experiencing. If you are feeling anxious or even having a full-blown panic attack, if you really try hard to focus in the exercise you will feel better after it. The body and sensations it gives off, is a window to the mind. (You feel emotions in your chest from thoughts that are in your head).
• Whilst your eyes are shut during the body scan I was taught these three phrases that I say to myself just after the exercise: "May you/I be well. May you/I be free from suffering. May you/I be at peace."
• I have also learnt four thoughts that I say to myself that help me before an event that I am anxious about or even during a panic attack. 1 - Is this feeling of anxiety beneficial to me? Is it helping me with this task or in general. (Do not force an answer, as one will come naturally.) 2 - Cultivate the opposite of restlessness and anxiety. Try and imagine or induce CONFIDENCE, CALM AND PEACE. 3 - Let whatever you are feeling in. If you are feeling anxious ALLOW IT. Recognise that you are feeling shit and see how it makes you feel physically and emotionally and see how long it lasts. 4 - "NO!" Be fucking angry. Tell the anxiety to piss off and that it isn't going to stop you. Don't let it cripple your potential! You have a choice.

I feel like I have mentioned every bit of help I can think of. If you believe the things I have mentioned that I say to myself and practise daily, there is a very strong chance that you will overcome your anxious THOUGHTS. (They are only thoughts. THEY ARE NOT FACT!) However the hard truth that you have to realise is that you will never be truly rid of panic attacks or anxiety. It sounds counterintuitive but you have to BEFRIEND your anxiety. "Shine the light on the monster, don't leave it up in the loft so it can pounce on you when it pleases."

I live with anxiety and still occasionally have panic attacks that still scare me and leave me as traumatised and confused they used to when I had no help. The power and complexity of the brain still seizes to amaze me. The fact is that I believe I have slowly learnt to live with it. I am slowly finding true peace and calm, and I hope that you will eventually too. REMEMBER: you have a choice. You do not have to be anxious... you can choose to be at peace. You are not powerless.

I apologise if I have been repetitive. Please comment if you think I have missed or forgotten anything, or if you have any questions. Share this post to help and raise awareness of those suffering from Anxiety and Depression.