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People with panic disorder are typically faced with a range of difficult emotions, such as worry, anxiety, sadness, and embarrassment.Panic attacks, the main symptom of panic disorder, often occur with strong emotions, including fear, uneasiness, nervousness, and apprehension.
To cope with these challenging emotions, many people who experience panic turn tomaladaptive behaviors. For example, to try and deal with these emotions, one may avoid certain situations or possibly try to mask these emotions through the use of alcohol.
Maladaptive ways of coping only temporarily make the emotions go away, increase anxiety, and can have long-term negative effects. But, distraction techniques can help you manage the symptoms of panic attacks.
What Is a Distraction Technique?
Distraction techniques are often used along with other coping mechanisms. For instance, once your attention has shifted elsewhere and the intensity of your emotion has dissipated, it is then time to cope with this emotion in a healthy manner. Additional coping can then occur through strategies such asrelaxationor other self-help techniques.
5 Simple Relaxation Techniques
Signs of a Panic Attack
These physical sensations may lead to a greater sense of fear and anxiety, as the person experiencing these panic symptoms worries that they will lose control, embarrass themself, or even possibly face medical issues due to their symptoms.
How to Distract From a Panic Attacks
Relaxation activities can help divert your mind and let you refocus on more pleasant thoughts. Plus, it is difficult to feel anxious and upset when in a relaxed state of mind.
Keep a Mood Chart to Help Manage Panic Disorders
7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hall CB, Lundh LG.Brief therapist-guided exposure treatment of panic attacks: a pilot study.Behav Modif. 2019;43(4):564-586. doi:10.1177/0145445518776472Roberson-Nay R, Kendler KS.Panic disorder and its subtypes: a comprehensive analysis of panic symptom heterogeneity using epidemiological and treatment seeking samples.Psychol Med. 2011;41(11):2411–2421. doi:10.1017/S0033291711000547Inan G, Inal S.The impact of 3 different distraction techniques on the pain and anxiety levels of children during venipuncture: a clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2019;35(2):140-147. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000666Manzoni GM, Pagnini F, Castelnuovo G, Molinari E.Relaxation training for anxiety: a ten-years systematic review with meta-analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2008;8:41. Published 2008 Jun 2. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-8-41Carlucci L, D’Ambrosio I, Innamorati M, Saggino A, Balsamo M.Co-rumination, anxiety, and maladaptive cognitive schemas: when friendship can hurt.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;11:133–144. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S144907Lattari E, Budde H, Paes F, et al.Effects of aerobic exercise on anxiety symptoms and cortical activity in patients with panic disorder: a pilot study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2018;14:11–25. doi:10.2174/1745017901814010011Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hall CB, Lundh LG.Brief therapist-guided exposure treatment of panic attacks: a pilot study.Behav Modif. 2019;43(4):564-586. doi:10.1177/0145445518776472Roberson-Nay R, Kendler KS.Panic disorder and its subtypes: a comprehensive analysis of panic symptom heterogeneity using epidemiological and treatment seeking samples.Psychol Med. 2011;41(11):2411–2421. doi:10.1017/S0033291711000547Inan G, Inal S.The impact of 3 different distraction techniques on the pain and anxiety levels of children during venipuncture: a clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2019;35(2):140-147. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000666Manzoni GM, Pagnini F, Castelnuovo G, Molinari E.Relaxation training for anxiety: a ten-years systematic review with meta-analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2008;8:41. Published 2008 Jun 2. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-8-41Carlucci L, D’Ambrosio I, Innamorati M, Saggino A, Balsamo M.Co-rumination, anxiety, and maladaptive cognitive schemas: when friendship can hurt.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;11:133–144. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S144907Lattari E, Budde H, Paes F, et al.Effects of aerobic exercise on anxiety symptoms and cortical activity in patients with panic disorder: a pilot study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2018;14:11–25. doi:10.2174/1745017901814010011Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hall CB, Lundh LG.Brief therapist-guided exposure treatment of panic attacks: a pilot study.Behav Modif. 2019;43(4):564-586. doi:10.1177/0145445518776472Roberson-Nay R, Kendler KS.Panic disorder and its subtypes: a comprehensive analysis of panic symptom heterogeneity using epidemiological and treatment seeking samples.Psychol Med. 2011;41(11):2411–2421. doi:10.1017/S0033291711000547Inan G, Inal S.The impact of 3 different distraction techniques on the pain and anxiety levels of children during venipuncture: a clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2019;35(2):140-147. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000666Manzoni GM, Pagnini F, Castelnuovo G, Molinari E.Relaxation training for anxiety: a ten-years systematic review with meta-analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2008;8:41. Published 2008 Jun 2. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-8-41Carlucci L, D’Ambrosio I, Innamorati M, Saggino A, Balsamo M.Co-rumination, anxiety, and maladaptive cognitive schemas: when friendship can hurt.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;11:133–144. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S144907Lattari E, Budde H, Paes F, et al.Effects of aerobic exercise on anxiety symptoms and cortical activity in patients with panic disorder: a pilot study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2018;14:11–25. doi:10.2174/1745017901814010011Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290
Hall CB, Lundh LG.Brief therapist-guided exposure treatment of panic attacks: a pilot study.Behav Modif. 2019;43(4):564-586. doi:10.1177/0145445518776472
Roberson-Nay R, Kendler KS.Panic disorder and its subtypes: a comprehensive analysis of panic symptom heterogeneity using epidemiological and treatment seeking samples.Psychol Med. 2011;41(11):2411–2421. doi:10.1017/S0033291711000547
Inan G, Inal S.The impact of 3 different distraction techniques on the pain and anxiety levels of children during venipuncture: a clinical trial.Clin J Pain. 2019;35(2):140-147. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000666
Manzoni GM, Pagnini F, Castelnuovo G, Molinari E.Relaxation training for anxiety: a ten-years systematic review with meta-analysis.BMC Psychiatry. 2008;8:41. Published 2008 Jun 2. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-8-41
Carlucci L, D’Ambrosio I, Innamorati M, Saggino A, Balsamo M.Co-rumination, anxiety, and maladaptive cognitive schemas: when friendship can hurt.Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2018;11:133–144. doi:10.2147/PRBM.S144907
Lattari E, Budde H, Paes F, et al.Effects of aerobic exercise on anxiety symptoms and cortical activity in patients with panic disorder: a pilot study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2018;14:11–25. doi:10.2174/1745017901814010011
Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290
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