The symptoms of panic attacks are both psychological as well as physical. Psychologically, you may feel downright scared of very frightened, as feelings rise to the surface of when you last experienced a similar situation.

Physically, your heart may thump and race, you may get a digestive upset or a headache as the tension mounts. In the worst scenarios, it may feel as if you are going to have a heart attack which further heightens the panicky feeling.

Usually it is beneficial in the beginning to use an appropriate medication from the doctor to quieten down your symptoms. Once this has been achieved, you can then think clearly and devise coping strategies.

Start by by deep breathing to get more oxygen into your system. This is best done by breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Do this about ten times successively without stopping.

Sometimes all it takes is to count down from a hundred to zero. This psychologically gives you the feeling that you are bringing down the level of panic and gives you time to adjust to the situation.

Another technique is visualization, where you transport yourself in your mind to a place where you have felt very calm and at ease. This may be a place you have visited on holiday on a beach or walking in the hills.

Certainly, it can be said that we attract to ourselves what we most think about and give our energy to. If you see yourself being in control and confident in some situation that you would have found scary, this can change the whole energy of the event before it has even occurred.

To stop a panic attack can have a lot to do with changing the way we think from being negative to being positive.