Many years ago, shortly after I turned 30, I started having panic attacks totally out of the blue. While relatively harmless in and of themselves, panic attacks make you feel like you are going to die. Racing heart, difficulty breathing, heaviness in the chest and a feeling of impending doom all close in on you and then completely disappear within the span of 10 minutes or so. Sometimes a lingering sensation of distress may hang on for hours afterward. As time went on with no end in sight to these debilitating episodes, I realized that I needed to find natural panic attack remedies to help me.
Many folks mistake a panic attack for a heart attack the first time they have one and end up in the ER. This leads to having thousands of dollars worth of tests and an overnight stay in the hospital that basically turns up nothing. Fortunately, I knew what mine was when I had it for the first time so at least I avoided the trauma of an ER visit. Still, it was still quite a shock to deal with nonetheless.
I did get checked out by my primary care physician just to be sure nothing was wrong. He did an EKG and checked other vitals and found nothing.
At the time, I immediately and intuitively knew why I had started having these attacks. I was in a job that I didn’t enjoy, even though it was a position that I was really good at and was financially rewarding. I was working too much and not eating well (fast food for lunch many days). Stress was out of control, My commute to and from work was insanely long in bumper to bumper traffic most of the time.
In short, I was spending most of my life doing stuff I didn’t like or want to do.
Not good.
To me, the advent of regular panic attacks meant “Change Direction” in big, neon blinking lights. I needed to change my life drastically and yet I didn’t know how to do it.
It took me a couple more years before I was able to leave that job for good and start working in a much more enjoyable, less stressful and fulfilling role.
In the meantime, though, here’s how I learned to reduce and then eliminate those debilitating panic attacks for good – with no drugs.
I should probably add that drugs were never an option for me. I know a lot of folks nowadays that take drugs to stop their panic attacks. To me, this is like cutting the wire to the blinking oil light on the dashboard of your car. The light may have stopped flashing, but you are still perilously close to blowing up the engine.
A panic attack is your body telling you that something is seriously wrong. Taking a drug to cover up the symptoms doesn’t do anything but ignore the source of the problem.
If you have a problem with panic attacks and would like to stop them drug free, perhaps what I did can help you.
I had them licked within just a few months of implementing these 4 natural panic attack remedies. It did take me awhile to figure out what changes needed to be made though as I ignored the attacks for quite some time hoping they would just go away. They didn’t – they just got more frequent!
Once I took action, the attacks started occurring with less frequency until they eventually just stopped happening altogether. As of this writing, I can’t remember the last time I had a panic attack. It has certainly been over 20 years!
Panic Attacks Remedy #1: Juicing
I figured one big reason for the panic attacks was my lousy diet. Panic attacks were my body’s way of letting me know that I was seriously nutrient deficient and needed help.
I bought a juicer and started juicing at least once a day on most days.
Note that cold-pressed vegetable juice, while unheated, is not raw. The high pressure processing destroys the probiotics. Hence it is not nearly as therapeutic as freshly pressed juices.
As it turns out, breakfast was the best meal for me to have just a glass of fresh veggie juice. My favorite combination was Cherie’s Cleansing Cocktail from Juicing for Life.
- 1/4 inch slice of ginger root
- 1 beet
- 1/2 apple, seeded
- 4 carrots, greens removed
Several other juicing recipes from this book were helpful to me as well. There is no doubt that fresh vegetable juicing is a great way to get a lot of easily digestible minerals and nutrition quickly.
Panic Attacks Remedy #2: Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine from India based on the 3 doshas. These physical and emotional tendencies are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
An Ayurvedic MD in my local area diagnosed me with a Vata imbalance, as Vata is my primary dosha and suggested lifestyle changes that would bring it back into balance.
The primary changes I made based on her suggestions were going to bed no later than 10:30pm and eating most of my meals warm and cooked. Vatas don’t thrive on cold food like salads for the most part.
I also used Vata tea which contained herbs soothing to this particular dosha and drank it whenever I felt out of kilter.
Nourishing Fats to Balance Cholesterol
She also told me to eat more nourishing fats. This time of my life was long before I discovered the principles of traditional eating and I, of course, was making the mistake that many Westerners make of eating too few healthy, wholesome fats.
Eating more meat and full fat dairy went a long way toward balancing my physiology. More dietary fat also raised my cholesterol. My primary care MD found through a blood test that my cholesterol was around 125 at the time my panic attacks started. Of course, he thought this was fantastic and congratulated me on such “healthy” number.
My Ayurvedic MD said otherwise. She told me my cholesterol was way too low and a substantial cancer risk. This information shocked me as I had never heard it before, but I did what she told me to do. Eating more fat brought up my cholesterol substantially (to around 175 at that time) over a period of a few months. There is no doubt this played a big part in my panic attacks disappearing. The benefits of cholesterol in the diet are highly underrated by conventional medicine.
Too Much Exercise
My Ayurvedic doctor also told me to stop doing extended cardio exercise sessions. She told me that marathons and triathlons are a really dumb idea for longterm health. These forms of exercise are completely unsuitable for everyone, but most especially for my physiology.
She recommended brisk walking, rebounding, yoga or other less strenuous exercises instead. At that time, I was doing 1-3 hard core cardio classes per week. At her suggestion, I stopped these forms of exercise entirely, got a dog, and started walking!
Panic Attacks Remedy #3: Dry Skin Brushing
Panic attacks can frequently signal a system that is in toxic overload. Dry brushing the skin with a natural bristle brush or loofah mitt before bathing or showering each day goes a long way toward assisting the elimination of whatever toxins are causing an undue burden.
The skin is the largest organ of elimination and dry skin brushing is the most effective way to assist the skin with this important function. Brushing gently in circular strokes toward the heart starting with the feet is the best way to proceed. Avoid any areas of skin irritation such as eczema or psoriasis. Do not brush the face, neck, chest, or genital area. Finish your brushing with a sweep across each collarbone from neck to shoulder. This stimulates the glands in that area to dump their toxins furthering the cleansing process. It’s a good idea to drink a glass of filtered water after showering to assist with the elimination of any toxins that got knocked loose.
Panic Attacks Remedy #4: Learning to BREATHE
Almost everyone breathes incorrectly. When shallow breathing occurs, it increases anxiety tremendously. It is important to train yourself to breathe like you did when you were a baby – slow and deep. Have you ever watched a baby breathing in its crib? Babies breathe so slowly and deeply that a first time parent sometimes thinks that the child has stopped breathing entirely!
We adults need to relearn how to breathe the same way. In through the nose for about 8 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhaling through the nose making a kind of Darth Vader breathing sound at the back of the throat as you do so for another 8 counts. Breathing this way stimulates the vagus nerve which facilitates relaxation.
This is the way you are taught to breathe in yoga class too, which is one big reason yoga is so very helpful in helping folks relax.
Anyone feeling a panic attack coming on can frequently short circuit the process by taking a few long, slow, deep breaths as I’ve just described. In the early days of beating back my panic attacks, learning to breathe correctly was a big tool in my toolbox.
The breath is a very powerful instrument for health! Practice it on a daily basis else you won’t do it right in the heat of the moment when you need it.
Hopefully, these suggestions for natural panic attack remedies can help you overcome these frightening episodes if they are causing you distress right now. Have you overcome a similar situation? If so, how did you do it? What holistic therapies or diet changes made the difference?
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources and More Information
Quite beneficial tips,it will help one to solve their problems
Stress, anxiety, and panic attacks seem to be getting so common in our modern world. Your 4 ways to help combat them are very insightful, and I am a big believer in trying viable natural remedies whenever possible. I do my part by writing on happypowerherb.com
Keep up the good work!
Jonathan
I don’t know if this is the right section to ask this but I’ll take my chances anyway.
Hi All, I just want to ask if you ever tried using cannabis for anxiety? I am 35 years old now and been battling anxiety and panic attacks for almost half of my life. I have read many articles about medical marijuana and how it can help you in terms of pain management, anxiety disorders and panic attacks, inflamation, even cancer and a lot more. Like this review on a certain strain cinderella 99 from ilovegrowingmarijuana.com/cinderella-99/. Cbd and thc are also new to me and I don’t even smoke. If this is true I cant find any solid conclusive evidence that speaks to its efficacy. Any personal experience or testimonial would be highly appreciated. Thanks
Gm hi i been suffering from anxiety & panic attacks and depression i need help please let me know what work’s
The given home remedies are helpful to find a holistic treatment in traditional medicinal history also helps to live a little longer.
I truly found this article helpful and will definitely look into Panic Attacks Remedy #2: Ayurveda. I have never heard of this, and will do in-depth research and believe that this is as another effective natural alternative to panic attacks or stress in general. I think many people can benefit from this and I will highly recommend this method. Thank you so much for this valuable information.
relieveanxietynaturally.com/Blog
I too had suffered severe panic attacks from about the age of 20. I am now 67 and I have not had any panic attacks for about 20 years. My first panic attack was induced by very strong coffee. I felt dizzy, had palpitations and tremendous fear as if I was going to die.For the next 20 years or so I suffered this fate almost weekly and I was at a loss to understand its cause. When the attacks ceased 20 years ago I had changed my washing powder. I have only used the ph neutral Softly. I believe I was also allergic to the fungis occuring on the feet. So I avoided direct contact.My diet as a young person had been very poor which also contrbuted.
I found EFT to be very helpful. http://www.eftfree.net
I also found juicing to be helpful. People don’t realize that when you are missing vital nutrients, it can throw your body/nervous system off kilter.
Natural Cures
Good post. I was also facing the panic attack very long time, then somebody suggested me try to natural treatment or yoga to cure panic attack. And really it works, Natural remedies are very effective than organic remedies.