Effective Ways to Treat Anxiety Attacks

Anxiety attacks can hit hard and fast, leaving you feeling overwhelmed. While strategies like deep breathing and mindfulness are widely recommended, other, less conventional methods may provide faster relief. This article will introduce some alternative techniques to help manage those intense moments.

1. Vagus Nerve Stimulation with Ice

One of the lesser-known methods for combating anxiety attacks involves stimulating the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve plays a critical role in regulating your body’s stress response. When it’s activated, it helps promote relaxation and calmness. An easy way to do this is by using cold therapy.

Here’s how:

Dip a washcloth in ice water and apply it to the back of your neck, just under your skull. An ice cube in your mouth can work too. The cold sensation triggers the body’s parasympathetic nervous system, which helps slow your heart rate and promotes relaxation. This technique can stop the rapid physical symptoms of an anxiety attack, like heart palpitations or dizziness, almost instantly.

2. Emotional Release with Sighing

Sighing is a natural form of emotional release, which is why it can be particularly effective during anxiety attacks. During moments of high stress, the body often holds onto tension without even realizing it. Sighing—particularly a long, drawn-out sigh—can help the body physically release that tension.

The key here is to allow yourself to fully sigh. Start by taking a deep breath and exhaling as loudly as feels comfortable. As you do, consciously release any tension from your body. You can try repeating this for a few minutes, focusing on each exhale.

3. Try the "Lemon" Technique

When you're in the midst of an anxiety attack, engaging your senses in unexpected ways can be helpful. One method is the “lemon” technique. Find something that has a very strong, sharp taste or smell. Lemon works great, but anything intensely sour or bitter can do the job. Suck on a slice of lemon, or inhale a potent citrus scent. The strong sensory input serves to interrupt the patterns of panic and refocus your mind on something physical, distracting you from the spiral of anxious thoughts.

4. Bilateral Stimulation Through Tapping (Not EFT)

Bilateral stimulation (BLS) is often used in therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and it can be adapted for self-care during anxiety attacks. While EFT tapping focuses on acupressure points, BLS works by engaging both sides of the brain through rhythmic, alternating movements or sounds.

To practice BLS:

Tap your thighs alternately with your hands (left-right, left-right) in a steady, rhythmic pattern. Focus on the tapping sound and the movement, allowing the physical act to pull you out of anxious thoughts. Some people also use bilateral audio tracks to achieve a similar calming effect.

5. Aromatherapy with Acupressure

While many people are familiar with using essential oils like lavender for stress relief, combining this with acupressure is a more targeted and effective technique. Acupressure can activate points in the body that help release tension and calm the nervous system.

Try the following combination:

Apply a calming essential oil (like sweet orange or lavender) to your temples, wrists, and the area between your thumb and index finger. Gently massage this point while breathing deeply. The combination of touch and scent can help alleviate the symptoms of anxiety.

Conclusion

When anxiety attacks feel like they’re taking over, keeping these suggestions in the back of your mind may reduce the intensity of your symptoms. An anxiety therapist, like myself, can work with you to discover what strategies work best for you, ultimately giving you more control over your anxiety. To take back control over your mental health, book a free consultation with my office today!