Don't get excited by the title...to the best of my knowledge there is no quick fix. All hope isn't lost though. I use to get this one trigger for a panic attack...felt like I couldn't catch my breathe. Felt like I was going to suffocate. Hyperventilation? I always thought that hyperventilating was when one breathes way too fast, like panting. I wasn't doing that, I wasn't huffing and puffing like I just ran a mile at full speed. What I didn't realize is that you don't need to do all that panting to be hyperventilating. I just know I'm not going to explain this where someone can understand it, so all I can really say is that I wasn't breathing in a "normal" way. My breathing was like these very quick short breathes, but not where anyone could look at me and notice. Hell, even I didn't notice I was doing it. I would just start to get light headed, kind of dizzy and felt like I was going to suffocate. In the end I would get a panic attack and tried to figure out what caused it. I just noticed the dizzy feeling, the suffocating feeling and didn't recognize that I was in fact hyperventilating.
It wasn't until many months later that I heard - read about breathing exercises that can and will relax me when feeling anxiety and / or panic. These breathing exercises are really just slowing down your breathing. Very deliberate slow breathing. Breath very slow in through the nose for a count of three. Hold it in for a count of 3 and then slowly exhale for the count of three. Count three again and start slowly breathing in again. Continue breathing in this matter for 10 times. It really does work.
Now...this breathing technique is not all that simple to the agoraphobic or one who is in a full blown panic attack or even an anxiety attack. It really takes a lot of focus which is hard to do when freaking out! I still can't get myself to focus on my breathing when in full on panic. However, practice makes a world of difference. Just practice breathing like this three or more times a day for about 10 minutes each time. I can't stress enough how important this is and to really force yourself to practice! Also, it is really important to start breathing slowly at the earliest moment you notice those anxiety / panicky feelings coming on. The sooner you start breathing slowly the better success you'll have.
Another thing to do while practicing the breathing technique is to maybe add some sort of calming visualization. Visualizing something that is comforting or calming is a great little part of the breathing practice that can really help out later on when anxiety in creeping in on you. I know that this is not some big discovery on my part. It is simply something I've read or heard about and gave it a try. I also know that some shrinks recommend that during these breathing practices that one should add making yourself real calm and then visualize something that will induce anxiety and / or panic and when you feel that anxiety to quickly (but calmly) go back to thinking about something calming and comforting while continuing to breath slowly in and out. I'll add that every now and then to my practices but for me it was really a matter of first getting the whole breathing slowly down pat before introducing the visual anxiety stuff.
By practicing my slow breathing for a solid 6 months of everyday practices I was able to drive 45 minutes away from my house. I did experience anxiety during this trip but ultimately I was able to handle it and felt such a huge sense of accomplishment when I got back home. It's truly a great feeling!!
So, quick fix panic relief...maybe not so quick but in the end it could make a huge difference in my recovery. All I can say is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! ! ! ! ! I cannot stress this enough. No matter how boring it is, no matter how tedious it is, no matter how useless you may think it is. It absolutely will help. Master this breathing technique and keep practicing even after you've master it. It truly will make all the difference in the world!
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