Once panic sets in, some sufferers feel very isolated and often embarrassed by their condition, and therefore prefer to suffer alone. But one alternative you can do to alleviate anxiety is to force yourself to socialise in a tense situation and talk to people. Smile and seek out conversation. It may be hard at first, but you'll find that occupying yourself is much easier than worrying about the onset of panicky thoughts.

Distract your mind, and occupy your thoughts to distract your anxieties. The easiest way to do this is to identify some simple targets. For example, concentrate first on sitting comfortably, sigh away the anxiety. Now imagine what you would like for dinner or what you will watch on television this evening.  Read more about setting goals...

‘Protection Attacks’  can be scary, and dealing with them is certainly no laughing matter, but laughter is at the other end of the emotional scale of fear, panic and anxiety. So when you first begin to feel the onset of an attack, immediately summon up images of a time that you laughed uncontrollably with much clarity as you can or picture in your mind that comedy film that has you in fits of giggles. The positive feel-good endorphins could stop the attack entirely in its tracks.

Remind yourself that anxiety is not usually life-threatening, you know you will be okay as you have been okay before and have always come out of anxiety and ‘Protection Attacks’ in the past. Remind yourself that this is just a false alarm, a ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ reaction which many people experience in their lives.