You probably have heard the saying "what you resist persists". It has taken us a long time to completely understand exactly what this means, however it turns out this observation can be very useful in overcoming panic and anxiety attacks.

After someone has experienced a panic attack, there is always the fear of having one again. And it is this fear, not the anxiety attack itself, that creates the major problem. It is primarily the fear that makes many people begin rearranging their lives to stay away from any situation they think might trigger another attack. Worst cases are individuals who stop driving, stop socializing, or even stop leaving their home, as happens to those who develop agoraphobia.

In Panic Away, the well known anxiety and panic treatment method, Barry McDonagh states that one way to deal with this is to give up resisting having anxiety attacks and encourage them. He learned this when he was trying to cure his own panic attacks and has publicly shared this technique.

Remember "what you resist persists"? Apparently, if you quit resisting having panic attacks you'll be less likely to experience them again. It is the anticipation of having the next attack that really puts people on the brink, increases their anxiety, and makes them more prone to have another one.

If you suffer from anxiety attacks, We are going to dare you to try something right this moment. We want you to have an attack now. Muster one up on the spot. Can you? Almost certainly you can't.

And this demonstrates an important point about this way to conquer panic. You might not fully grasp it yet, but you are in control of your own attacks. It is really your thoughts about the bodily sensations you start having (heart pounding, feeling like you can't breathe, etc.) that push you over the brink and move your anxiety into a major attack.

And so the next time you sense anxiety building up, quit resisting. Tell yourself to bring on the panic and notice what happens. You may find taking this opposite strategy makes all the difference in reducing the intensity of your anxiety attacks or even gets rid of them once and for all.