In the tons of information about why and how panic attacks occur, there is very little information about how to keep panic attacks from occurring. Often, why these attacks occur is clearly from some traumatic event. Sometimes, it is unclear why these attacks began in the first place. More about the cause of general anxiety disorder in a bit.

As a victim of panic attacks and general anxiety disorder (GAD), your life has to be adjusted to work around your panic disorder. If you experience panic while driving, you adjust your driving habits to keep from having an attack while you are driving. You may chose to not drive and only take the bus or cabs -- whatever it takes to keep the panic from happening. And the result is that your life becomes a game of avoidance. The panic and anxiety rule your life. The biggest problem here is that the more effort made to avoid having a panic attack, the more complicated your life becomes, the more you accommodate for the fear and anxiety and the more sacrifices you make.

Your friends and family are affected as well. Using the driving and panic attack example again, you don't visit your family as often as you would because you are afraid of having an attack while driving. You miss sporting events because the traffic sets off an episode. Avoiding the fear becomes debilitating. It just goes on and on.

Breaking the cycle is critical. The cause of the anxiety is fear which causes the panic. Once the attack begins, adrenaline rushes in and the anxiety levels start to elevate, the more intense the panic becomes. Anxiety levels increase until either the victim actually loses consciousness for a few seconds from hyperventilation or another action slows the victim down , permitting the stress to subside. Sometimes the intervention is the experience of the emergency room when you think you are having a heart attack. This situation is fairly common.

That the anxiety causes the panic is well understood by the victim. The problem is how to take control of the situation, address control of the anxiety and therefore to avoid a panic attack. Being aware that a panic attack puts you out of control is terrifying in itself. Again, this is self-perpetuating.

There is help. For most people, the correct training eliminates panic attacks entirely. It does not take behavioral therapy nor does it involve drugs. The cure is to no longer be afraid of panic attacks caused by anxiety. Once the fear is gone, the entire cycle is broken.

This may sound far too easy and, actually, it is easy. As horrifying and embarrassing as having an anxiety attack can be, every victim needs to know that the action of a panic attack will not injure you. Yes, your heart will race, you will break out in a cold sweat and you can feel dizzy, but these are not going to harm you. Getting out and walking or running will a great deal of anxiety. This is useful information when working to avoid an episode.. The act of working to control anxiety is a healing act because you feel that you are finally taking control of the situation. Not having control is part of the anxiety.