WHAT IS A PANIC ATTACK
A panic attack includes stress and anxiety symptoms, but goes a lot further in impacting your mental health. Most of the time they are sudden and unexpected. These attacks last for a short period of time. Stress and anxiety generally linger for long periods of time. With a panic attack, your focus turns towards extreme fears rather than the things you are usually stressed or anxious about. Things like; you will die, choke, lose your mind, lose control, etc. You feel like you are in immediate danger, even when you are not. And often, panic attacks are so unpleasant that you may fear a panic attack will happen again, even when you are not having one. So they can really disrupt your life!
It is important to note that when those with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are triggered, it can be similar to a panic attack. And while it can’t hurt to try these techniques, it is important to learn about how to manage your PTSD with techniques specific for that. I will try to do a blog post on that in the future too. And whether you have PTSD or panic disorder, it is always helpful to work with a therapist who can customize treatment for your specific needs.
WHY PANIC ATTACKS HAPPEN, AND HOW TO STOP THEM
Don't try to stop them! Don’t try to calm yourself down. That is what causes panic attacks to begin with! A panic attack is happening because, whether we recognize it or not, we have been under a lot of stress and anxiety that we haven’t dealt with effectively. We consciously, or unconsciously, are trying to force these feelings to just go away and not take the time to deal with them in ways that actually solve the problems. These feelings then build up. Eventually we get to the tipping point and explode in panic. At that point, we start to have extreme irrational fears. The focus shifts away from our usual worries. Instead, we fear that we will lose our mind. Or fear that we will die. Or fear that we will stop breathing or pass out. Or fear that.....you get the idea. The sky's the limit when it comes to the things our brain on panic can make up to scare us. But the fear is extreme. And often, trying to fight the stress and anxiety, causes the panic attack itself. When we are in one, it makes it worse and last longer. And when we have had a bad panic attack before, often we are afraid of....you guessed it....that we will have another panic attack. Unfortunately at this point, at this level, the benefits of breathing exercises, meditation, distraction, etc. stop working as well. Those are great for stress and anxiety. Panic? Not so much. It is kind of like when a horse is out of the gate, but you run around frantically trying to secure all the exits. Meanwhile, the horse is wandering around in the woods already and shutting the gate isn’t helpful. So, what CAN you do to stop a panic attack?
#1 Say hello to your panic monster. Paradoxically, embracing, accepting and acknowledging your building panic can help. Say something to yourself like, “Hello anxiety and panic. Welcome to the (insert your name here) show! Come on in. Pull up a chair. Let’s talk.” Fighting severe anxiety, or a growing sense of panic is what actually causes panic attacks! So by doing this, you take away the power of panic over you and your life. If you are not alone you can even tell someone else what you are feeling, when that is appropriate. It can sometimes help to just say it out loud. Even whispering this to yourself can help. “I am panicking and feel like (whatever it is). I am noticing that I feel really scared right now. But, it’s all good! I know this monster well. I will be OK.”
#2 Know that people don't die from panic attacks. They are no fun. But you won't die, even if you feel like you will. And, if for example, you are really worried you are going to pass out, try doing some jumping jacks for a minute or two, or go for a brisk walk, or run in place. If you ARE going to pass out, or if something serious is happening, you will feel worse physically. If that happens, call 911. But most of the time, those who are actually panicking will feel better from these activities. So tell yourself, "Yup. I am getting panicky. I might even have a panic attack. But, I won't die. I'll get through it."
#3 When in panic mode, we often feel like we are unsafe even though we are safe. Remember that. We feel in immediate danger. That is rarely the case. And if you are in fact in danger, like there is a person with a gun in a dark alley or some other real threat, use the momentum from the panic attack to run, fight, hide, or play dead. Take some kind of action to protect yourself. These feelings, in true danger, will help protect you and it is a useful panic. Again, that RARELY is the case. So reminding yourself that you ARE actually safe can really help. "I am feeling panicky right now. But in reality I am in no immediate danger. I have some time to figure this out. I am safe"
#4 Mock your panicky fear monster. Call it names. Tell it that it has no real power over you. “OH look! Pauly Panic is back again. Hey Pauly Panic. Bring it on!” Putting panic in its place rather than mentally running in fear is very effective at controlling what is going on and stopping your panic attack.
#5 Take a physical symptom inventory. Write down or think about all of the physical sensations in your body. “OK, my head feels like a balloon, like I am floating. My throat is tight. My chest feels pressure and my heart is pounding. I feel like I can’t catch my breath. My belly is queasy. I have goosebumps. My face and fingertips are tingling. I feel hot and flushed.” Noticing what is happening with your physical body helps you recognize the signs of a panic attack. This will demystify why you are feeling this way. It will remind you that you are not dying and you will be OK. Remember, the more you struggle against these symptoms and fear them, the worse things get. But, acknowledging them, and recognizing that this is part of the panic process takes away their power. Of course you have these symptoms. In a panic attack this is what happens. Being afraid of the symptoms and not knowing why they are there, just makes it worse. Tune in to you.
#6 Pick 1 or 2 of those symptoms you noticed, perhaps the ones that bother you most, and tune into them. If it is something you can control like breathing fast or tensing your muscles, or being fidgety, DO those and EXAGGERATE them. Say to yourself, “When I am breathing even faster it feels like (insert how you feel here).” Or tense up all your muscles and say, “When I tense all my muscles really tightly it feels like (insert how you feel here).” Do that for any physical sensation that is under your control. And for those that you cannot exaggerate or control, pay attention to how it feels and say something to yourself and the feeling like, “Hello floating head feeling you kinda feel weird like (insert how you feel here).” Trying to fight these sensations and symptoms of panic only makes them worse. Getting curious about them and tuning into them helps you to recognize them when they start to happen next time. And this can stop your next panic attack sooner than if you try to fight them off. It takes their power away and gives it back to you!
Remember, fighting your feelings is what causes all this stress and anxiety to go off like a panic bomb in your head. Recognize what you are feeling as much as you can, all day every day. Tune in to what is happening with your feelings. Look at them. Talk to yourself about them. Talk directly to your feelings. See my blog post about stream of thought journaling. That can help you sort them out. Analyze and deal with them on a regular basis. This is how to keep panic attacks at bay. Often panic attacks seem to come out of nowhere. But generally a lot has been happening that we are not paying attention to or pushing through. When we are not caring for ourselves by minding our mind, this can make problems worse in the long run. And panic attacks are often the very unpleasant result. They have a negative impact on our lives for sure. But tending to your feelings regularly can prevent most panic attacks altogether. And this makes your life much less chaotic and disrupted by panic.
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