In the panic of a panic attack it is hard to be clear headed enough to realise what is going on, let alone what set it off, how it is impacting on you in the moment or how it will impact you later on.
Your life may have changed because you fell or got hurt in a car accident. Yet you have recovered physically that is not the issue. What is going on for you is unexplained fear, anxiety or even panic that leaves you crippled.
A simple trigger, leaving the safety of your home. A sound, voice, a sight of some sort and the anxiety starts to bubble and escalate without seeming warning that can consume you like a blazing fire.
Before you know it what started as isolated triggers becomes everything from people you don’t know, social settings, too many people and fear that anxiety may escalate into a full blown panic attack and it is safer to stay home. Then you can’t leave.
You can change this if you do your homework, find ways to break your patterns and practice, practice, practice. You need to get to know your pattern. What creates or triggers your panic attacks from beginning to end. Look at every potential step and escalation from symptoms to stress, fear, worry, anxiety, whatever leads into your panic attacks. Knowing this will support your efforts to build a well planned intervention.
Worrying: What references are reliable when considering the level of worry? When do we know we are “over the top”? Friends, colleagues, and therapists are good barometers especially with a high level of trust. These support people quite often are able to reflect when worry reaches unacceptable heights. With experience and practice we learn what questions we can ask ourselves as an effective intervention to the sequence of incidents leading to chaos.
Such as – what is the worst that could happen here?
Fear is a reaction to a perceived threat or imminent danger, a reaction of fight or flight. For some it means freeze. Fear is a very useful thing. But to be frozen in fear for no obvious reason is another thing entirely.
In your mind, your self talk ask yourself – What is really happening now?
Anxiety can come from things building one on top of the other or not addressing some worry and letting it build out of proportion. Just to put it back in perspective again you might ask yourself why you are taking yourself so seriously then?
A panic attack is now manifesting in your body with varying symptoms like chest pains that can mimic a heart attack, shortness of breath, headache and sleep trouble. Emotionally you might feel desperate, out of control or like you are about to die. In this state being reasonable is not an option.
All reason goes out the window. It is clear you need pattern interrupts that will still your mind and emotions. Things such as learning to breathe slowly, regular exercise, smaller more frequent eating, good sleep and getting help and support that help you calm your world.
Finally you could ask yourself “how is this serving me? It is a great reality check it may be confronting and serve you well in your journey.
Want to find out more about how to overcome panic attacks, then visit psychologist Allan Rudner’s site for great information aboutpanic attacks.