Panic Attack, anyone?!

[kenecio]

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I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13

salig lang gyud sa Ginoo. Have a personal relationship with him. surrender and lift up to him all your fears, anxiety, troubles, your disorder. He will always be there ready to help and take us. the keyword is TRUST. Trust Him.


4 Simple Steps to End a Panic Attack
by Pati McDermott, CHT

printer version
Panic Attacks Are Common

When I first became certified as a Hypnotherapist in 1990, I was surprised by the number of people who came to me with anxiety and panic attacks. Many people experience panic attacks frequently and live their lives avoiding situations that frighten them, in many cases irrationally. This simple technique for ending a panic attack was part of my hypnotherapy training and has been used successfully by many of my clients since then. Using the four easy steps below, you can learn to end a panic attack in as little as three minutes.
What Is A Panic Attack?

A panic attack is a condition of adrenaline being released into your bloodstream. A message of fear sends a signal to the adrenal glands that there is an emergency.

The adrenal glands are pea-sized organs that sit on top of your kidneys. They are filled with adrenaline that, when released into your body, gives you heightened abilities to respond to emergency situations. This emergency response causes physical symptoms that many people misinterpret as a heart attack or other serious physical conditions. Misinterpreting these symptoms can cause the fear response to continue.
Here's How It Works

Adrenaline causes the heart to pump extra blood. This extra blood gets pumped into your major muscles to increase your ability to run fast and to increase the strength in your arms. Extra blood also goes into your brain to give you heightened abilities to respond to the emergency.

It takes three minutes from the time that your brain sends the emergency signal until your body is fully adrenalated with extra blood in your large arm and leg muscles and in your brain. In that three minute period you experience your heart pumping hard and extra blood flowing throughout your body. As long as your adrenal glands keep getting an emergency message, they continue to produce and release additional adrenaline. Once your brain stops signaling an emergency, your adrenal glands hold the adrenaline instead of releasing it.
It Only Takes Three Minutes To Stop A Panic Attack

It takes three minutes for your adrenal glands to fill your body with the adrenaline response. It also only takes three minutes for your body to stop the adrenaline reaction. If you stop a panic attack as soon as it starts, the reaction only has to last for three minutes.
It's Very Simple

Stopping a panic attack is very simple. All you have to do is stop the emergency message from being sent to your adrenal glands. Learn these four simple steps and your panic attack will only last for three minutes. Once you understand how this works, you never have to have a panic attack again.
Learn These Four Simple Steps

If panic attacks have been a recurring problem, write the four basic steps on a little card, with a list of sample Coping Statements on the back. Mark the card with bright stripes to make it easy to find in your wallet, and keep it with you everywhere you go until you memorize the steps and know them thoroughly. Study these steps and learn them in advance. If you have a panic attack, get out your card immediately and follow it exactly. Once you learn these steps you won't need the card.
Full Resolution

If you experience panic attacks more often than occasionally I strongly suggest that you work with a practitioner to resolve the cause of your anxiety. You owe it to yourself to be free of anxiety. Permanently resolving issues of anxiety is one of my areas of specialty.
The Four Steps:

1. Relax.
2. Stop Negative Thinking.
3. Use Coping Statements.
4. Accept Your Feelings.

Here's How:
Step 1. Relax.

Relax by taking slow, deep, complete breaths. Calm yourself by remembering that you are only having a panic attack and that nothing more serious is happening to you. Continue to take slow, deep, complete breaths. Slow, deep, complete breaths will relax your body, which is the first step to reversing the release of adrenaline.
Step 2. Stop Negative Thinking.

Stop negative thinking by shouting the word "STOP!!!" really loud inside your head. By shouting the word "STOP" you are interrupting the emergency message that your brain is sending to your adrenal glands. Often people having a panic attack get into an endless loop repeating the same catastrophic thoughts over and over in their head. Interrupting this endless loop gives you the opportunity to replace the scary message with a calming one.
Step 3. Use Coping Statements.

A coping statement is a positive statement that is at least as strong as the catastrophic statement that you have been scaring yourself with. Replace the negative thought with a positive one. Choose a statement that addresses the negative thought.

For example, if you think that you are having a heart attack (a common fear during a panic attack) then you might be saying something in your head like, "Oh my God, I'm having a heart attack" or, "I'm gonna die, oh my God, I'm gonna die!" After you shout the word "STOP!" immediately replace the fear thought with a positive statement that helps you to cope with the situation, such as "I'm only having a panic attack and it will be over in three minutes if I relax" or, "My fear is making my heart pound harder, my heart is fine."

If you feel afraid hearing footsteps behind you on the street you might say, "I've walked down this street hundreds of times" or, "I walk alone on the street every night when I come home from work; what I hear behind me is someone else who is walking home from work."

Other coping statements might be, "I've gotten through this situation many times before and I can get through it again" or, "I am fine, everything is fine."

Brainstorm the kinds of fearful thoughts that bring on panic for you and then make a long list of coping statements that you can look at when you need to rather than trying to think of coping statements in the middle of a panic attack.

Note: If your fear is in response to a real danger I suggest that you consider making new choices that address those fears. If you are concerned about your health consult with your doctor.
Step 4. Accept Your Feelings.

Accepting your feelings is very important. Minimizing this experience usually serves to perpetuate it.

Start by identifying what emotion you are feeling. Most panic attacks are caused by the emotion of fear or some variation of fear. Identify the emotion you are feeling and find the reason that you feel it.

Validate that feeling and the reason for it. If you are having a panic attack before giving a speech, you are afraid because it's scary. Stage fright is a common cause of fear and panic. If you're afraid that you're having a heart attack, it's certainly valid to be afraid of that. If you are afraid of footsteps behind you on the street it's reasonable to be afraid that something bad might happen to you.

In all of these cases take the appropriate precautions. Have a regular check up so that you know that your heart is healthy. Walk in a well-lit area and be aware of your surroundings on the street. Walk like a warrior and not like a victim. These are all important precautions to ensure your safety. Then, when you use a coping statement that reminds you that you had a check up recently and that your heart is fine, you can reassure yourself that it's okay to be afraid, knowing that you are safe.

Fear is a positive emotion that reminds you to take care of yourself. Listen to your feelings, take good care of yourself, and keep your emotions in proportion to the situation by keeping an appropriate perspective.

Many people have stopped having panic attacks after learning these steps. However, there is a deeper solution to permanently resolving panic and anxiety responses, fully giving you emotional freedom and happiness. Your mind has the power to significantly influence your negative responses in all situations. By working with hypnosis and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming, a powerful way of changing or enhancing your thinking processes) we can achieve any goal, solve any problem and create the excellence you desire in all areas of your life.

You can become the person that you choose to be.

[fabbypink]

naa ko ani. being around people (especially strangers) stresses me out. even kanang sa jeepney, ma-stress na ko ana. kapoy kaayo kay makaingon ko ako ra man kaugalingon akong kalaban. pero i can't help it gyud. mo-tukar gyud sya. in the past years, i stay away from people unless kailangan na gyud like at work. even at work, i only interact with people im comfortable with. i don't like meeting new people. unfriendly tngay kaayo ko para nila pero its d only way i know to stay sane.

nah... pareho kaha ta. ako gyud k mukurog gyud ako tingog everytime mutalk ko esp kung wala ko kaila sa tao. uwaw kaau. everyday's a struggle. d ko ka control. sakto gyud, wala k lain kalaban kungdi imo rasad kaugalingon. fear is just an illusion. saon kaha ni? saon pagcontrol sa mind? support group anyone?

[moyti]

it doesn't have to be an everyday struggle. but don't be too hard on yourself. be patient because soon enough, with God's grace, you will just overcome it.

[elmariachi]

try this bro/sis........really help ur health prob...

https://www.istorya.net/forums/health...-nutrient.html

it's safe to take, it's nature!

just pm me!

[xhawise24]

ive learned so much reading this thread..

me too, im always struggling everyday and hoping it wont come back anymore..

nakaingon gud ko ngano nagka ing-ani man ko..
n mka question ko, di ba kaha ko mabuang madugay ani..
as in lisod kaau e control ang mind if u have this disorder..

but anyways, thanks for the advice mga bros and sis..
at least makuhaan ang kahadlok...

whew! wat a feeling..hehe

PRAY..our only weapon...

[kenecio]

THE PANIC PIZZA



Draw a large circle on a blank piece of paper. Then, with your pen or pencil, cut it into slices like you are slicing a pizza pie. Cut it into quarters, and then into eighths. Most people love pizza, but I've never seen anyone trying to eat a whole pizza pie all at once. Cut into manageable slices, it's very delicious.

Believe it or not, panic is a lot like a pizza pie. Taken all at once, it's overwhelming. But taken one slice at a time, it's manageable (and even tasty!)

Panic consists of a bunch of sensations and scary thoughts, all rushing through in a fraction of a second. It's important to learn that panic arises from our survival instinct and that it is never dangerous. (See Education) But that intellectual knowledge just isn't enough when four sensations are triggering four scary thoughts all at the same moment.

By identifying each slice of your panic pizza, you can learn to master your panic, one slice at a time. Each slice by itself is no match for the powerful techniques of cognitive-behavioral therapy. And, as you learn to master each slice, your panic pizza gradually loses its power to overwhelm you.



Here is a simple way to think about panic pizza: each slice consists of a sensation and a scary thought. No sensation is ever dangerous, and no scary thought is ever true.

Here’s an example: For many people recovering from panic disorder, a common sensation is rapid heartbeat. The scary thought might be "Oh my God, I'm having a heart attack!" The sensation and scary thought together make up one slice of the pizza. To master this slice, you learn to challenge the scary thought.

Here's an example of a thought challenge:

"My heart is beating at about 90 beats per minute. The idea that I could have a heart attack from that is ridiculous! My heart is strong, and beating at twice this rate would pose no danger to me. The chance that I'm having a heart attack is ZERO."

When you identify and then learn to challenge the scary thoughts, you discover a very powerful secret: EVERY scary thought that comes from panic is an absurd exaggeration, groundless and completely untrue. Your repeated challenges gradually whittle down each scary thought. And since panic is only a collection of sensations and scary thoughts, it gets weaker and weaker.

See if you can identify a slice of your panic pizza – a sensation and a scary thought. Try to make it very specific. For example, "I feel strange and I think I'm just going to lose it!" is too vague. Identifying the slices of your panic pizza is really important work.



Panic is only a collection of sensations and scary thoughts. It’s unpleasant (to say the least!), but completely harmless.

EVERY scary thought that comes from panic is an absurd exaggeration, groundless and completely untrue.

Each time you challenge a scary thought, you are:

1) Taking charge,

2) Shifting out of the "victim" experience,

3) Affirming the truth, and

4) Resolving and healing a bit of your "panic pizza".
(It's like taking a bite!)

Here's how to challenge scary thoughts:

1) Make a note of the situation where you experienced the anxiety

2) Identify a sensation

3) Identify the scary thought that goes with the sensation

4) DISPUTE THE SCARY THOUGHT: out loud, silently to yourself, and in writing. Make fun of it and belittle it! Use your creativity and sense of humor.

Here's an example:

1) Situation: Taking a walk

2) Sensation: "My heart is beating fast and loud.”

3) Scary thought: “I could be having a heart attack!"

4) DISPUTE THE SCARY THOUGHT:

"My heart is beating at about 90 beats per minute. The idea that I could have a heart attack from that is ridiculous! My heart is strong, and beating at twice this rate would pose no danger to me. The chance that I'm having a heart attack is ZERO. If people got heart attacks from having a heart rate of 90, we'd have to build hundreds of new hospitals! Everyone would have to move in slow motion!

"Hearing my heart beating is odd, but not at all dangerous. Babies hear their mother's heartbeat, and that's not dangerous. In fact, I think they like it! It's funny how we don't usually hear our own heart beating – and that's not dangerous either! None of the sensations that I'm experiencing are the least bit dangerous."

When you notice your anxiety going down a bit when you DISPUTE the scary thoughts, congratulate yourself! You’ve just taken another bite out of your panic pizza.

[kenecio]

THANK YOU, SOCRATES

Socrates, born in Athens in 469 B.C., was one of the greatest teachers of all time. His “Socratic Method” of teaching involves:

1) a conversational style,

2) asking and answering questions,

3) using logic and deductive reasoning, and

4) relying on experience and empirical fact

Mastering panic is a learning process, and the Socratic Method is one of the most powerful tools for learning. To take advantage of the Socratic Method, challenge your scary thoughts with a “Q & A” – question and answer – style. Actually have a conversation with yourself – posing questions, answering them, and relying on logic, experience and fact. By taking after Socrates – using his “Q & A” style – you actually start to become your own “wise teacher”.

The examples on the next couple of pages demonstrate the power of the “Q & A” style.



The more specific you can get with your scary thoughts, the easier it is to challenge them. Oftentimes, thoughts are so subtle and rapid that we’re not fully aware of them. This is so common that psychologists even have a term for these thoughts – they call them “automatic” thoughts. When you bring these “automatic thoughts” out into the open, it becomes very easy to challenge them.

Here’s an example of “getting specific with scary thoughts,” using the “Q & A” style:

Situation: At a social gathering
Scary thought: “I could panic and totally lose control!”

Challenging the scary thought:

Q: What specifically could happen?
A: I wouldn’t be able to stay in the room. I’d have to run outside and get some fresh air.

Q: And how would that be losing control?
A: I would feel this urge to run outside, and I wouldn’t be able to control it.

Q: So, you might feel an uncontrollable urge to run outside?
A: Right.

Q: Is that totally losing control, or giving in to a strong urge?
A: Well, giving in to a strong urge, because I’d still be in control in every other way.

Q: So, the scary thought is that you might give in to a strong urge to run outside?
A: Yes. But now it’s not as scary.

Now that you’ve identified the scary thought, you can continue to challenge it. Now that it’s out in the open, it’s pretty defenseless – in fact, downright pathetic!

Q: If you really wanted to, could you resist the urge to run out of the room?
A: I’m not sure.

Q: Have you ever successfully resisted this urge in the past?
A: Well, yes, a number of times I can remember. But once I had to leave the room.

Q: So, a number of times in the past, you successfully resisted an overwhelming urge to run outside. Were you in control then?
A: Yes.

Q: It sounds like, those times, you were exerting pretty extraordinary control, resisting an overwhelming urge.
A: I guess so.

Q: And one time, you left the room, even though you didn’t want to.
A: Right.

Q: Did you run or walk?
A: I walked out.

Q: So, even then, you successfully resisted the urge to run out of the room, and you just walked out.
A: Right.

Q: Are there other times you’ve given in to strong urges, even though you didn’t want to – like eating sweets?
A: Yes.

Q: Do you think other people do that too?
A: Yes.

Q: And is that the same as “totally losing control”?
A: Of course not!

[kenecio]

THANK YOU, SOCRATES

Socrates, born in Athens in 469 B.C., was one of the greatest teachers of all time. His “Socratic Method” of teaching involves:

1) a conversational style,

2) asking and answering questions,

3) using logic and deductive reasoning, and

4) relying on experience and empirical fact

Mastering panic is a learning process, and the Socratic Method is one of the most powerful tools for learning. To take advantage of the Socratic Method, challenge your scary thoughts with a “Q & A” – question and answer – style. Actually have a conversation with yourself – posing questions, answering them, and relying on logic, experience and fact. By taking after Socrates – using his “Q & A” style – you actually start to become your own “wise teacher”.

The examples on the next couple of pages demonstrate the power of the “Q & A” style.



The more specific you can get with your scary thoughts, the easier it is to challenge them. Oftentimes, thoughts are so subtle and rapid that we’re not fully aware of them. This is so common that psychologists even have a term for these thoughts – they call them “automatic” thoughts. When you bring these “automatic thoughts” out into the open, it becomes very easy to challenge them.

Here’s an example of “getting specific with scary thoughts,” using the “Q & A” style:

Situation: At a social gathering
Scary thought: “I could panic and totally lose control!”

Challenging the scary thought:

Q: What specifically could happen?
A: I wouldn’t be able to stay in the room. I’d have to run outside and get some fresh air.

Q: And how would that be losing control?
A: I would feel this urge to run outside, and I wouldn’t be able to control it.

Q: So, you might feel an uncontrollable urge to run outside?
A: Right.

Q: Is that totally losing control, or giving in to a strong urge?
A: Well, giving in to a strong urge, because I’d still be in control in every other way.

Q: So, the scary thought is that you might give in to a strong urge to run outside?
A: Yes. But now it’s not as scary.

Now that you’ve identified the scary thought, you can continue to challenge it. Now that it’s out in the open, it’s pretty defenseless – in fact, downright pathetic!

Q: If you really wanted to, could you resist the urge to run out of the room?
A: I’m not sure.

Q: Have you ever successfully resisted this urge in the past?
A: Well, yes, a number of times I can remember. But once I had to leave the room.

Q: So, a number of times in the past, you successfully resisted an overwhelming urge to run outside. Were you in control then?
A: Yes.

Q: It sounds like, those times, you were exerting pretty extraordinary control, resisting an overwhelming urge.
A: I guess so.

Q: And one time, you left the room, even though you didn’t want to.
A: Right.

Q: Did you run or walk?
A: I walked out.

Q: So, even then, you successfully resisted the urge to run out of the room, and you just walked out.
A: Right.

Q: Are there other times you’ve given in to strong urges, even though you didn’t want to – like eating sweets?
A: Yes.

Q: Do you think other people do that too?
A: Yes.

Q: And is that the same as “totally losing control”?
A: Of course not!

[kenecio]

PULLING THE PLUG ON SCARY THOUGHTS

Scary thoughts are powered by mistakes in thinking called “cognitive errors.” As you begin to correct these cognitive errors, the scary thoughts start to run out of steam.

There are three main cognitive errors that power scary thoughts:

1) “Overestimating risk”: overestimating the probability that a scary event will happen

2) “Emotional reasoning”: believing that a scary event is more likely because you are anxious

3) “Catastrophizing”: believing that an event would be a catastrophe, when, in fact, it would only be an irritation or an inconvenience



“Overestimating risk” – overestimating the chances that a scary event will happen – is perhaps the biggest source of power for scary thoughts.

One of the best ways to pull the plug on scary thoughts is to ask yourself “What are the chances that (the scary thought) could actually happen?” A scary thought is powered by the belief that it is likely to happen. When you challenge that mistaken belief, the scary thought starts to run out of steam.

Here’s an example:

Sensation: Racing heart
Scary thought: “Oh my God, I could be having a heart attack!”

Challenging the scary thought (using “What are the chances” and the “Q & A” style):

Q: When you are having a panic attack, what do you think is the chance you'll have a heart attack?
A: 50-50.

Q: How many times have you had a panic attack?
A: Maybe a hundred

Q: So you've had 50 heart attacks?
A: Not exactly.

Q: OK, then, how many?
A: Actually, zero.

Q: Do you have any heart problems?
A: No. My doctor says my heart is in great shape.

Q: And how fast do you think your heart is beating during a panic attack?
A: I've read that it could go as high as 140.

Q: How high does it get when you go running?
A: Oh, about 120 to 160.

Q: And have you had a heart attack when you were running?
A: Of course not. In fact, running is good for my heart.

Q: Has anyone ever had a heart attack just because they had a panic attack?
A: Well, I've read Barlow, Zuerker-White, Bourne and some others. They all say the same thing. No one has ever had a heart attack just because they had a panic attack. That's based on thousands of people who've had panic attacks. No one has ever had a heart attack as a result.

Q: So, what is the chance you will have a heart attack from panic?
A: Zero!


Here’s another “cognitive error” that powers scary thoughts: the belief that a scary event is more likely because you feel anxious. For example, when you’re calm, you know that a panic attack has zero chance of causing a heart attack. But when you’re anxious, it can seem much more likely. This is a cognitive error called “emotional reasoning”. In reality, when you’re anxious, the probability of panic causing a heart attack is still zero. As you begin to practice “Mastering Panic” when you feel anxiety, you challenge this “emotional reasoning,” and the scary thoughts lose even more steam.



The last big power source for scary thoughts is the cognitive error called “catastrophizing”.

“Catastrophizing” is believing that something would be a catastrophe, when, in fact, it would be only an irritation or an inconvenience. “Catastrophizing” often starts with “What if...” A very powerful way to challenge this is to respond by saying “So what!” Then, you can go on to ask yourself “So, what would happen then?”

For example, let’s suppose the scary thought is that, while driving, you could get lost.

Scary thought: “What if I got lost?! If I got lost, that would be a catastrophe!”

Challenging the scary thought:

Q: “So what would happen if you got lost?”
A: “I wouldn’t be able to find my way home”

Q: And what would happen if you couldn’t find your way home?
A: “I’d have to ask for help, and someone might see how scared I was”

Q: “And would that be a catastrophe?”
A: “Well, no, but it would be very embarrassing.”

Q: “So, you might feel embarrassed. Would that be a catastrophe?”
A: “No.”

Q: “Would you be able to cope with feeling embarrassed?”
A: “Yes.”

Q: “Besides asking for help, how else could you cope with getting lost?”
A: “Well, I could stop and look at a map that I keep in the glove compartment. I could simply ask for directions at a gas station or store. Or, I could re-trace my route. There are lots of ways.”

Catastrophic thinking is a really fat target for humor. It’s easy to poke fun at it, or to make it into a ridiculous exaggeration. Here’s an example:

Scary thought: “What if I got lost?! If I got lost, that would be a catastrophe!”

Challenging the scary thought:

Q: “So what would happen if you got lost?”
A: “I would only have about 10 or 20 solutions. I could ask for directions. I could look at my map. I could retrace my route. I could make my own map, starting from a point called “Unknown Territory.” I could even plant a flag, claiming the “Unknown Territory” for the King of Spain. I think I could probably figure something out. My 20 years of schooling and my PhD would come in handy. Also, that time I played “capture the flag” in junior high school.”

[kenecio]

OBSERVING ANXIETY

When you experience anxiety, gently observe it and rate it on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is perfect comfort and 10 is perfect panic.

Simply learning to be an “objective observer” is very helpful in lowering anxiety. Then, use your “Mastering Panic” techniques. Notice and appreciate your level on the scale. If, for example, you lower your anxiety from a 6 to a 5, that is a success to feel good about! With practice, you can lower it more and more.