Notice I was careful not to use the term abolish anxiety, or getting rid of anxiety because I don’t think that is necessarily the goal for us. I view anxiety as that nagging flight or fight response that is activated by our thoughts, presenting with an unsettling feeling in our gut. We can have symptoms of anxiety or panic, but I challenge us not to call ourselves anxious which implies an association with our identity.
Dr David Burns defines a panic attack as “a burst of intense, overwhelming anxiety that generally lasts for a brief period…the attack seems to come out of the blue for no apparent reason.” Physical sensations of panic include rapid heart rate, tightness in your chest, rapid breathing, a feeling of choking or dry mouth, hot flushes, chills or sweating. At the worst part of the panic attack you can feel an impending sense of doom and feel that fight or flight response telling your body to get going and escape the situation quickly or else something terrible must be about to happen.
All of us move back and forth along the continuum of calm, anxious and panicky. Some anxiety can lead us to be very effective at our jobs. Some level of worry is helpful. But when our day-to-day functioning is affected, you may want to seek diagnoses and treatment by a health professional.
Where this doesn’t take the place of professional help, I have dealt with panic attacks for many years and have found some techniques particularly helpful. I hope to share them with you today, with the goal being to reduce the dysfunction that panic causes you, and learn to live with some of the discomfort that panic attacks can bring.
3 Tips for Managing Panic Attacks
- Confront the fear. Avoiding the situation, in my opinion, will continue to allow the fear to have an unnatural hold on your activities and behaviours. Continuing to expose yourself to the fear and working on the techniques below, will dissipate the fear.
- Distraction and Positive Imagery. I knew someone who kept a rock in their pocket to ground them when disruptive panicky thoughts started to creep in. I personally travel with music and a book as distraction techniques and sometimes even a guided meditation is helpful. I also suggest creating a very detailed positive image/scene which you can call upon and replay anytime you feel your senses heighten with panic or fear.
- Learning to sit with the discomfort of panic. Although a panic attack can be scary and physically uncomfortable, you do NOT need to respond with any action or behaviour change. You will be fine and you can learn to live with the temporary discomfort and utilize some deep breathing until the moments pass. I suggest learning how to do a body scan and deep diaphragmatic breathing to combat the tension of an unpleasant panic attack.
I often remind myself that I am enough, I am worthy of love and patience, and that I am not flawed for experiencing these symptoms.
If you want to learn more, check out the Resources Section below.
All the best
Lorraine
Resources:
Burns, D. D. (1981). Feeling good: The new mood therapy. New York, N.Y: Penguin Books.
Zuercher-White, E. (2000). An End to Panic. Breakthrough Techniques for Overcoming Panic Disorder. MJF Books.
Dr. Lorraine Sharp 