Rebekah Locke asked:
Here are some of the common signs you are experiencing a panic attack. Have you ever….?
- Had a tight chest and found it difficult to breathe, even to the point where you feared you may in fact stop breathing altogether?
- Found yourself in hospital because you thought you were having a heart attack only to be told that you were just experiencing intense anxiety?
- Struggled with anxious and unwanted thoughts that just will not stop?
- Been constantly afraid that you will just lose control completely?
- Felt nervous and on edge in normal everyday or ordinary situations that have never bothered you in the past?
- Felt disconnected from what is going on around you?
Let me tell you a story. See if this sounds vaguely familiar. It was the first day of my new job working at the checkouts in a big department store. Of course it’s natural to feel a little anxious about starting a new job, but I was just going to be a checkout operator – not too much of a big deal. Instead I turned up thinking I was fine, only to find myself 5 minutes later out the back in the staffroom with an ice pack and a cup off tea and everyone asking me if I was alright.
My chest had tightened, my heart had experienced sudden palpitations, I got dizzy, I felt like I couldn’t escape, and I starting to black out. And I had no idea why it had just happened. There was no rational explanation.
I had just experience my first Panic Attack
After suffering from panic attacks myself, I have found that the only way to truly conquer panic attacks and be free of anxiety is to address the root cause of the problem:
The actual fear of having a panic attack
I realised the panic attack was only brought on by the anxious thoughts leading up to the actual panic that was the source of the problem. If you can fix this then you will be free of panic attacks in the future. The difference between an anxious person and someone who normally worries (but their worries never turn into full blown panic attacks) is that an anxious person is constantly afraid they will experience a panic attack because of their worries and problems. Everyone else never usually worries they will end up experiencing anything like that, so they never actually do.
So the first step is to ACCEPT these anxious thoughts of a panic attack. When you accept them instead of resisting them you begin to conquer you fears of the thoughts of having a panic attack. If you accept your anxious thoughts and DO NOT RESIST them they will not be as terrible as you thought. They will begin to lose their power.
The more afraid you are, the more you resist, the greater your anxiety level and the greater the chance of you having a panic attack. However if you accept your anxious thoughts and say “panic attack do your best” and you mean it, panic attack will not come. You have essentially dissolved the fear and anxiety contained within the thoughts of having a panic attack. You have therefore taken back your self control.
Create a video blog…instantly.
Here are some of the common signs you are experiencing a panic attack. Have you ever….?
- Had a tight chest and found it difficult to breathe, even to the point where you feared you may in fact stop breathing altogether?
- Found yourself in hospital because you thought you were having a heart attack only to be told that you were just experiencing intense anxiety?
- Struggled with anxious and unwanted thoughts that just will not stop?
- Been constantly afraid that you will just lose control completely?
- Felt nervous and on edge in normal everyday or ordinary situations that have never bothered you in the past?
- Felt disconnected from what is going on around you?
Let me tell you a story. See if this sounds vaguely familiar. It was the first day of my new job working at the checkouts in a big department store. Of course it’s natural to feel a little anxious about starting a new job, but I was just going to be a checkout operator – not too much of a big deal. Instead I turned up thinking I was fine, only to find myself 5 minutes later out the back in the staffroom with an ice pack and a cup off tea and everyone asking me if I was alright.
My chest had tightened, my heart had experienced sudden palpitations, I got dizzy, I felt like I couldn’t escape, and I starting to black out. And I had no idea why it had just happened. There was no rational explanation.
I had just experience my first Panic Attack
After suffering from panic attacks myself, I have found that the only way to truly conquer panic attacks and be free of anxiety is to address the root cause of the problem:
The actual fear of having a panic attack
I realised the panic attack was only brought on by the anxious thoughts leading up to the actual panic that was the source of the problem. If you can fix this then you will be free of panic attacks in the future. The difference between an anxious person and someone who normally worries (but their worries never turn into full blown panic attacks) is that an anxious person is constantly afraid they will experience a panic attack because of their worries and problems. Everyone else never usually worries they will end up experiencing anything like that, so they never actually do.
So the first step is to ACCEPT these anxious thoughts of a panic attack. When you accept them instead of resisting them you begin to conquer you fears of the thoughts of having a panic attack. If you accept your anxious thoughts and DO NOT RESIST them they will not be as terrible as you thought. They will begin to lose their power.
The more afraid you are, the more you resist, the greater your anxiety level and the greater the chance of you having a panic attack. However if you accept your anxious thoughts and say “panic attack do your best” and you mean it, panic attack will not come. You have essentially dissolved the fear and anxiety contained within the thoughts of having a panic attack. You have therefore taken back your self control.
Create a video blog…instantly.
