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If
you suffer from...
*
Palpitations
*
a pounding heart, or an accelerated heart
rate
*
Sweating
*
Trembling or shaking
*
Shortness of breath
*
A choking sensation
*
Chest pain or discomfort
*
Nausea or stomach cramps
*
Derealization (a feeling of unreality)
*
Fear of losing control or going crazy
*
Fear of dying
*
Numbness or a tingling sensation
*
Chills or hot flashes
(Source: American
Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)
2000 Washington, DC.)
...then you've experienced first-hand some of
the possible symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack. If you're
reading this page because a loved one suffers from these
symptoms and you're trying to understand or help, it can be
difficult to appreciate what they go through.
So, just try to imagine what it feels like to
experience one, if you can.
Here is a typical
example:
Standing in a supermarket queue; It’s been a
long wait, but only one customer to go before you make it to
the cashier. Wait, what was that sensation? An unpleasant
feeling forms in your throat, your chest feels tighter, now a
sudden shortness of breath, and what do you know—your heart
skips a beat. “Please, God, not here.”
A
quick scan of the territory—is it threatening? Four unfamiliar
faces queue behind, one person in front. Pins and needles seem
to prick you through your left arm, you feel slightly dizzy,
and then the explosion of fear, as you dread the worst. You are
about to have a panic attack.
There is no doubt in your mind now that this
is going to be a big one. Okay, focus: Remember what you've
been taught, and it is time now to apply the coping techniques.
Begin the deep breathing exercise your doctor recommended. In
through the nose, out through the mouth.
Think relaxing thoughts, and again, while
breathing in, think “Relax,” and then breathe out. But it
doesn’t seem to be having any positive effect; in fact, just
concentrating on breathing is making you feel self-conscious
and more uptight.
Okay, next coping
technique:
Gradual muscle relaxation. Tense both
shoulders, hold for 10 seconds, then release. Try it again. No,
still no difference. The anxiety is getting worse and the very
fact that you're out of coping techniques worsens your panic.
If only you were surrounded by your family, or a close friend
were beside you so you could feel more confident in dealing
with this situation.
Now, the adrenaline is really pumping through
your system, your body is tingling with uncomfortable
sensations, and now the dreaded feeling of losing complete
control engulfs your emotions. No one around you has any idea
of the sheer terror you are experiencing. For them, it’s just a
normal day and another frustratingly slow queue in the
supermarket.
You
are out of options, time for Plan
C:
The most basic coping skill of all is
“fleeing.” Excuse yourself from the queue; you are slightly
embarrassed as it's now your turn to pay. The cashier is
looking bewildered, as you leave your shopping behind and
stroll towards the door. There is no time for excuses - you
need to be alone. You leave the supermarket and get into your
car to 'ride it out' alone. Could this be the big one, The one
you fear will push you over the edge mentally and physically?
Ten minutes later the panic subsides.
It’s 10:30 a.m. How are you going to make it
through the rest of the day?
If
you suffer from panic or anxiety attacks, the above scenario
probably sounds quite familiar. It may have even induced
feelings of anxiety and panic just reading it. The particular
situations that trigger your panic and anxiety may differ;
maybe the bodily sensations are a little different. Or maybe it
happened to you for the first time on a plane, in the dentist
chair, or even at home while doing nothing in
particular.
If
you have ever had what is commonly known as a “panic attack,”
take comfort in the fact that you are by no means
alone.
A
panic attack always comes with the acute sense of impending
doom. You feel you are either about to lose your mind, or one
of your vital bodily functions is about to cease functioning,
and you will end your days right there among the canned goods
and frozen food in the local market.
You are by no means alone; you’re not even
one in a million. In America, it is estimated that almost 5% of
the population suffer from some form of anxiety disorder. For
some, it may be the infrequent panic attacks that only crop up
in particular situations - like when having to speak in front
of others, while for other people it can be so frequent and
recurring that it inhibits them from leaving their home.
Frequent panic attacks often develop into what medical
physicians refer to as an “anxiety disorder.”
One of the first steps to regaining control
of your life is getting helpful information. This site will
give you that, and more.
The beginning of your recovery starts here.
What you'll learn is that there is a very good chance you are
about to end the cycle of panic attacks in your life. You will
learn not only to regain the carefree life you remember once
having, but will also gain new confidence in living. Your
answer to living free from “panic” or “anxiety attacks” is at
hand.
This site demonstrates that the panic and
anxiety that you have experienced will be the very key to your
courage and success.
Begin the road to recovery by browsing
through the site. While many of you may have read almost
everything you can possibly read relating to panic and anxiety,
I assure you this site offers something very
effective.
Did
you know...
The key difference between someone who is
cured of panic attacks and those who are not is really very
simple. The people who are cured no longer fear panic attacks.
I’ll try to show you how to become one of these
people.
What if I told you the trick to ending panic
and anxiety attacks is to want to have one? That sounds
strange, even contradictory, but let me
explain.
The trick to resolving panic attacks is
wanting to have one - the wanting pushes it away. Can you have
a panic attack in this very second? No!
Do
you know the saying that "what you resist, persists?" Well,
that saying applies perfectly to fear. If you resist a
situation out of fear, the fear around that issue will persist.
How do you stop resisting - you move directly into it, into the
path of the anxiety, and by doing so it cannot
persist.
In
essence what this means is that if you voluntarily seek to have
a panic attack daily, you cannot have one. Try in this very
moment to have a panic attack, and I will guarantee you cannot.
You may not realize it, but you have always decided to panic.
You make the choice by saying "this is beyond my
control."
Another way to appreciate this is to imagine
having a panic attack as... like standing on a cliff's edge.
The anxiety seemingly pushes you closer to falling over the
edge.
To
be rid of the fear you must metaphorically jump. You must jump
off the cliff edge and into the anxiety and fear and all the
things that you fear most.
How do you jump? You jump by wanting to have
a panic attack. You go about your day asking for anxiety and
panic attacks to appear.
Your real safety lies in the fact that a
panic attack will never harm you. That is medical fact. You are
safe. The sensations are wild, but no harm can come to you.
Your heart is racing, but no harm can come to you. The jump
becomes nothing more than a two foot drop! Perfectly
safe.
Learn
more
http://www.panicportal.com
Joe Barry is an international panic disorder
coach. His informative site on all issues related to
panic and anxiety attacks can be found here:
http://www.panicportal.com
This article is
copywritten material
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