PRACTICE FOR REDUCING PANIC · During Paced Breathing exercises we make our exhalation longer than...
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PRACTICE FOR REDUCING PANIC Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder & Agoraphobia Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder where individuals experience repeated panic attacks. The normal physical sensations of anxiety are experienced as "dangerous" to the individual who then believes the symptoms mean they are going to die (go crazy, heart attack, suffocate, faint, etc.). Naturally, no one wants to experience the extreme discomfort of having panic attacks, so we start to avoid situations where they might occur, and then "fear the fear". Our fear becomes focused on avoiding the panic attack. Avoidance can lead to Agoraphobia (from the Latin for fear of open spaces), where we avoid certain places because of the fear of a panic attack and or not being able to escape, which eventually may keep us from going out at all. The Vicious Cycle of Panic Write down your Trigger Events, Thoughts-Images, & Behavior: Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) CBT focuses on learning to challenge the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs, and gradually making changes in our behavior so that we learn that the feared consequences do not happen, and that it is the anxiety that makes us feel the way we do. In order to break the vicious cycle of repeated panic attacks and/or agoraphobia, we need to change the way we think, and change what we do. Firstly, we can learn about how any anxiety affects our body. This is the body's normal response to danger (or believing we're in danger): https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/panic.htm
Transcript of PRACTICE FOR REDUCING PANIC · During Paced Breathing exercises we make our exhalation longer than...
PRACTICEFORREDUCINGPANICPanicAttacks,PanicDisorder&Agoraphobia
Panicdisorderisananxietydisorderwhereindividualsexperiencerepeatedpanicattacks.Thenormalphysicalsensationsofanxietyareexperiencedas"dangerous"totheindividualwhothenbelievesthesymptomsmeantheyaregoingtodie(gocrazy,heartattack,suffocate,faint,etc.).Naturally,noonewantstoexperiencetheextremediscomfortofhavingpanicattacks,sowestarttoavoidsituationswheretheymightoccur,andthen"fearthefear".Ourfearbecomesfocusedonavoidingthepanicattack.AvoidancecanleadtoAgoraphobia(fromtheLatinforfearofopenspaces),whereweavoidcertainplacesbecauseofthefearofapanicattackandornotbeingabletoescape,whicheventuallymaykeepusfromgoingoutatall.TheViciousCycleofPanicWritedownyourTriggerEvents,Thoughts-Images,&Behavior:
CognitiveBehaviorTherapy(CBT)CBTfocusesonlearningtochallengetheunhelpfulthoughtsandbeliefs,andgraduallymakingchangesinourbehaviorsothatwelearnthatthefearedconsequencesdonothappen,andthatitistheanxietythatmakesusfeelthewaywedo.Inordertobreaktheviciouscycleofrepeatedpanicattacksand/oragoraphobia,weneedtochangethewaywethink,andchangewhatwedo.Firstly,wecanlearnabouthowanyanxietyaffectsourbody.Thisisthebody'snormalresponsetodanger(orbelievingwe'reindanger):
https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/panic.htm
ThePhysiologyofPanic
Themainproblemwithpanicdisorderisthatwhenthoseadrenalinefeelingskickin,theyfeellikewearereallyindanger.Itreallyfeelslikewecouldbedying,rightnow!Apanicattackisterrifying!
Butinfact,thesephysicalfeelingsofadrenalineareNORMAL–andinatrueemergencywillhelpussurvive.Itisthebody'salarmsystembeingactivatedforFLIGHTORFIGHT.Soitfeelsdangerous,evenwhenit’snot:
https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/adrenaline2.htm
1stStep:CalmingYourBody
PAUSE:Turnyourmindawayfromyourfear.FOCUSON:Changingyourbodychemistry:
T.I.P.(viaMarshaLinehan)
TEMPERATURECHANGE:Dunkyourfaceinice-coldwater.Theice-dunksimulatesthe`divereflex’.Thisiswhathappensifweareinfreezingcoldwaterandourbodiesneedtoconserveenergyinordertosurvive.Insuchasituation,thebodyslowsorshutsdownanyfunctionsthataren’tabsolutelyvitalforsurvival.Ouranxiety/emotionsarenotvital,sotheywillcalmdown.Fillyoursink,orabigmixingbowlwithcoldwater.Holdyourbreathanddunkyourfaceandhead.Staythereaslongasyoucanholdyourbreath.Comeup,takeabreath,anddunkagain.Repeatasmanytimesasyouneedtountilyoufeelcalmer.Note:Somepeoplepreferwarmth:warmblanket,hotwater,shower/bath.INTENSEEXERCISE:Dojumpingjacks,joginplace,orrunup&downstairs.Dothisuntilyouwearyourselfout.Doingso,willcauseyourbodytotakeadeepbreath.Endorphinswillbereleasedandyouwillrelax.Note:peoplewithheartconditionsmightwalkswiftly.PACEDBREATHING(orProgressiveRelaxation)Slow,deep,mindfulbreathingwithaLENGTHENEDEXHALE:Countasyouinhale:1..2..3..4..5.Then,countasyouexhale,twiceaslong:1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10Yournumberswillincreaseasyoutakemorebreaths.Breathein&outthroughyournostrils(withmouthclosed).OrBreathin&outwithyourpursedlips,likeusingastraw.Dothisfor10-20breaths.ProgressiveRelaxationinvolvestensing&lettinggoofmuscles–onebyone–startingwithourface,neck,shoulders,arms,hands,chest.Andmovingdowntobelly,hips,genitals,thighs,calves,toes.
Whydoesslowdeepbreathinghelp?
Whenwebreathein,oursympatheticnervoussystemisactivated.Makingtheheartbeatfaster.Thebodyentersastateofhyper-arousalandbecomesreadyto“fightorflee”.Thisiswhywhenrunningitisautomaticandintuitivetobreathinlong,deepbreathsandoutshort,sharpbreaths–tokeepthebodyrevvedup.Whenwebreatheout,theparasympatheticnervoussystemisactivated.Thissystemslowstheheartrateandotherbodilyfunctionsdownagain,thebodyentersastateof“restanddigest”–oneofcomparativecalm.DuringPacedBreathingexerciseswemakeourexhalationlongerthanourinhalation.Inthisway,theparasympatheticnervoussystemgetsactivated.Asaresult,arousaldecreasesandastateofrelativecalmandcontrolcanberegained.
2ndStep:ChangingHowYouThink:
UseSelf-TalkDuringapanicattack,whenadrenalineisreleasedintothebrain,ourthoughtsbecomeveryBLACK&WHITE.Ourthinkingbecomesverynegativeanddire,andwebelieveourfeelings/thoughts.This,andouractivatedbodyreactionsperpetuatethepanic.Whenweworktocalmourbody,ourfocusshiftsawayfromourfearfulthoughts.Thoughts&feelingsarejustthoughts&feelings,andtheywillpass.
Writedownthethoughtsyouhave/believewhileyouarehavingapanicattack?
Ifwecouldjustnoticethethoughtsandfeelings,andnotreacttothem,ifwecouldbreathedeeplyandfocusonourbreathing….thiswouldslow/stoptheflowofadrenalinewithinafewminutes.
Saythisout-loudtoyourselfortothepeopleyouarewith:
Ø Thisisjustanxiety,anditwillpass.
Ø Iamscared,butIcandoitanyway.
Ø Icantoleratemyanxiety.
Writedownthewordsthatwillhelpcalmyouduringapanicattack?
MoreSelf-TalkIdeas:
Ø GETANGRY!Anxietyisbullyingyou,robbingyouofyourhappiness&confidence.Tellityouwon’tletittakecontrolanymore.MakeadecisiontoTAKEITON!
Ø DOTHEOPPOSITE:Insteadoffleeing,FACEIT.
Ø USECOMPASSION:Treattheanxietylikeit’safrightenedchildorscaredanimal.Tellityouwon’tleave,
thatyou’llbetheretocareforit.Rememberthetimesyouwerestrong&competent.GOSLOW.
PutItAllTogether:YourTIP&SELF-TALKPlan
Writeyourgoalhere:Takeabreath,andimagineyourselfachievingyourgoal.Imaginehowyouwillfeelwhenyouaresuccessful.
