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cserpico
10-23-2013, 03:54 PM
so i have had anger problems my entire life. now with my PTSD and panic attacks i can sometimes react to certain situations with violence, in fact, just about a week ago i got into a situation where i got smacked across the face with a baseball bat which broke my nose and left a bone deep gash on my cheek. i havent been in therapy for years but i start again nov 4. my old therapist told me that the reason i react so easily with violence is because panic attacks send us into fight or flight mode and given my upbringing i choose "fight".
anyways, someone in the forum gave me the advise to swing my arms around or dance or something when i feel a panic attack coming on and it goes away so i tried that. i kind of jumped around and then shadow boxed for a while and it actually did seem to help, at least until the ativan took effect. but i have been trying this type of meditation that seems to go against that, it tells me to notice my uncomfortable sensations, focus on them, accept them and them let them pass. i guess in theory that should teach my brain in the long term to let those feelings come and go instead of dwelling on them to the point where it dumps adrenaline and turns it into a full blown panic attack. the dancing or whatever, while it seemed to work seems to me like in the long run teaches my brain to ignore the symptoms rather than face them and learn to control them. what if i am out in public, at a bar or something and i start feeling an attack coming on? i certainly cant just get up and start punching the air.
any thoughts?

Ritch
10-23-2013, 06:03 PM
Is the meditation you are trying mindfulness based? The idea of focusing on them is to just pay them attention but try to look at them without giving them too much thought. E,g Oh look my heart is beating faster...... instead of oh no my hearts beating faster somethings wrong.... If you can manage to look at them objectively instead of subjectively they will pass. Thoughts are transient..... they come and they go.

A lot of people have anger that accompanies anxiety. Physiologically Anxiety is adrenaline and Physiologically anger is......adrenaline. It is your minds interpretation of the adrenaline that decides whether or not you become anxious or angry. These are points my nurse has shared with me

try practicing diaphragmatic breathing, if you can master this it will help a great deal

cserpico
10-23-2013, 06:37 PM
i think so, im not sure what you mean by mindfulness based. this video helps when i am just a little nervous. i cant even sit down when im in a full blown panic, but still this video does help when i am on the verge of one. i tried to paste a link to it but the forum wont let me until i've made 25 posts

Ritch
10-23-2013, 07:20 PM
Try posting it with a gap in the www

if it works I will then take the gap out and watch the video

cserpico
10-23-2013, 07:54 PM
ok, here it is www youtube.com/watch?v=DsmiBze4y1o&list=FLv2cmP9b6HeJsGHk4FpQPtQ&index=1

cserpico
10-23-2013, 07:58 PM
when he says to use a word to describe the sensation, i have actually given mine a name, actually my panic. its cyrus. i know thats batshit insane but thats where the point i have gotten to lately. i have been considering checking myself into the hospital because it gets so bad that sometimes i get confused and am not myself at all. a friend of mine just brought me some more ativan today though. those keep me calm and normal