palow
05-29-2010, 09:22 AM
There are so many of you with panic attacks, compulsions and phobias writing in to this forum asking for help. I thought that you may find it useful to have this overview of how people recover from them. The process is the same whether they sign up for CBT with a therapist or whether they buy something off the internet or an anxiety workbook from the bookstore. Here is the process:
They Learn the Mechanics of a Panic Attack
They learn that the panic attack is not caused by (insert your phobia) or by not performing (insert your compulsion). They discover that the panic is caused by their anticipation of the ultimate catastrophe: namely that the next attack will make them die from sheer fright. They learn not to focus on the triggers but to focus on the thought pattern that allows the fear to escalate uncontrollably.
They Learn How Panic Attacks Have Crippled Their Lives
They are made aware of how their avoidance behavior has made them self-conscious and ashamed, and how that shame has destroyed their self-esteem, their relationships with others and worsened their anxiety over time.
They Are Taught The Solution and Techniques to Accomplish It
They are taught that there is only one way to cure panic attacks: to feel the fear with abandon. They are taught techniques not to cope with the fear but to control it and master it. They learn not how to fence in the wild horse but to ride it. They prep themselves to do the unthinkable: to try and bring on the panic attack, and when it comes, to welcome it with open arms.
There Comes a Time When They Confront Their Fear Head-On
There is a turning point when they decide enough is enough. Agoraphobics go out into shopping malls and OCD people tentatively stop their compulsive behavior. Social phobia sufferers throw their own party. They wait for death with open arms. Maybe at first they falter a bit but the panic isn’t nearly as bad as they imagined. They do it again, and again. Each time the fear gets less, until finally, they simple can’t muster up the anticipation and despair that a full-blown panic attack requires.
The End.
I don’t think you can accomplish this on your own without a structured plan. You also need to prep yourself in other ways first. Learn yoga, exercise, improve your diet, and whatnot beforehand. All this stuff will give you courage for when your big moment arrives. A good CBT program should provide all this. Or get a program off the internet.
Good Luck, everyone
Patrick
They Learn the Mechanics of a Panic Attack
They learn that the panic attack is not caused by (insert your phobia) or by not performing (insert your compulsion). They discover that the panic is caused by their anticipation of the ultimate catastrophe: namely that the next attack will make them die from sheer fright. They learn not to focus on the triggers but to focus on the thought pattern that allows the fear to escalate uncontrollably.
They Learn How Panic Attacks Have Crippled Their Lives
They are made aware of how their avoidance behavior has made them self-conscious and ashamed, and how that shame has destroyed their self-esteem, their relationships with others and worsened their anxiety over time.
They Are Taught The Solution and Techniques to Accomplish It
They are taught that there is only one way to cure panic attacks: to feel the fear with abandon. They are taught techniques not to cope with the fear but to control it and master it. They learn not how to fence in the wild horse but to ride it. They prep themselves to do the unthinkable: to try and bring on the panic attack, and when it comes, to welcome it with open arms.
There Comes a Time When They Confront Their Fear Head-On
There is a turning point when they decide enough is enough. Agoraphobics go out into shopping malls and OCD people tentatively stop their compulsive behavior. Social phobia sufferers throw their own party. They wait for death with open arms. Maybe at first they falter a bit but the panic isn’t nearly as bad as they imagined. They do it again, and again. Each time the fear gets less, until finally, they simple can’t muster up the anticipation and despair that a full-blown panic attack requires.
The End.
I don’t think you can accomplish this on your own without a structured plan. You also need to prep yourself in other ways first. Learn yoga, exercise, improve your diet, and whatnot beforehand. All this stuff will give you courage for when your big moment arrives. A good CBT program should provide all this. Or get a program off the internet.
Good Luck, everyone
Patrick