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View Full Version : Why You Should Look Forward to Your Panic Attacks



PanicCured
03-05-2015, 06:29 AM
Ah yes, those dreadful panic attacks. You hope you never have them again, but you know, sometime, somewhere it will strike. Where it strikes you have no idea.

Oh no no let's not talk about that!

Not the panic attack! AHHHH!!!!!!!


Because last time you almost died. You almost went insane. You came so close to death with your head exploding with blood and guts all over the place. You almost embarrassed yourself in front of everyone!

But could you go through that hell again? Will you survive 1 more panic attack? Can your heart take such trauma? Can your mind handle going to the brink of insanity? I mean, you came so close to dying, could you be so lucky to live through one more panic attack?

My friends, welcome to your body's own Fight or Flight Response. And the only response you should have to the Fight or Flight Response should be, "Woop Dee Doo!" JUST BRING IT!

You see, you didn't come close to death and you didn't come close to going insane. You were bluffed, and you bought into it. You threw all your poker chips on the table from a total bluff!

So now, here is how you out bluff the bluff!

First, look at a panic attack as something that will come, and hope it comes, because this gives you your chance to shine and really take all the knowledge about anxiety you learned, and finally use it. You have learned so much about your disorder and you continue to learn, but it is during the attack, that you can really put all this knowledge to the test and finally utilize it. It's like the Super Bowl for a quarterback.

Just as I wrote here: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?9512-The-Quick-Guide-to-Stopping-Panic-Attacks

Do this:

1) DO NOTHING! Take a seat and stop doing everything. Droop like all your muscles just went limp. Do not attempt to do anything, except maybe drink water.

2) DO NOT OVER-BREATHE! Forget deep abdominal breathing. Breathe very slight. Let the air go into your belly if you need to, but keep it light. Keep your breath as you would breathe normally at rest doing nothing if you were not paying attention to it. Keep your breathing like you are at rest, as if your body was breathing relaxed and easy normally if you were not noticing it. Don't hyperventilate! Keep your breath at a nice calm natural state if you were calm and resting and not focusing on your breath. You do not want to breathe out too much CO2. Keep it light and easy.

3) Allow the anxiety or panic to do it's thing. Do not be scared of the anxiety. You are feeling fear. Do not be scared of fear which will add fear to the fear. Just sit back and relax and watch it like a movie. Don't add any fear, just let the current fear pass quickly.

4) Say to yourself, "This is my body's fight or flight response. Adrenaline is flowing through my body, causing horrible panic feelings. It will subside within minutes, and when it does, I will begin to feel better. I just need to allow it to metabolize, and not add anymore adrenaline and other chemicals to the mix."

5) If you are having a panic attack, do not seek a safe person or safe place. The seeking will make you feel worse. All you have to do is sit and do nothing and allow the chemicals to pass through you and metabolize. It can go away in a matter of minutes if you just sit and relax, and watch it flow by you. The symptoms are caused by passing chemicals but they will only pass if you let them. Ride it out. Let it pass. It only takes a few minutes.
You are not going crazy! Let the thoughts pass too.

NixonRulz
03-05-2015, 07:10 AM
^^^^^perfect!^^^^^^

And if I may add, that is exactly why they will stop. Because you do not fuel the fire, it cannot fester

Then you will BELIEVE that they are truly harmless so your mind and body have no reason to panic

You are free!!

gypsylee
03-05-2015, 07:22 AM
I think if you truly look forward to panic attacks you'd never have one again. That's the reverse vicious cycle :)

Surfside
03-05-2015, 08:10 AM
Yeah, I need to read this carefully over and over again, because I've chased away friends with my outrageous panic attacks, and always wished I'd just kept my big mouth shut afterwards - because of course they (the attacks) pass and then I just feel stupid. I shouldn't say what brings on my attacks (because I know my triggers all too well) so as to not totally give myself away.

I'm always afraid of talking to others during an attack now, and fear I'll become quite isolated even further, even though I always allow people to vent to me during their attacks.


Yep, I did just say that, I never made anybody feel bad about "going off" of me so to speak.

Okay, Now I'm just complaining, sorry...lol

jessed03
03-05-2015, 02:26 PM
Incredibly legit postings from Panic and Nixon.

Those first few seconds when you feel panic rising are so important. That's when you need to get your head together and decide you're bigger and stronger than the attack. Trying to get on top of an attack 10 minutes in once it's in full swing is a lot harder.

Personally I can't say I look forward to an attack, but I know what you mean. I've managed to get to a state whereby I no longer care whether I panic or not. I refuse to be fooled. Flat out refuse. I've seen how the magic trick is done. Not fooling me.

Tip no.4 on this list has always worked well for me. Really gentle, encouraging self-talk the whole way through attacks helped me to stop fearing them as much initially. It really helped cushion the blow and shorten an attack's length.

Kixxi
03-05-2015, 04:03 PM
Ah yes, those dreadful panic attacks. You hope you never have them again, but you know, sometime, somewhere it will strike. Where it strikes you have no idea.

Oh no no let's not talk about that!

Not the panic attack! AHHHH!!!!!!!


Because last time you almost died. You almost went insane. You came so close to death with your head exploding with blood and guts all over the place. You almost embarrassed yourself in front of everyone!

But could you go through that hell again? Will you survive 1 more panic attack? Can your heart take such trauma? Can your mind handle going to the brink of insanity? I mean, you came so close to dying, could you be so lucky to live through one more panic attack?

My friends, welcome to your body's own Fight or Flight Response. And the only response you should have to the Fight or Flight Response should be, "Woop Dee Doo!" JUST BRING IT!

You see, you didn't come close to death and you didn't come close to going insane. You were bluffed, and you bought into it. You threw all your poker chips on the table from a total bluff!

So now, here is how you out bluff the bluff!

First, look at a panic attack as something that will come, and hope it comes, because this gives you your chance to shine and really take all the knowledge about anxiety you learned, and finally use it. You have learned so much about your disorder and you continue to learn, but it is during the attack, that you can really put all this knowledge to the test and finally utilize it. It's like the Super Bowl for a quarterback.

Just as I wrote here: http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?9512-The-Quick-Guide-to-Stopping-Panic-Attacks

Do this:

1) DO NOTHING! Take a seat and stop doing everything. Droop like all your muscles just went limp. Do not attempt to do anything, except maybe drink water.

2) DO NOT OVER-BREATHE! Forget deep abdominal breathing. Breathe very slight. Let the air go into your belly if you need to, but keep it light. Keep your breath as you would breathe normally at rest doing nothing if you were not paying attention to it. Keep your breathing like you are at rest, as if your body was breathing relaxed and easy normally if you were not noticing it. Don't hyperventilate! Keep your breath at a nice calm natural state if you were calm and resting and not focusing on your breath. You do not want to breathe out too much CO2. Keep it light and easy.

3) Allow the anxiety or panic to do it's thing. Do not be scared of the anxiety. You are feeling fear. Do not be scared of fear which will add fear to the fear. Just sit back and relax and watch it like a movie. Don't add any fear, just let the current fear pass quickly.

4) Say to yourself, "This is my body's fight or flight response. Adrenaline is flowing through my body, causing horrible panic feelings. It will subside within minutes, and when it does, I will begin to feel better. I just need to allow it to metabolize, and not add anymore adrenaline and other chemicals to the mix."

5) If you are having a panic attack, do not seek a safe person or safe place. The seeking will make you feel worse. All you have to do is sit and do nothing and allow the chemicals to pass through you and metabolize. It can go away in a matter of minutes if you just sit and relax, and watch it flow by you. The symptoms are caused by passing chemicals but they will only pass if you let them. Ride it out. Let it pass. It only takes a few minutes.
You are not going crazy! Let the thoughts pass too.

This is exactly what it is about. Once your stop being afraid of panic, you are cured. Unfortunately I am not quite there yet, but I am getting there. I see a panic attack as practice now lol

PanicCured
03-06-2015, 04:32 AM
In my experience, it is a process over a few months to get past anxiety, but it gets better little by little, with bumps in the road along the way. I believe that it takes time to retrain the brain and heal the nervous system. So I am not fully on board with once you don't fear them you are cured, but if that does work for some people, that is great! For me it was a process. In my Techniques I used to Cure My Anxiety thread I list the actual things I did and used to heal my nervous system, or at least, "healing the nervous system" is how I viewed it.

I think it is important to understand it is like practicing anything else in life. With a panic attack, you get better at it as you experience them. Claire Weekes said this long ago, "DO NOT ADD 2ND FEAR!" When you stop adding fear to the fear, this is when you are well on your way to overcoming the biggest bluff you have ever come across!

Kixxi
03-06-2015, 04:38 AM
In my experience, it is a process over a few months to get past anxiety, but it gets better little by little, with bumps in the road along the way. I believe that it takes time to retrain the brain and heal the nervous system. So I am not fully on board with once you don't fear them you are cured, but if that does work for some people, that is great! For me it was a process. In my Techniques I used to Cure My Anxiety thread I list the actual things I did and used to heal my nervous system, or at least, "healing the nervous system" is how I viewed it.

I think it is important to understand it is like practicing anything else in life. With a panic attack, you get better at it as you experience them. Claire Weekes said this long ago, "DO NOT ADD 2ND FEAR!" When you stop adding fear to the fear, this is when you are well on your way to overcoming the biggest bluff you have ever come across!

True it is a process. I did not get better overnight, although I still struggle with certain things. I do believe that it is easier to do things you fear once you are not afraid of your symptoms.

PanicCured
03-10-2015, 07:07 PM
But fearing the fear is something that needs to be addressed.