Go to http://www.stresscenter.com/ for more info and help. All these things I learned from their anxiety program, as far as I remember.
STEPS TO AN ANXIETY OR PANIC ATTACK AND EVENTUAL EXHAUSTIONStressful life event >Externally generated (justifiable) anxiety >Chemical releases >Body symptoms
After this it is up to us , how we will react to our feelings and body symptoms.If we fear our body symptoms and cause internally generated anxiety, asking “Why do I feel this way?” We will cause more chemicals to be released into our system, causing more body symptoms, and more fear of symptoms, then bewilderment and confusion, round and round until we experience a panic or anxiety attack, which results in Bewilderment, fatigue and depression. But instead of doing that, we can choose to accept our feelings (the symptoms) and ask “What is really bothering me?”, then use compassionate self-talk and positive distraction from our feelings and symptoms, which will help us calm down and keep us from experiencing a panic or anxiety attack.
THERE ARE SIX STEPS IN CONTROLLING ANXIETY/PANIC ATTACKS 1.) ACCEPT, 2.) GIVE PERMISSION FOR FEELINGS, 3.) BREATHE 2-4, 4.) USE POSITIVE INNER DIALOGUE, 5.) DISTRACT YOURSELF FROM HOW YOU FEEL, 6.) THEN LET SOME TIME PASS-TRY TO FIND SOME HUMOR IN THE WAY YOU ARE FEELING/THINKING.
When experiencing a panic attack you truly feel that you will lose control, go "insane" or die if you do not get to a "Safe" place or person. The "safe" place is usually home or somewhere very familiar and comfortable. The "safe" person is usually someone who can be there if you need help.
However, there are no "safe: people or places.
You are the one scaring yourself; only you can calm yourself down.
Whenever the brain perceives an event as threatening, whether the event is actual, emotional, or imaginary the physiological response is the same. There is a reason for each and every body symptom you are having or have had.
During the fight or flight response, there is a release of extra sugars into the blood stream and insulin breaks those sugars down resulting in that nervous energy and pacing and then the tired feeling. Faster breathing needed to cool brain with oxygen-tired diaphragm. Increased heart rate. Digestion slows down and stops, results cold hand and feet and nausea. Racing thoughts, trouble concentrating, and forgetfulness are all signals of overload. Tunnel vision can be caused by contraction of eye muscles.
Practice the use of the 6 steps with confidence. Practice changing your response. Change the picture of your panic because that picture is not the truth. Float and flow. No more fighting or running. Picture that wave passing through you.
Accept and breathe.
Distract yourself.
Activity (it can be physical or mental).
Positive Dialog or prayer or present moment thoughts.
Trace the feeling (replace the thoughts of “why is this happening to me” to “What can I do about this NOW, or how can I change my attitude NOW” and let some time pass.
Part of our anxiety problem can be traced back to not meeting our own needs, whether that’s self-love, healthy eating or talking through a concern with someone who understands. Give yourself permission to be human. Be gentle and kind, but guard against victim thinking, “Why me? Poor me.”
You are fully capable of changing your negative thoughts and achieving a different response. If you can scare yourself with your thinking, you can also soothe, comfort and reassure yourself.
Remember it’s ok to Relax!
Panic or anxious moments are simply a result of our body’s ways of dealing with fear. It doesn’t just happen to us, it happens because of us. Our body symptoms are just a side effect. There is no real danger. We create the response by telling ourselves that something is wrong.
Discovering what happens right before a panic attack is crucial to eliminating it. Panic is always preceded by a sense of emergency, dread, or feeling victim to something we see as fearful (real or imagined). Recognizing this is the moment we can interrupt, redirect, and change the cycle that causes the body symptom.
Noticing the thoughts of self-pity, low self-esteem, self doubt, or imagined fear is key to recognizing our private pit parties! Beware of hosting these pity parties for they are one step away from panic, anxious moments, and depression. Knowledge of this fact at least brings hope and deflates fear. Deflating the fear will cause the panic to lose its power, not last as long, and eventually not be needed at all.
Instead of alerting our bodies to the imagined emergency, we are best served by observing that feeling without judgment. We can only attract peace by acting peacefully, especially through our inner voice.
2/4 breathing technique (inhaling./exhaling) press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, directly behind your front teeth. Acupuncture point there.
Freedom isn’t free. It has a price. That price means I am dedicating myself, my time, and my energy to gaining that freedom back.
It takes time to get the body back to a balanced place. Each time you work through a panicky, fearful episode you will build emotional muscle. You have the strength you need, it just takes exercise to build your confidence.
Our thoughts trigger the panic attack or a period of very high anxiety. It doesn’t matter if in reality the situation is benign.
Remember conflict and external stressors can make you vulnerable.
Choose not to run away mentally, physically, or emotionally. Start turning around and facing your fears, your feelings, and your problems so you can deal with them and problem solve positively.
You were not born afraid of an elevator, plane, car, etc. You learned to be afraid. You can learn to respond differently.
Remember it doesn’t do any good anymore to just avoid uncomfortable things.
Change isn’t comfortable for many of us, even when it is positive. It will take time before the change becomes more comfortable to you. Be patient. Remember, if you don’t like the way you feel then you must change your behavior (what you are doing.) Suggestibility of body symptoms is proof that the mind is causing the symptoms.
When you are stressed you are producing the same chemicals that you do when you are panicking.
Your body senses the fear and releases chemical stimulants into your system to strengthen your body so it can fight or flee from whatever it is that’s causing the fear, whether real or imagined. Chemicals released adrenaline, sodium lactate, and cortisol.
When you are beginning the anxiety cycle, it is a signal to you to accept that something is bothering you. Try to pinpoint what it is and then take action to eliminate some of the anxiety by doing and saying positive things.
A panic attack will not hurt you. People who suffer with anxiety disorder tend to avoid change, risk and conflict. Your physical symptoms are part of the challenge while overcoming anxiety. Don't let them scare you. Of course you feel anxious- you are trying something challenging. It's ok for your heart to pound and for you to feel strange and confused. Learn to view some of these anxious episodes as excitement. Once you are not afraid of the feelings, the anxious episodes will dissipate.
When you experience your first sensations of panic, we suggest that you change your breathing right away.
First, inhale through nose slowly 2 seconds, counting mentally, one, one-thousand, two one-thousand. Then exhale through your mouth to mental count of four seconds- again one, one-thousand. Do this for at least 60 seconds. Next, immediately fill yourself with positive, comforting dialogue. The mental activity of counting is an extremely effective distraction. Breathing process sends signal to the brain to relax
Most physical and psychological changes take time and practice. Depression is both physical and psychological. If we have been stressed and anxious for along time (two weeks, two months, two years) the centers in the brain that manufacture the chemicals that keep us in a non-depressed state, slowly become repressed. We are not making enough. This is why doctors sometimes recommend an antidepressant. (Antidepressants encourage the brain to make those chemicals it doesn’t make them)The 6 steps you use when you feel the beginnings of panic or high-anxiety can also be used whenever you feel a surge or other emotions (anger/fear/down feelings) as well. First three steps comfort physically. Fourth step both physically and psychologically. Using the 6 steps is comforting and shows us that we can change our emotional state and chemistry in our brain. Every emotion carries it’s own chemistry. We feel what we think.
Precious, present moment living is a healthy habit. When you focus all your attention on the here and now, it is difficult to feel either stress or worry.Intrusive thoughts can be turned away if you consciously shift your awareness back to the present moment.
Distract yourself.
Activity (it can be physical or mental).
Positive Dialog or prayer or present moment thoughts.
Trace the feeling (replace the thoughts of “why is this happening to me” to “What can I do about this NOW, or how can I change my attitude NOW” and let some time pass.
Part of our anxiety problem can be traced back to not meeting our own needs, whether that’s self-love, healthy eating or talking through a concern with someone who understands. Give yourself permission to be human. Be gentle and kind, but guard against victim thinking, “Why me? Poor me.”
You are fully capable of changing your negative thoughts and achieving a different response. If you can scare yourself with your thinking, you can also soothe, comfort and reassure yourself.
Remember it’s ok to Relax!
Panic or anxious moments are simply a result of our body’s ways of dealing with fear. It doesn’t just happen to us, it happens because of us. Our body symptoms are just a side effect. There is no real danger. We create the response by telling ourselves that something is wrong.
Discovering what happens right before a panic attack is crucial to eliminating it. Panic is always preceded by a sense of emergency, dread, or feeling victim to something we see as fearful (real or imagined). Recognizing this is the moment we can interrupt, redirect, and change the cycle that causes the body symptom.
Noticing the thoughts of self-pity, low self-esteem, self doubt, or imagined fear is key to recognizing our private pit parties! Beware of hosting these pity parties for they are one step away from panic, anxious moments, and depression. Knowledge of this fact at least brings hope and deflates fear. Deflating the fear will cause the panic to lose its power, not last as long, and eventually not be needed at all.
Instead of alerting our bodies to the imagined emergency, we are best served by observing that feeling without judgment. We can only attract peace by acting peacefully, especially through our inner voice.
2/4 breathing technique (inhaling./exhaling) press the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, directly behind your front teeth. Acupuncture point there.
Freedom isn’t free. It has a price. That price means I am dedicating myself, my time, and my energy to gaining that freedom back.
It takes time to get the body back to a balanced place. Each time you work through a panicky, fearful episode you will build emotional muscle. You have the strength you need, it just takes exercise to build your confidence.
Our thoughts trigger the panic attack or a period of very high anxiety. It doesn’t matter if in reality the situation is benign.
Remember conflict and external stressors can make you vulnerable.
Choose not to run away mentally, physically, or emotionally. Start turning around and facing your fears, your feelings, and your problems so you can deal with them and problem solve positively.
You were not born afraid of an elevator, plane, car, etc. You learned to be afraid. You can learn to respond differently.
Remember it doesn’t do any good anymore to just avoid uncomfortable things.
Change isn’t comfortable for many of us, even when it is positive. It will take time before the change becomes more comfortable to you. Be patient. Remember, if you don’t like the way you feel then you must change your behavior (what you are doing.) Suggestibility of body symptoms is proof that the mind is causing the symptoms.
When you are stressed you are producing the same chemicals that you do when you are panicking.
Your body senses the fear and releases chemical stimulants into your system to strengthen your body so it can fight or flee from whatever it is that’s causing the fear, whether real or imagined. Chemicals released adrenaline, sodium lactate, and cortisol.
When you are beginning the anxiety cycle, it is a signal to you to accept that something is bothering you. Try to pinpoint what it is and then take action to eliminate some of the anxiety by doing and saying positive things.
A panic attack will not hurt you. People who suffer with anxiety disorder tend to avoid change, risk and conflict. Your physical symptoms are part of the challenge while overcoming anxiety. Don't let them scare you. Of course you feel anxious- you are trying something challenging. It's ok for your heart to pound and for you to feel strange and confused. Learn to view some of these anxious episodes as excitement. Once you are not afraid of the feelings, the anxious episodes will dissipate.
When you experience your first sensations of panic, we suggest that you change your breathing right away.
First, inhale through nose slowly 2 seconds, counting mentally, one, one-thousand, two one-thousand. Then exhale through your mouth to mental count of four seconds- again one, one-thousand. Do this for at least 60 seconds. Next, immediately fill yourself with positive, comforting dialogue. The mental activity of counting is an extremely effective distraction. Breathing process sends signal to the brain to relax
Most physical and psychological changes take time and practice. Depression is both physical and psychological. If we have been stressed and anxious for along time (two weeks, two months, two years) the centers in the brain that manufacture the chemicals that keep us in a non-depressed state, slowly become repressed. We are not making enough. This is why doctors sometimes recommend an antidepressant. (Antidepressants encourage the brain to make those chemicals it doesn’t make them)The 6 steps you use when you feel the beginnings of panic or high-anxiety can also be used whenever you feel a surge or other emotions (anger/fear/down feelings) as well. First three steps comfort physically. Fourth step both physically and psychologically. Using the 6 steps is comforting and shows us that we can change our emotional state and chemistry in our brain. Every emotion carries it’s own chemistry. We feel what we think.
Precious, present moment living is a healthy habit. When you focus all your attention on the here and now, it is difficult to feel either stress or worry.Intrusive thoughts can be turned away if you consciously shift your awareness back to the present moment.
Write a biography. Some find it helpful to destroy what they have written. Seems to symbolize letting go of the past and moving forward into a more peaceful future. The story gets shorter as you leave pieces outside. you will feel less of an emotional response. This means you are experiencing some closure and resolution.
Identify the word or sound that you make every time you experience the panic response. Change the word or sound to something comforting.
Our thoughts trigger the panic attack or a period of very high anxiety. It doesn’t matter if in reality the situation is benign.
Exercise releases endorphins. Even a brisk walk every day would help mood
Client of Midwest Center "I was brought up to "pull myself up by my bootstraps." I swear, at one time I was so far down in those boots-I couldn't see daylight."
People think that when people are depressed they have somehow failed miserably at just living.
Depression is so subtle; it usually builds so gradulally that the sufferer many not be aware. "Something is wrong, but what?"
Your body senses the fear and releases chemical stimulants into your system to strengthen your body so it can fight or flee from whatever it is that’s causing the fear, whether real or imagined. Chemicals released adrenaline, sodium lactate, and cortisol.
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