Four simple steps to relief from those panic symptoms

 

Four simple steps to relief from those panic symptoms

 

Four simple steps to relief from those panic symptoms. If you’ve had panic attacks, I don’t need to tell you how terrifying that is. The rush of adrenaline in our system is sending the heart racing.

We start sweating.

We tend to believe we’re going to die and we can’t keep up with our thoughts. It is spooky. So where do we start here? First of all, let’s look at the data. The data is overwhelming. You’re not going to die in the midst of a panic attack.

We must come to believe and know this with great certainty in order to keep on track with what’s going to help us long term. I’m not saying it’s easy because it’s very, very difficult. Many of you may have been to medical facilities, been checked out, and you know that you’re not having a heart attack.

The key here is as a panic is unfolding to develop this sense of absolute certainty that you’re okay, that you’re okay. This is the first and most critical step along this journey. 

Step two in the four essential steps to managing those panic symptoms. First, you must know with absolute certainty that all is okay. We’ve covered that. Now, next, since you know you’re going to be okay, it becomes important to do a bit of rehearsal. Here’s where a lot of people fail. You read books, you go to therapy, maybe you practice some breathing techniques, but you don’t…

rehearse in your mind what to do when symptoms arise. And this is critical because if you’re unwilling to imagine these situations and then see yourself getting through it, this is key, see yourself getting through it and being okay. See yourself getting through it and being okay. Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. That kind of practice conditions your brain to begin to believe in the techniques and the strategies you’re using.

We must practice to get mastery.

Step three of the four essential steps to controlling those panic symptoms. First, absolute certainty you’re gonna be okay. Second, practice, practice. You gotta get mastery over the steps. Thirdly, one of the tools that becomes essential to practice is breathing. The research shows now that when we monitor people with panic symptoms, that in the half hour before…

their CO2 levels are increasing. So what’s happening is their breathing is becoming shallow and they’re breathing more rapidly. So you must learn to practice breathing, is slower and deeper and become more aware. This is called heart rate variability breathing. It’s one of the best ways to get a hand on this. You’ll find lots of examples on YouTube, but you must master your breathing. Practice.

becoming aware and learning to breathe more slowly.

Final step of the essential four steps to getting control of those panic symptoms. Absolute certainty, right? Absolute certainty you’re going to be okay. Secondly, you practice. You practice everything you’ve learned, read, you mentally rehearse that you’re going to be okay. Third, breathing. You’ve got to become aware of your breathing and start to practice being able to breathe slower and more deeply and more smoothly and even.

evenly called HRV breathing. Finally, if none of that is working, it may be that you have dysregulation in the frontal lobe with our clients at Capital District Neurofeedback who come in with panic attacks. We see this on their QEEG, a very dysregulated frontal lobe. As long as that’s there, none of those other components will work to solve the issue. So if that’s you, give us a call at Capital District Neurofeedback. I’m happy to have a free consult with you.

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