Meltdown
15-03-13, 16:58
I can't remember which book it was (I think perhaps it was "The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy"?) - but one of the main characters said: "Flying is easy - you just thow yourself at the ground - and miss!"
It occurred to me that getting over panic disorder is a bit like that! I think almost everybody would be "cured" in a situation which normally caused them anxiety and panic attacks. if they could just follow these two rules;
1) Forget to panic! - By that, I mean getting rid of all the thoughts which run along the lines of "Oh dear - I ususally panic in situations like this" and "What if I have an attack here? How will I get help"? etc
2) Realise (and truely beleive) that your symptoms are caused by your thoughts, not the other way around!
I have been trying this technique, and I am now beginning to "forget to panic" - the feeling that I "ought" to feel uncomfortable in a particular situation is slowly going away! I began by saying "Stop!" to myself when ever the "what-if's" started, and tried to concentrate on what was going on around me. This sounds a bit like "distraction" (which is not generally thought to be a good thing) - but I prefer to think of it as getting out of the "habit" of panicking! I suppose it is a bit like the "floating" that Claire Weeks recommends in her excellent books!
I know following these rules is not easy, but then again, neither is learning to fly!
It occurred to me that getting over panic disorder is a bit like that! I think almost everybody would be "cured" in a situation which normally caused them anxiety and panic attacks. if they could just follow these two rules;
1) Forget to panic! - By that, I mean getting rid of all the thoughts which run along the lines of "Oh dear - I ususally panic in situations like this" and "What if I have an attack here? How will I get help"? etc
2) Realise (and truely beleive) that your symptoms are caused by your thoughts, not the other way around!
I have been trying this technique, and I am now beginning to "forget to panic" - the feeling that I "ought" to feel uncomfortable in a particular situation is slowly going away! I began by saying "Stop!" to myself when ever the "what-if's" started, and tried to concentrate on what was going on around me. This sounds a bit like "distraction" (which is not generally thought to be a good thing) - but I prefer to think of it as getting out of the "habit" of panicking! I suppose it is a bit like the "floating" that Claire Weeks recommends in her excellent books!
I know following these rules is not easy, but then again, neither is learning to fly!