Bill
03-10-07, 02:11
I'm sure most of you know most of this but bear with me because there is a point to this that helped me.
The first time we have a panic attack it can be a very frightening experience so we do all we can to avoid the situation in which it arose. However, this creates an anxiety state and it's the anxiety state (fear) that actually brings on the panic attacks because the fear has been generated in our minds before we even attempt to face the situation again.
A panic attack is when we hyperventilate i.e. quick shallow breathing which creates an imbalance of oxygen/carbon dioxide in our body. This then causes the tingling in our hands and feet etc and if left unchecked we could faint. These feelings are so frightening that we become afraid of experiencing the feelings which reinforces our fear of the situation in which they occurred. Fear of experiencing fear.
I used to have panic attacks with all the associated tingles etc. I thought to myself I need something to help me in situations I couldn't avoid so I thought about what the ambulance people do for sufferers. They provide an oxygen mask. I then thought about asthma sufferers. They must be afraid of experiencing an asthma attack while they're out so they always take an inhaler.
Now, some of you may have heard of this simple thing...a paper bag. I decided to keep a paper bag on me as support. That way if I had a panic attack while I was out I could find a quiet corner or even a loo and breathe into it to help me relax. (It helps to restore the imbalance by slowing the breathing).
I actually found an additional benefit to this. I found that knowing I had this support on me made me feel more relaxed about going out so because I felt relaxed the panic attacks stopped occurring and after a time I no longer needed the bag as support.
I've also heard of a technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). I've never needed to use it but I've heard from others that it involves tapping your finger on your wrist. It maybe worth looking into.
The bottom line is if you can find something that helps to keep you relaxed by helping to keep the fear at bay, whether indoors or out, the outcome could be that you may actually rarely need to use it as a result.:shrug:
The first time we have a panic attack it can be a very frightening experience so we do all we can to avoid the situation in which it arose. However, this creates an anxiety state and it's the anxiety state (fear) that actually brings on the panic attacks because the fear has been generated in our minds before we even attempt to face the situation again.
A panic attack is when we hyperventilate i.e. quick shallow breathing which creates an imbalance of oxygen/carbon dioxide in our body. This then causes the tingling in our hands and feet etc and if left unchecked we could faint. These feelings are so frightening that we become afraid of experiencing the feelings which reinforces our fear of the situation in which they occurred. Fear of experiencing fear.
I used to have panic attacks with all the associated tingles etc. I thought to myself I need something to help me in situations I couldn't avoid so I thought about what the ambulance people do for sufferers. They provide an oxygen mask. I then thought about asthma sufferers. They must be afraid of experiencing an asthma attack while they're out so they always take an inhaler.
Now, some of you may have heard of this simple thing...a paper bag. I decided to keep a paper bag on me as support. That way if I had a panic attack while I was out I could find a quiet corner or even a loo and breathe into it to help me relax. (It helps to restore the imbalance by slowing the breathing).
I actually found an additional benefit to this. I found that knowing I had this support on me made me feel more relaxed about going out so because I felt relaxed the panic attacks stopped occurring and after a time I no longer needed the bag as support.
I've also heard of a technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). I've never needed to use it but I've heard from others that it involves tapping your finger on your wrist. It maybe worth looking into.
The bottom line is if you can find something that helps to keep you relaxed by helping to keep the fear at bay, whether indoors or out, the outcome could be that you may actually rarely need to use it as a result.:shrug: