Think of a lemon to stop the panic?!

[emma81]

Hi guys

I wasnt really sure which section to post this in but I did want to share it. I've just been having a chat on the phone to my hypnotherapist giving her feedback on how well i have been doing with my agoraphobia since last seeing her and she started to tell me about a lemon (don't laugh!)

So she said to me that it is well known with people who work with panic disorder that a panic attack coming on is like a domino effect. Apparently there are around 400 tiny changes that take place within the body to produce all those nasty feelings that give us the physical symptoms that go hand in hand with a panic attack. And apparently the first symptom right at the beginning of those dominos falling to make a full panic attack occur is a dry mouth.

So she asked me to close my eyes and think of myself chopping a lemon in half, then in quarters, really picturing in my head how juicy it looked, then taking it to my mouth and biting into it. It took a few attempts to really visualise it, but then it worked and i could feel saliva coming into my mouth at the thought of it.

So anyways, she reckons that at the very first thought in your head or physical feeling in your body that a panic attack could occur, you should have a drink of water/juice - but if you dont have any - think of a lemon and that will stop the dry mouth. If you can stop the dry mouth then it should stop all the dominos falling down and control the panic.

I am skeptical about whether or not this works (as i imagine a few others reading this are!) but I will say I have been almost housebound over the past 3 years with agoraphobia and after 1 session of hypnotherapy with her I managed to get out twice in one week and travel 20 miles :D So I cant wait for my next session with her because I definetly believe she talks some sense and is helping me... still not convinced on the lemon theory tho.. but it wont hurt to try it out will it?!

Anyone else heard of this before?

Emma xx

[Cathy V]

It does kind of make sense and could be worth a try, but id have to replace the lemon with an orange, as no way would i ever think happy thoughts about eating lemons...prob make the panic worse! :D

Thanks for the info tho xxx

[Karen]

Hi Emma

I'm glad the hypnotherapy is helping with your agoraphobia. Well done for the progress you are making :hugs:

I have heard of the domino effect and the person who recounted the tale was also a hypnotherapist. He said remove one domino (or part of the escalation of anxiety) and it stop anxiety turning to a panic attack. I haven't heard about the lemon but the therapist who told me about it recounted the story of a guy who found his anxiety lessoned and didn't progress to a panic attack if he chewed gum - obviously this produces the saliva the same as imagining biting into a lemon.

The body shuts down all non essential functions during a panic attack because if there really was danger (which is why we humans have the fight or flight mechanism) eating would be the last thing someone in danger would do. By chewing gum or imagining eating a lemon or whatever, it removes one of those dominos and prevents a panic attack.

Karen xx

[Piglet]

I like that and will certainly give it a try!

Piglet :flowers:

[Divinely Desolate]

lol i saw the thread title and couldn't stop laughing! the cure.... possibly a lemon!! who would of thought of it lol but will try the technique cheers! :)

[welovesalc]

An old therapist said this to me once actually, thanks so much for the thread I had totally forgotten about it! And it is true (for me anyway) I get a dry mouth at the very beg. of a PA. Great post op!

[bab]

Hiya im def going to give this a try - but cathy you took the words out of my mouth - its got to be an orange as imagine the grimacing faces i would make in the middle of shopping centre if i was trying to picture myself sucking a lemon!!!

great idea though and now I actually fancy an orange!

[gudheart]

lol yep il give it try, it does make good sense. i actually like to have a half a lemon now n again, so hey sounds gud 2 me.

[Granny Primark]

What a brill tip.
I love lemons. I buy the jars of sliced lemons you have in your drinks.

[pooh]

Im just wondering after reading this. Could this be the reason I drink loads of fluids ( no Im not diabetic lol) subconsciously takling this domino? mmm food or should I say liquids for thought lol

Pooh x

[emma81]

The body shuts down all non essential functions during a panic attack because if there really was danger (which is why we humans have the fight or flight mechanism) eating would be the last thing someone in danger would do. By chewing gum or imagining eating a lemon or whatever, it removes one of those dominos and prevents a panic attack.

Karen xx

I think this really is true - last night i faced another new situation for me that i havent faced in a long time - going out for dinner. There were quite a few moments whilst waiting on the meal to be cooked and brought over that I wanted to run out the restaurant but i kept sipping at my juice (even took the slice of lemon out and sucked on it for a moment lol) and it seemed to ease the panic slightly. Then it completely went away while i was eating my meal. So i think what you are saying about eating being the last thing someone in danger would do is spot on, it definetly seemed to help me anyway.

Emma xx

[titch]

i am gonna keep this technique in mind as im going to blackpol tomoz so ill get a little panicky on the way...xx

[Logicalgal]

thank you for this advice
my mouth is salivating just reading this
I will try it for sure