Be the Best You Can Be

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Panic attacks are associated with intense and sudden feelings of fear, anxiety and overwhelm. This happens due to the quick and sudden release of adrenaline into our body. The release of adrenaline helps the body respond and prepare to face dangerous situations. Even though this is in essence a survival mechanism, it can be negative if this response happens too frequently and unnecessarily.

Panic attacks are not caused by specific external triggers. A person with panic attacks may be doing something that he or she usually does, like going to the bank, cycling or taking an elevator and suddenly get hit by a panic attack. It just seems to come out of nowhere.

Negative thoughts will start to engulf the mind such as paranoia and unrealistic fears. The mind will believe that the worst possible things will happen; Things such as the ship sinking or the car from the other side of the road crashing in. All this regardless of the probability of it happening.

There are no specific external triggers for panic attacks. Panic attacks can come over someone no matter when and where. There are no actual ways to completely avoid it. This is why people who are suffering from panic attacks are greatly affected by it and find it difficult to live their daily lives.

To deal with a panic attack, the most effective method is to face it head on. Don’t resist and fight against the panic attack. Rather, try to face it with courage, accept it and allow it to run through it’s course. Here are the reasons why doing this is a good method.

The first reason is because fear feeds on fear. The more fear you show and let out, the stronger the panic attack becomes. What happens when you are resisting or avoiding a panic attack? You are showing fear and giving the panic attack more energy. Thus the panic attack will be even more intense and last longer.

A good metaphor for panic attacks is a roller coaster. When you’re on a roller coaster ride, you will notice that the more you resist and oppose against the movement of the roller coaster, the more tense and frightened you will be. Conversely when you go along with the movement of the roller coaster, you will find the ride to be exciting and enjoyable.

Second, every time you avoid or try to run away from a panic attack, you are only escaping from it until the next time it happens. However if you face the attack head on, accept it and go through it, you will experience the realization that there actually was no real danger at all. You will realize that you have not been harmed in any way whatsoever.

Coming through a panic attack unharmed, unscathed and totally safe will change your feelings and perceptions towards panic attacks. The experience will give you the realization that the panic attacks you experienced are just the result of your illusions of danger. That is what it is, just illusions. You will know that there isn’t any real danger. By having this experience and understanding, you will be able to face future panic attacks with more courage and confidence. That will be the start of the road to recovery.