How to Deal with Panic
Panic attacks suck.
There’s no other way to put them. They often come on unexpectedly, are exhausting, and make it hard to do things we need to do every day. Often, my clients come to me after having a few panic attacks, fearful and uncertain of what comes next, and tell me, “I just want it all to stop”. As I’ve mentioned in past blog posts, anxiety is a healthy emotion when experienced appropriately - and panic attacks are a prime example of your brain misfiring. Therefore, it’s important to learn how to cope with panic in a way that allows you to recognize it as your body doing what it is supposed to - just at the wrong time.
Where Panic Comes From
There’s been a lot of research done on panic attacks - and no one is quite certain why we experience them. Some say genetics play a factor, some say stress or trauma - but a definitive cause has not been found. What we do know is that usually when we experience panic attacks, it is related to your body’s natural “fight-flight-freeze” response. This response is what is responsible for the hallmark symptoms of panic - trouble breathing, sweating, heart pounding, nausea, restlessness - among many others. Basically, if you could take all of the symptoms that you’re experiencing while having a panic attack and think, “if I experienced these when I was in actual danger, would they make sense?” - that’s fight-flight-freeze. Your body is preparing to defend itself, run away, or simply freeze and wait for the danger to pass or for more information to instruct it. When this happens, your amygdala (that little part of the brain that kick-starts this response) is paying attention - looking for more reasons why it should remain panicked, since its prime directive is to keep the panic flowing to get out of danger.
But I’m not in any danger!
Yes, it is true that panic attacks often happen when everything is seemingly fine. Perhaps you’re driving to work, or at the grocery store, or relaxing on the couch with a good movie in the background. Why would the amygdala think we were in danger then? Good question - we don’t know. But the most important part is that we have steps to take to reduce this panic - and help you feel more in control when it sets in.
What to Do about Panic
When you notice a panic attack coming on, do you start getting scared? Thinking, “oh no, here it comes again! Why me, why now?! I’m going to have a heart attack, it feels like I’m dying!”, et cetera? Stop that. Those thoughts are one of the things that can feed into the amygdala, telling it that there truly is danger, even when there isn’t. Recognize that your body is responding to what it thinks is danger, even if there is no danger, and take a good, deep breath.
Often having a phrase that you say to yourself when you are experiencing panic is helpful. Some examples include:
My brain is just misfiring.
I am experiencing anxiety, but I am safe and I will get through it.
Even though anxiety makes me uncomfortable, I am strong and I will come out of this okay.
Finding a phrase that works for you can help you to remember not to give into the anxious thoughts that come with panic, and instead to recognize the panic for what it is - your brain misfiring.
Here’s the fun part - don’t change anything else.
If you’re on the couch, don’t get off the couch or turn off your movie. If you’re at work, do your best to continue working. However, do stop doing something that you were already doing when a panic attack sets in if you can’t safely continue doing it while in a panic attack. If you are safe, and can experience panic without endangering yourself or others - just experience it.
But that sounds horrible!
I’m not going to lie - it’s probably going to be tough, but not as tough as you think! Often, my clients tell me that their anxiety began to lessen sooner than they expected. When we continue doing the activity we were doing when a panic attack set in, we are teaching the amygdala that this activity isn’t dangerous - that when it signaled for us to stop, our logical brain said, “No, there is no reason to stop.” Over time, this sets into the amygdala, and it learns that there is no need to kick up a fuss because nothing is dangerous.
Think of it like this - remember your first day of school each grade? How nervous you were to meet new classmates, your new teacher? That’s because you were experiencing something new, and your brain didn’t know what to expect. Since we are naturally anxious creatures (remember, we evolved from the folks who ran from danger), our brain is inclined to be prepared for danger when it doesn’t know what to expect. But then after a week or two, you were fine, right? By continuing to go to school despite these nerves, you taught your amygdala that this is nothing to fear - and eventually it stopped responding. We can use the same principle with panic!
This takes time.
The number one barrier I see in my clients is impatience. I fully know that panic is disruptive, and uncomfortable, and exhausting - but we can’t train the brain in one interaction. It takes time and repeated attempts to teach the brain! So try to be patient, and keep going!
