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Recovery from PANIC ATTACKS:
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👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Panic Attacks Self Quiz
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👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼 Help for Health Anxiety
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There are loads of physical symptoms caused by anxiety. They include things like:
1. palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate,
2. sweating,
3. trembling or shaking,
4. sensations of shortness of breath or smothering,
5. feeling of choking or a lump in the throat
6. chest pain or discomfort,
7. nausea or abdominal distress,
8. feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint,
9. derealization or depersonalization,
10. fear of losing control or going crazy,
11. fear of dying,
12. numbness or tingling sensations,
13. chills or hot flushes.

And even though these symptoms can be very uncomfortable, none of them are harmful or dangerous.

So let’s talk about how to effectively treat anxiety conditions. Your main goal is to train your brain that you are not scared of anxiety symptoms. If you do that, your fight or flight reaction, your fear response and your nervous system will calm down without reinforcing the anxiety or panic cycle.

We accomplish that goal paradoxically. Instead of trying to not have those symptoms and avoid situations or do certain things to feel safer and calm down, we move towards anxiety and allow anxiety symptoms.

This word “allow” confuses a lot of people. So, I want to talk about what this all means in treating your symptoms. I look at the term “allow” to mean being non-reactive and nonjudgmental.

Many people site the psychiatrist, Claire Weekes in the 1970’s as one of the firsts to use this recommended strategy of moving through panic attacks.

Her techniques have been shown to be highly effective in imaging studies today. Dr. Weekes stressed leaving your mind in a natural state during high anxiety versus doing anything to resist the symptoms. She emphasized learning to accept and allow whatever you experience, whether it’s nausea, dizziness, dpdr or feelings of unreality, difficulty catching a breath, whatever it is for you.

Then, she suggests floating through the anxiety or panic and just letting time pass. You experience the physical and mental sensations but you don’t attach a scary, catastrophic, what-if story.
In working with people in my practice and in my courses, I teach paradoxical strategies and I begin with this neutral stance of ( 1.)allowing the anxiety to come and go as they please.

And then, I encourage people to take a step closer to their fear by (2) welcoming your symptoms. You can conceptualize that if “allow” is neutral, then “welcoming” is one step closer.

Now, I go a few steps further in treatment with these Paradoxical approaches. The next step I use comes from Dr. Reid Wilson. He suggests adding a positive thought like, “Oh good, I am feeling anxious. I want that. This is the perfect opportunity to practice.”

And then, he suggests that we say something like,
(3) Bring it on anxiety.This is a provocative approach but boy does it work. Here you are stepping toward your anxiety and asking for more. But, you are in control, not your anxiety.

The next paradoxical treatment involves stepping towards your fear by using (4) interoceptive exercises or exposures. Here you are intentionally mimicking or recreating the symptoms that you fear.

And the final paradoxical method of treating anxiety disorder involves doing the activities and (5) intentionally placing yourself in situations that you may have avoided because they triggered your anxiety or panic in the past. While doing these exposures you may use any or all of the paradoxical approaches, I reviewed including allowing, and welcoming techniques while of course practicing response prevention and slowly eliminating all of the behaviors that you do to calm down or to make you feel safe.

You may follow me at the social media sites below:
  / paige.pradko.therapy  
  / paigepradkotherapy  

How can I help you?

I would love to hear from you. Please send me a message and tell me how panic has affected your life.

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Until next time...I will see you in session,

Paige

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(Although Paige Pradko is a licensed psychotherapist, the views expressed on this video and this YouTube channel including comments or any related content should not be taken for medical, psychological or psychiatric advice. Always contact your physician and mental health provider before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.)