As you may have read elsewhere on our blog, several years ago I came to the realization that I had been suffering from a form of anxiety or panic for as long as I can remember.
As I mentioned in the blog linked above, I didn't recognize that what I had been experiencing was in fact anxiety or panic attacks until right around the time I began working with this great supplement, Neural Balance. Of course, I made it a part of my regular plan of attack and you can save by clicking HEREfor the best price if you'd like to try it, too.
Here's what I did to cope with anxiety and diminish the panic and dread associated with its sudden assault on my senses.
Keep in mind that the following is from a personal point of view. But, I have taught it to others who found it helpful so if you have a loved one with the same issue or one of your children are struggling, you can share this or teach these methods to them.
How I implemented Neural Balance and developed an approach to dealing with the physical effects of panic:
The first thing I did was start taking Neural Balance as directed twice per day. To be honest, I'm not great at remembering it every single time I should take it, but I make it a point to take it before stressful events or when I have a tough project to accomplish. As a result, I rarely have panic attacks or these extreme episodes of anxiety. When I do, I immediately take a dose of Neural Balance. In times of crisis, I prefer the powdered drink mix but will also open two capsules and mix with water in a pinch to get it in my system quickly. Then I implement the following process:
My internal dialogue matters and so will yours.
My panic attacks start with a tingling in my hands and arms and a bit of a dizzy feeling. This is quickly followed by a feeling of impending doom (which has led me to think that I was dying) which just increases and speeds up the panic attack so I immediately start to reason with myself. "You're not dying. You're having a panic attack." is something I begin to tell myself over and over and, if I am driving or in a precarious position, I pull over and park or get myself to a safer environment.
It's important to talk yourself through the process and reassure yourself that this is temporary and will end but that you might need to let the physical aspects of the panic attack or anxiety play out.
I slow down and deepen my breathing.
I begin to take deep breaths, inhaling slowly and deeply through my nose and exhaling slowly through my mouth. As I'm doing so, I coach myself, "You're doing fine. You're having a panic attack. Breathe deep, slowly in and slowly out."
This helps to lower my heart rate and it helps me to catch my breath. The rapid, short breaths that often accompany panic or anxiety can leave one feeling short of breath or like you are suffocating. Taking control over that aspect will help calm you.
Face it head on and realize that it will have to play out physically speaking.
Again, as my internal dialogue continues, I remind myself that anxiety and panic have a physical aspect that I can't just turn off by recognizing their presence. The adrenaline dump, the emotional element, and the physical feelings will have to run their course but you can shorten them and diminish the severity to a certain degree. I remind myself again, "You aren't dying. You're going to be fine when this passes. Continue to slow your breathing, notice that your heart rate is slowing a bit. The feeling you're having is real but without cause and will go away when it runs its course."
Get busy getting busy.
Once the panic in my thoughts starts to subside and I have slowed my breathing, lowered my heart rate, and begin to feel a little more calm, I dive right into something that requires some concentration or thought. I find that, once I start to subdue my panic and anxiety and focus intently on something else, my symptoms start to subside to a much greater degree.
I have used many different distractions; from reading to jumping on a phone call to opening up a design or writing project and working intently on that for a bit. I find that physical activity such as riding a bicycle or doing some yard work can help, too. Once I turn my attention to the distraction, I stop the internal dialogue as my hope at that point is that my body will work through the final stages and the Neural Balance will begin balancing my endocannabinoid system to bring me back to an even keel.
To be fair, not everyone will find this as helpful as it is to me. And, it didn't work the first time or two I tried it. But, as I learned from all the years that I didn't know what was happening, if you dwell on it too much or allow your thoughts to continue along the "doom" path, things will get much worse and last much longer.
I hope this helps. If it does, please share!