What To Do When You Feel a Panic Attack Coming Part 1: the Demon Analogy
This is one of my favorite questions and obviously one of the most important ones for people who are trying to gain mastery over panic.
There are basically two options for what to do when you feel a panic attack coming on. The first is to use a coping technique. The second is to do an exposure. And yes, I will explain what coping techniques and exposures are! But first, let's start off with my favorite analogy:
The Demon Analogy
Panic disorder can be thought of as a demon. There are two ways to fight this particular demon. The first way is to use your shield -- Using your shield means using medications (such as Xanax), leaving the situation for a while to calm down, using relaxation techniques, and/or talking back to your anxious thoughts to quite them down. In the next part, I will describe these coping techniques in detail including their pros and cons. But apart from your shield, there is also a second way to fight this particular demon - it turns out that every time you face the demon head on, he gets weaker. Each time you challenge him, he gets smaller. That is where exposures come in to play. Exposures involve turning the tables on the demon by jumping him, challenging him, and saying "Bring it on. Is that all you've got?"
Initially, most coping techniques alone are actually not strong enough to stop a panic attack . For example, you may try relaxation to stop a panic attack but it's just not working. The demon is so large, that he just swipes your "shield" aside. However, usually after one to two months of starting to face the demon (i.e. doing exposures), the demon become so small that the shield techniques finally start working! And after several months of exposures, the demon typically becomes so tiny that he stops coming around at all and eventually dies.
These combined tactics of using your shield and periodically facing the demon head on will help you gain mastery over panic once and for all. If you learn these techniques (in a type of therapy known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) it is very likely that you can eventually enjoy going out with your friends, driving your car, flying overseas, and enjoying a sunny day at the beach without having to worry about panic any more.
Related Tags: panic attack, agoraphobia, panic, anxiety attack, panic disorder, exposure, cognitive behavioral
Visit http://www.PanicMastery.com to get a free pdf copy of Dr. Kiriakos' "The Worry Guide".
Lindsay Kiriakos, M.D., is a practicing Anxiety Disorder Specialist. Certified by The Academy of Cognitive Therapy for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, he has compiled his years of experience in to the "Panic Mastery Course" which was specifically developed for people who suffer from Panic Attacks. You can contact Dr. Kiriakos by email.
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