Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Panic Attacks (CBT)

COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) FOR PANIC ATTACKS

Cognitive  Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be used to treat panic attacks. A large part of CBT is relaxation, counselling and discussions whereby the patient can reach the root of their problems, by clearing any unrealistic expectations. The goal is to return to a balanced state of being. As you may have figured out, panic attacks are in almost every case the result of our own thinking process.

The physical major causes of anxiety for most individuals is having muscle tension and shallow breathing, discussed here .

Relax, Stretch and Get a Massage first!

The first step is to see whether the nervous feelings are justified. Sometimes these feelings are a response to a desire to succeed or not to 'drift' aimlessley, ingrained within us, and are a 'push' factor for us to abandon procrastination and get on with what we truly value. 

If the sensations are on the other hand debilitating and hold us back, then this is part of what CBT addresses.

One of the ways in which CBT works is by identifying the causes of an individual's anxiety and then working out why fear is present.
 Gradually the therapist and client work on addressing the situation head on, identifying the 'safety behaviors' used to cope during the situation, analysing these, and then repeating the process until the anxiety has diminished and self-confidence is restored.
For successful and complete treatment both the cooperation of the patient and the practitioner is required.

panic attack exercises

PANIC ATTACK BREATHING EXERCISES

Most of us here struggle with anxiety. In the majority of cases this is because we are 'chest' instead of 'belly and abdomen' breathers, creating anxiety or inducing existing anxiety to become worse. 

One of the most important steps is remembering to exhale

Begin by placing one hand on the chest and another on the belt line, this is where muscular activity happens.

1) Sigh, relax shoulders
2) Inhale through nose by pushing stomach forward
3) Exhale by PUSHING stomach in
Using this method allows me to get around a gallon of breath, which is a lot more than I can get through chest breathing.
Keep practising this breathing exercise regularly until it becomes second nature.

Whilst doing this breathing exercise you must have the ability to CHILL OUT, and to keep reaffirming the fact that the anxiety MUST pass.  Be firm and begin building the habit that you are the master of your body.

CO2 breathing:

Cup the mouth with your hands and breathe slowly in this position. 
This exercise works by not allowing the CO2 exhaled to escape. 

Cup your mouth and nose with this hand position

Practice both of these exercises, whenever apporpriate, sitting upright with arms resting on armpads. 

Correct Seated Position

Alpha-Stim to Treating Anxiety

THE ALPHA-STIM FOR TREATING ANXIETY

The Alpha-Stim is an FDA approved anxiety relief device and is similar, but much more superior, to the TENS with little to no side effects in the vast majority of cases.

The TENS used to treat pain

Side effects, if experienced at all, is mild nauseau for the first few days. It works by using waveform and electrical brain treatment technologies.
Excellent results have been received through various clinical trials, with 200 published papers. It is so practical that the American military started using Alpha-Stim as a natural remedy, which does not interfere with alertness, to anxiety experienced as a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).


It works through the ear clips provided using the lube provided for maximum effectiveness.
When this is done, then the brain is induced into the 'alpha' level, a tranquil state which calms and rejuvenates the nervous system by releasing the correct hormones and inhibiting brain chemistry which leads to 'lower' states.

Ensure that you use the ear clips correctly!

Most issues,or lack of results received, is a result of incorrect usage or 'giving up too quickly'.
Doctors often recommend that you stick to the treatment for a while as the results are gradual and the benefits 'cumulative'.

Here is a list of the clinical trials that have been conducted on the Alpha-Stim:

http://www.alpha-stim.com/research-and-reviews/

panic attack or heart attack

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING A PANIC OR HEART ATTACK?

Panic attack are serious and an urgent disturbance that needs to be corrected as it can lead to conditions such as agoraphobia, monophobia and other phobias which the mind incorrectly associates with the panic attacks. It is truly a downwards spiral.

Monophobia is the fear of being alone

A similar, but natural, feeling similar to panic attacks is exercise. The issue here is that panic attacks happen suddenly and are the results of the body behaving like it is exercising when its not. 
The additional symptoms such as vomiting and defecating can also happen as a defense mechanism to ward off predators.

It is recommended that a therapist is seen as soon as is possible, who will help to provide the tools for you to fix the causes driving the panic attacks. 

BASIC STEPS DURING A PANIC ATTACK:

• Stay where you are as these attacks can last for up to an hour
• practice slow deep breathing [link] 
• Hold your breath and assure yourself that the situation is not dangerous
• Do some visualization exercises of somewhere peaceful 
• Use all physical means realistically possible at the time to calm yourself down. Examples include physical exercise, acupuncture, aromatherapy massage, warm baths, breathing exercises and socializing with loved ones etc.

Visualise whatever make you feel peaceful

BREATHING EXERCISES

• Relax yourself
• Only breathe through the belly and abdomen, not the chest 

If practiced correctly and regularly, then the breathing exercises could actually be the most relaxing part of your day.

EXERCISE
This is very important and a highly recommended additional habit to panic attack management. The minimum is 30 minutes of vigorous daily exercise, 5 days a week MINIMUM. It works on the principle of releasing BDNF and serotonin hormones. 

anxiety management

MANAGING ANXIETY

Management of anxiety starts by reducing the symptom through the various means available, with the main component being relaxation. 

As discussed in other posts, anxiety is caused by overfunction of the amygdala passing on false impressions, which in turn activates the 'fight or flight' response. This manifests in the symptoms which we collectively call 'anxiety'.

This is the cause of all 'fear' issues

If after evaluating a situation you find that the 'fight or flight' response is unwarranted and that, realistically speaking, you are safe - as is often the case - then the amygdala becomes our adversary instead of companion and we must learn to control it.

Fight or Flight symptoms 

Visualisation can help to resolve the issue as the subconscious mind cannot distinguish (but the conscious can) between 'solid' reality and imagination.
One fun and effective imagery is seeing a Harvard professor whacking a reptilian over the head. The symbolism here is that the Harvard professor stands for logic, rationalism, unity and progress whilst the reptilian is our instinctual, survival, emotion-driven part of us.





Diet
More often than not, your diet can play a massive role on your anxiety symptoms and its often an indication that a diet review should be made.
This can mean that you should start including power foods such as  oups, nuts, legumes, citrus and berries.

Have Fun Getting Fit!

Have Fun Getting Fit!

Exercise
Anxiety can be better controlled through exercises such as swimming, attending the gym regularly, tennis and aerobics - anything which contributes to a beating heart.



Lack of direction or Purpose in Life
Re-analyse your purpose in life. Ensure that it is definitive and that is grounded in your values.
To reinforce this habit, as far as possible try to manage every minute of your day so that true value is derived from it. You will be very surprised at the amount of time that is cumulatively wasted in a day.

A better solution to endless worrying is to consciously allocate a 'worrying slot' during the day where you do nothing else but focus on the issue at hand. You will soon get bored and realise how counterproductive, and even harmful, the act of over indulging in endless worrying on things that we can do not instantly change. By all means, if you come up with a good, actionable resolution which may improve the issue, then all the better.

Having Supportive People and Friends Around
Be around people as much as possible, if you can help it! You need other's help and the stronger relationships that you build will definitely aid in taking your mind on the symptoms and moving your focus on caring for other people. Most psychosomatic illnesses begin with overthinking something regarding one's own life, especially health concerns, and forgetting that we are intrinsically hardwired for social integration.

How to have freedom from fear

HAVE FREEDOM FROM FEAR!

Fear - that 'something' that holds us back from achieving what we were made to achieve.

 It's unpleasant and it affects our psyche, physical health and chain of thought, which determines our actions and future, often more than we'd like to admit.

What is Fear? 
A primate, often intuitive neurological response that something 'unpleasant' is about to threaten the ego or break a defensive barrier set by the subconscious mind. However this can be dangerous as we often do not even know what defense mechanisms we have developed over the years in order to cope with life's stresses, and which are still acting now through the subconscious even if our circumstances have changed dramatically.
  Therefore at times our responses may be irrational and undeserving of the 'flight or fight' warning, but it is often not easy to break out of these ways as we are unaware of their first, or underlying, causes. 

A second way that fear/nervousness manifests is through the unconscious desiring to express a talent, or even genius, which it cannot communicate to us directly, because we will not pay attention, or simply dismiss these sensations as 'pain that will go', and take medications to solve the surface issue.
 These disturbances, psychosomatic illnesses and unpleasant sensations often, however, persist and are a sign that we should 'look inside' more and 'get the message' that is eagerly waiting for us. 
'The Mind Cure' by C. D. Larson is an excellent and highly recommended overview into nervousness and its far reaching effects on our daily lives, and how we may be freed from its hindrances

 Basic recommendations, apart from probing the subconscious for the answers, a very time consuming process, is to start to do the following:

• Eliminate uncertainty:  that is, a lack of direction on what to do next and, more generally, not having a definite chief aim or a quantifiable purpose in life. 

• Take time to listen to your internal dialogue, especially if the pain is constant -- acknowledge negative and limiting beliefs and changing them into positive and empowering thoughts. This is the easiest way of 'releasing' subconscious debris as the thoughts may be spontaneous and surprising. This method allows one to remedy the subconscious causes in context.         

•        Answer the following observations:

1. Is my mental dialogue positive or negative on the whole?
2. What people/places arouse a negative thought/outlook/impression on my mind? 
3. Can I do something practical to overcome this situation? (For example, can you avoid the people, change the circumstances etc.?) If not, how can I change my THINKING so that I divert my attention and stop making such a big deal out of these negative aspects in my life?                                                                                      Start relying on God or a 'Higher Self' to protect and guide you! 

• Never rush to get something finished, unless you are working on a highly time sensitive and urgent project. Even better, save yourself the hassle of rushing, and start as soon as an urgent project is given.                                                             Allow yourself time, plan methodically (important!), work in small chunks and you may be surprised at how 'quickly' and 'effortlessly' the tasks gets done.

• Start exercising intensively and get fit - just doing this will make you healthier and release 'feel good' chemicals like Oxytocin which will ease any anxiety or depression symptoms. This chemical is also responsible for intimacy - like during 'cuddling' -  and feeling a connection with others, so you'll be friendlier also.         Make this a priority especially if you have a 'senile' or unathletic day job -- like working in the office!

Ensure that you get enough physical activity at least 3-4 times a we if your job
is similar...

Learn the Art of Cuddling, and your anxiety
will instantly decrease!

• Stop comparing yourself and performance with others, whether you are better or 'worse'. You cannot understand the circumstances, psyche, history, medical conditions and life's purpose of a person, which has led them to the position they are in. Stop comparing, save that energy, and focus on improving yourself. Also, stop worrying about how others may perceive your failures, as long as you have 'tried your best', will not falter, and will get up and try to perform even better.