Panic Attacks and
your Thoughts
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Monitoring your negative thoughts can be very helpful in gaining control over your thoughts, because it
is those thoughts that can be forming the underpinnings of your anxiety and panic attacks. These are the
negative thoughts that I will be discussing.
According to Dr. Martin Winkler of
the University of Applied Sciences in Germany, one of the most effective forms of help for
patients with anxiety symptoms is a diary or protocol of panic attacks and their
thoughts.
The good news is that keeping such a
diary is quite simple.
As you go through each day, every time you have a
negative thought, count it. Some people find it helpful to use a golf counter. But really, a simple
piece of writing paper will work. The important idea is to keep count of every negative thought. Again to be clear: when I refer to negative thoughts, I am speaking about that
which I previously described as "panic attack thoughts".
Now the idea of a diary might sound over
simplistic. But the mere act of counting negative thoughts can be an effective step in combating
them. You can then take things to the next level - click here for more information.
The even better news is that you can further expand
what you do with your diary. Keeping a diary can make some things possible. You
can:
1. Recognize if things are
working
Not only monitoring your thoughts, but also
monitoring your moods over time can be very helpful. You can monitor your moods by asking
yourself the following question on a daily basis:
"How do
I feel NOW compared to some time in the past?"
Having an
objective way of measuring your progress will allow you to determine if things are working. We all have days
that are not as good as others, but in dealing with your recovery from anxiety, you need to really be able to
measure this progress over a continuous period of time. Mental Health professionals suggest giving
self-monitoring (such as a diary) at least a three week chance. This timeframe is very important
to keep in mind.
2.
Recognize when thing are not working
This
allows you to examine what can be done differently and when to try another approach. There are a variety of
approaches. In the end, if you are really uncomfortable at this stage, please ensure that you are working
with a qualified mental health professional.
Also, keep in mind that your current perception of where you are at - whether it feels good or bad - is a sign that
you need to continue working on things.
Before you
go, I would encourage you to subscribe to my free newsletter (below). I share a variey of techniques
that you can utilize. The great news is that the tips in my
free newsletter are not only helpful for sufferers of panic attacks, anxiety, agoraphobia, but can be
utilized for greater wellness.
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