As a reminder: you have two options to take advantage of this Newsletter lessons:

1. If you click on the link below the audio version will open up in a new window or you can right click and select “save as” and save it to your desktop or other location on your computer.  This allows you to take it with you and listen to it at your leisure. Feel free to place these on your mobile device so that you can take them with you on the go.Please note: the audio version will probably take a moment to open.

Click here to listen or right click and select “save as” and download the installment  (after listening, you have the option of skipping ahead ito the next one — if you wish — details at the very bottom of this page )

2. You can also read the content right within this page (directly below)

Let’s begin within a recap of the previous lesson.

I stressed the following key fundamentals to recovery:

1.BELIEF — You must believe recovery is possible, or you make it much harder to actually achieve true, lasting recovery.

2. ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCES — The enlightening experiences, struggles and success stories of others can be a powerful aide to get you through hard times.

3. BE PROACTIVE — You must be the person who takes charge of your recovery. This is critical trait you must have to transition from being a helpless victim to recoverer.

4. COMMIT — Make the commitment in your mind, then write it down to remind yourself that you are dedicated to consistently apply the lessons that I will share.

As promised, in today’s installment, I’m going to build on these principles by explaining the physiology of a panic attack and how you can use this information to your advantage.

Learning to control your physiology is a critical aspect of your recovery. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how panic attacks work or the process that leads UP to a panic attack… so they feel extremely powerless because they don’t know what’s happening to them.

I’ll explain what happens during a panic attack to demystify the process and give you a simple exercise to help you gain an advantage over this situation — anywhere and anytime.

I know it can be a horrifying experience. You feel like the world is crashing down. But I’ve found that most people find it a little more reassuring to know is happening to them.

So, I’ll start by explaining the sequence of events that led to my diagnosis.

Please note: If you have not seen a medical professional, do not assume or self-diagnose. It is important to see a medical professional to rule out any medical conditions. In relatively rare cases another medical condition could bring about similar symptoms. Also, ruling out other conditions can be reassuring.

While many people suffering a panic attack feel that they are having a heart attack or going crazy, it’s comforting to know, this is NOT the case.

Of course if you’ve experienced a panic attack you’re probably worried about having another episode. But please be reassured — if you’ve been diagnosed with panic attacks you are not losing your mind or having a heart attack. Once you understand the process of a panic attack, you’ll understand why I say this.

THE PROCESS OF A PANIC ATTACK

During a panic attack, the “fight or flight response” is activated. Even though the individual is not any real danger.

The “fight or flight response” activates the body’s mental and physical survival responses which are to “fight” or “flee” from perceived attack, harm or threat.

When this response is initiated chemicals such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol are released into our bloodstream which causes a series of physiological effects.

Your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, and your respiration increases. Blood flow to the brain is reduced which means that your rational thinking is compromised.

So even if you wanted to think “logically” – you probably can’t. You have no control. So what happens is… our thoughts begin to race and we’re on a heightened alert.

We are hypersensitive to things that normally wouldn’t bother us.

This goes on and on in a circular process. These racing thoughts and worries increase the physiological symptoms and our physiological symptoms repeatedly increase our racing thoughts and worries.

You now understand the physiology process of a panic attack, in particular the fight or flight process and how anxiety and panic attacks result from this process.

BUT THERE IS ACTUALLY A WAY TO INDUCE THE OPPOSITE OF THIS PROCESS.

Now, I’ll explain how to take advantage of the physiological process of the fight or flight response and induce its opposite.

It is important for me to first provide some background information which will allow you to really benefit from this concept.

When I was beginning to get on the road to recovery from my anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia, one of the very first things I discovered was the “relaxation response.”

Dr. Herbert Benson, M.D., coined the term “relaxation response” to refer to the physiological changes that happen when your body is relaxed during meditation.

Dr. Benson surmised: “The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress… and the opposite of the fight or flight response.”

During this period of relaxation here’s what happens:

— reduces your body’s stress
— reduces oxygen consumption
— slows speeding heartbeat
— increases skin resistance (less sweating and more relaxed)

This is the total opposite of the physiological changes that occur during a panic attack – the Fight or Flight Response.

The great news is, you can create this relaxation response very easily in a matter of minutes. Here are some simple steps you can follow today to induce your own relaxation:

-Sit down in a comfortable position and close your eyes.

-Imagine the muscles of your feet relaxing all the way up your body to the top of your head

-Focus your attention on your breathing.

-Breathe in deeply and then let your breath out.

Do this for ten or twenty minutes.

This is an extremely helpful exercise and can be twice as effective when done consistently. This type of relaxation is very important for anyone who suffers from anxiety.

I also believe it’s a critical part of an effective holistic approach to panic attack recovery.

This relaxation was one of those things that really helped me get better from my panic attack suffering. It was relaxing and felt really good.

You can modify the exercise to fit into your day in several ways.

For instance, you can try doing this exercise for shorter spurts of time throughout the day, for as many times as you wish. Or you can use the exercise to wind down before you fall asleep at night.

But please don’t convince yourself this simple little exercise won’t be useful. It’s hard to get the full benefits if you’re expecting “instant results.”

Just take some time and give this a chance. Once you do this continuously, you’ll start to get the results you’re looking for.

At first you might feel anxious with this relaxation, but if you keep doing it, you will actually be reversing the physiological process that drives your panic.

Over time, you can you can train yourself to push this relaxation further into your day and summon this relaxation to ground yourself when you become anxious.

THEN… you’ll have faster, immediate access to the calming soothing effects of this exercise.

In the next lesson, I will address another critical aspect of recovery. To view the next lesson, simply click HERE.

Take care,

Matthew
PanicAttackRecovery.com