Panic + Fear
The intense and inescapable faces of anxiety are panic and fear.
That gripping sensation, that inability to think of anything else, that spiral of convincing, fear-based thoughts, that pounding in your chest, that feeling like you need to run or you might die...
Yea. All of that.
The first time I had a classic kind of panic attack was in 2017. A late bloomer, I know. Emotionally I was doing well at the time but also in the midst of MASSIVE changes and grieving the sudden death of my dog.
I had experienced all kinds of anxiety in the past, but this kind of panic was new to me. It'd come of nowhere. Sometimes I'd wake up at night feeling like I was suffocating, or I'd get hit with a "I need to get the fuck out of here or I'll die" kind of feeling if I was in a building far from an exit (Ikea is a good example).
I knew it would eventually resolve (it did that year). I had a LOT of tools in my healing tool belt, but I had to learn some new ones. I'm really glad it happened. I actually specialize in treating anxiety, so to know what a full-blow panic attack feels like, how to work with it and eventually overcome it... that's priceless.
That gripping sensation, that inability to think of anything else, that spiral of convincing, fear-based thoughts, that pounding in your chest, that feeling like you need to run or you might die...
Yea. All of that.
The first time I had a classic kind of panic attack was in 2017. A late bloomer, I know. Emotionally I was doing well at the time but also in the midst of MASSIVE changes and grieving the sudden death of my dog.
I had experienced all kinds of anxiety in the past, but this kind of panic was new to me. It'd come of nowhere. Sometimes I'd wake up at night feeling like I was suffocating, or I'd get hit with a "I need to get the fuck out of here or I'll die" kind of feeling if I was in a building far from an exit (Ikea is a good example).
I knew it would eventually resolve (it did that year). I had a LOT of tools in my healing tool belt, but I had to learn some new ones. I'm really glad it happened. I actually specialize in treating anxiety, so to know what a full-blow panic attack feels like, how to work with it and eventually overcome it... that's priceless.
Breathe, Be Here‣‣ ARTICLE: Stop Anxiety with This Technique
This is a really helpful breathing practice for high stress times. Check out the video, too. ‣‣ Practice SLOWING DOWN- physically, mentally, emotionally. The last thing you may want to do is sit with yourself, so recruit whatever help you need so you can give yourself the support and comfort necessary. |
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Unresolved Shit‣‣ Let's address that there may be some "unresolved" past experiences that are still haunting you. Often we don't even know what they are. This is when facing ourselves vs running away is most important.
‣‣ Have you been under a lot of stress? Panic is often like a valve opening and venting the excess stress and pressure you're under. Acknowledge that some part of you, subconscious or not, may be overwhelmed and having trouble catching up. ‣‣ The present is always the best (and only) time to work with these things. Facing what may be scaring you, consoling the panicked parts of you, leaning into your fear instead of denying or repressing it... these are truly effective practices. |
Working with Triggers‣‣ Getting "triggered" means something (you likely aren't aware of) has hit you in an upsetting way, often linked to past events.
‣‣ What is setting you off? Do you know? Do you have strong practices for working with your own intense emotions? If not, it's time to develop them. |
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Coming Home to the Self‣‣ When we resist our feelings and reject ourselves, we feel like shit. We feel empty, alone, wrong, alienated, depressed, anxious. Panic and fear are states of being separated from ourselves.
‣‣ Learning how to come home to yourself, to lean in to your feelings with compassion, is literally the most healing thing you can do. |
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Working with Fear + Uncertainty‣‣ Let's go back to the Pema quote at the top of the page. It can be easy to feel fear, insecurity and uncertainty. We don't live in a static world. We don't live in a "stable" world. Everything is constantly shifting and changing.
‣‣ This is a GOOD thing. This changeable dynamic is how EVERYTHING happens here on earth and in our lives. We WANT change. The trick is in learning how to embrace it and create our own sense of security. |
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Being Our Own Anchor‣‣ The antidote to fear is faith, conviction, courage. I don't ask myself how to get out of fear. I ask myself how to become more empowered. I don't try to change my fear by molding it into something else. Fear is fear is fear.
‣‣ We can make a CHOICE to look in a different direction. If you look for fear you'll find it. If you look for hope you'll find it. I want to help you look in the direction that serves you most and sets you free. |
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