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Commandments to Remember During a Panic Attack
- It does not matter if you feel frightened, bewildered, unreal, or
unsteady. These feelings are nothing more than an exaggeration of the normal bodily
reactions to stress.
- Just because you have these sensations doesn't mean you are very
sick. These feelings are just unpleasant and frightening, not dangerous. Nothing worse
will happen to you.
- Let your feelings come. They've been in charge of you. You've been
pumping then up and making them more acute and powerful; Stop pumping. Don't run
away from panic. When you feel panic build up, take a deep breath and as you breathe out,
let go. Keep trying. Stay there almost as if you were floating in space. Don't fight the
feeling of panic. Accept it; you can deal with it.
- Try to make yourself as comfortable as possible without escaping. If
you're on a street, lean against a post or a store wall. If you're at the cosmetics
department of a store, find a quieter counter or corner. If you're in a boutique,
tell the salesperson you don't feel well and want to sit for a while. Do not jump into a
car and go home in fear.
- Don't indulge in self-pity and think "Why can't I be like other
normal people? Why do I have to go through all this?" Just accept what is happening
to you. If you do this, what you fear most will not happen.
- Think about what is really happening to your body at this moment. Do
not think "Something terrible is going to happen. I must get out." Repeat to
yourself "I will not fall, faint, die or lose control."
- Now wait and give the fear time to pass. Do not run away. Others have
found the strength. You will too. Notice that as you stop adding the frightening thoughts
to your panic, the fear starts to fade away by itself.
- This is your opportunity to practice. Think of it that way. Even if
you are feeling isolated in space, one of these days, you will not feel that way. Some
time soon, you will be able to go through the panic and say "I did it". Once you
say this, you will have gone a long way toward conquering fear. Think about the progress
you have already made. YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION!
- Try to distract yourself from what is going on inside you. Look at
your surroundings. See the other people on the street, in the bus.They are with you, not
against you.
- When the panic subsides, let your body go loose, take a deep breath,
and go on with your day. Remember, each time you cope with panic and anxiety, you reduce
your fear.
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