Stop panic attacks without meds

[jeckston]

Most people think that to overcome panic and phobias, you are supposed
to 'face your fears' Well that's a load of crap. The reason you feel
panic is that a young part of you is terrified and doesn't trust the
older parts of you to look after it. Forcing that young part to do
something it clearly doesn't want to do will make the panic worse.

Try this: Next time you panic, remove yourself from whatever it is
that's causing it. I panic on buses and trains, I don't force myself
to take trains, if I take a bus, I say to that part, "If you want to
get off, we will get off". When I go to the cinema/theatre, I pre-book
an aisle seat, I find out where the exit is and I say to myself "If
you want to leave, we'll leave" I have been doing this for several
years now and it really works. I can sit in waiting rooms now,
something I could never do before, because that young part of me knows
that if it wants to get up and go, we will, without hesitation. It has
learned to trust me. In turn, I can reason with it sometimes when I
really want to stay and I can be really kind to it and even ask it to
try and be OK (this mostly works, but I still have work to do on
this). I never take medication for panic, I think that this is really
disrespectful to the parts of you that are trying to communicate, you
just have to listen to them and eventually they will be less
terrified, learn to trust you and panic attacks do get much less. I
know that one day, I wont need to have them at all any more.

Good Luck!

[othervate]

thanks for your suggestion

[simplymoon]

Originally Posted by jeckston

Most people think that to overcome panic and phobias, you are supposed
to 'face your fears' Well that's a load of crap. The reason you feel
panic is that a young part of you is terrified and doesn't trust the
older parts of you to look after it. Forcing that young part to do
something it clearly doesn't want to do will make the panic worse.

Try this: Next time you panic, remove yourself from whatever it is
that's causing it. I panic on buses and trains, I don't force myself
to take trains, if I take a bus, I say to that part, "If you want to
get off, we will get off". When I go to the cinema/theatre, I pre-book
an aisle seat, I find out where the exit is and I say to myself "If
you want to leave, we'll leave" I have been doing this for several
years now and it really works. I can sit in waiting rooms now,
something I could never do before, because that young part of me knows
that if it wants to get up and go, we will, without hesitation. It has
learned to trust me. In turn, I can reason with it sometimes when I
really want to stay and I can be really kind to it and even ask it to
try and be OK (this mostly works, but I still have work to do on
this). I never take medication for panic, I think that this is really
disrespectful to the parts of you that are trying to communicate, you
just have to listen to them and eventually they will be less
terrified, learn to trust you and panic attacks do get much less. I
know that one day, I wont need to have them at all any more.

Good Luck!

Wow that was a very interesting way to look at panic attacks and I have somehow always thought that I was one big kid for behaving the way I do. I can see how this works cause I have been doing alot of self talk and getting over social anxiety as well. I don't like pills because they only cover up what is still there and not treat it. I'm gonna streangthen my kid in me, cause the adult is so ready.

Simplymoon