There are many sources of anxiety that can fuel our panic attacks. By identifying these sources we can through different techniques cope with and eliminate panic attacks. We will learn more about this in later chapters but for now we must focus on identifying the sources of anxiety in our lives that are triggering our panic attacks. Make no mistake about it, this is no easy task since these sources vary from person to person and from attack to attack. However, it is not entirely impossible to find these sources. They are there and if you dig deep
enough you can find them. The following describes my ideas on what the most common sources are and how to identify them in your life.
Basically, I have found that the primary sources of anxiety which I believe fuel panic attacks can be broken down into 2 areas. These areas are titled Lifestyle and Psychological. Lifestyle, covers the tangible things in our life and the way that we live that can be sources of anxiety. Psychological, covers the aspects of our personality and the way we think about life that can be sources of anxiety. Both areas have multiple source areas that fall under it which can fuel our panic attacks (SEE CHART 5). I truly believe that the circumstances of our life and/or the way we think about and handle our life can trigger our panic attacks. This is what is at the core of The Panic Sources Chart (5). Since the sources of anxiety that drives panic attacks are different for everyone, it would be impossible to capture all of the potential sources of anxiety on any single chart. This chart does not attempt to capture each individual source. Instead, this chart is organized to capture as many sources as possible by categorizing potential source areas not individual sources. This should make identifying the sources of anxiety in your life easier because the search area for your anxiety sources is narrowed down. It is a lot like an Index in a book. By using an index you don't have to read the whole book to find a specific word or subject because the index can tell you what page(s) to go to. This chart will show you what areas to look for the sources of your anxiety in. It is also flexible enough to allow you to personalize it if your sources of anxiety are not in any of the charted areas.
*Note this section does not try to identify sources of panic for PANIC DISORDERS such as AGORAPHOBIA or other PHOBIAS, rather it solely tries to identify the sources of panic that fuel the panic attacks related to those mentioned throughout this booklet that have no connection to PHOBIAS. Those suffering from PANIC DISORDERS such as PHOBIAS should seek the help of professionals. (SEE CHART 6)
I am confident though, that you can go to any of the categories or areas on this chart and find something that you can relate to in your life or way of thinking that may be a source of anxiety. If you are having a little trouble don't give up hope just yet.
This Chapter may take a little work and self-examination on your part to get through, but don't panic. I have tried to make this manual as short and easy to use as possible so that you do not have to worry or get stressed by reading it. Some books and programs about this subject seem so expensive and complicated that they can give you a panic attack just thinking about them. Hopefully this manual won't do this to you as we attempt to eliminate Panic Attacks from you life. So just because I mention things like work and self-examination try not to panic. I will try to make these next sections as easy and painless for you as possible.
To help you find the sources of anxiety in your life that are fueling your panic attacks I have provided the Anxiety Sources Workbook for you with this kit. This workbook is related to the Anxiety Sources Chart(5) and will aid you in determining your personal anxiety sources. After using this workbook for a while like a diary, you should be able to determine which anxiety source area(s) are driving your panic attacks. You should be able to see a pattern of events, eating habits, or pattern of thinking that is repeating itself over and over that is related to an anxiety source area on Chart(5). Perhaps you will see a pattern of anxiety sources that are not listed on the chart or maybe you will see a pattern of combinations of anxiety source areas from Chart(5). After using the workbook for some time you should be able to look at Chart(5) and use the records from your workbook to identify what is fueling your panic attacks. You do not have to be a genius to see the sources. If you think something is a source it probably is.
The following example workbook sheet is based on my life. As you can see I did not use big words or over analyze when filling out the workbook. I kept it simple and used a little self examination when filling in my answers. After several days a pattern of potential anxiety sources developed. Why don't you see if you can see the patterns.
Now that you have read my examples from the workbook, go ahead and list what you think the sources of my anxiety were, using Chart 5 as a reference.
TO SEE MY PERSONAL WORKBOOK EXAMPLE:CLICK HERE You can go ahead and list what you think my sources are on a piece of scratch paper at home.
From my example I found that job stress, long hours, poor diet and caffeine were the main sources of anxiety contributing to my panic attacks. In these examples these source areas were repeated on almost every sheet. If you saw the same pattern you should be ready and able to go on and use the workbook for yourself. So, before you go any further in this book go ahead and use the Anxiety Sources Workbook along with Chart(5). When you are comfortable that you have identified the anxiety source(s) in your life you may continue on with this manual to see how to cope with and eliminate your panic attacks.
Some of you may have already had a clue as to what was fueling your panic attacks, while some of you had to have your sources identified with the help of my Anxiety Sources Workbook. In either case you now know what these sources are and now have the key to coping with and eliminating your panic attacks. Knowing what you are dealing with is critical because it will help you to make informed and intelligent decisions in coping with and eliminating you panic attacks.
* NOTE IF YOU ARE STILL HAVING TROUBLE IDENTIFYING THE SOURCES OF YOUR PANIC ATTACKS, AT THIS POINT IT MAY BE ADVISABLE FOR YOU TO SEEK THE HELP OF A PROFESSIONAL.
With the question of what the sources of anxiety are answered we can now proceed to the next chapter which talks about panic attack coping Strategies.
CHART 5
ANXIETY SOURCES: LIFESTYLE & PSYCHOLOGICAL
LIFESTYLE
DIET
A) CAFFEINE
B) CHOCOLATE
C) ALCOHOL
D) JUNK FOOD
JOB
A) FIRED
B) LAID-OFF
C) DISCIPLINED
D) BAD REVIEW
E) POOR COWORKER RELATIONSHIP
F) POOR CUSTOMER INTERACTION
G) POOR RELATIONSHIP WITH BOSS
H) LONG HOURS
I) PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS
J)OTHER-
K)OTHER-
SCHOOL
A) UPCOMING TEST/EXAM
B) POOR GRADES
C) POOR STUDENT RELATIONSHIP
D) POOR TEACHER RELATIONSHIP
E) GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND PROBLEMS
F) POOR ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
G) OTHER-
H)OTHER-
FAMILY
A)SPOUSE RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS
B)CHILD RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS
C)MONEY PROBLEMS
D) DEATH/ILLNESS
E) OTHER-
F)OTHER-
G)OTHER-
MISCELLANEOUS
A)
B)
C)
D)
PSYCHOLOGICAL
I ALL OR NOTHING THINKING
*If you don't succeed at one
thing you are a total failure.
*One room of the house is dirty so
the whole house is dirty.
II NEGATIVE PESSIMISTIC THOUGHTS
*You are not worthy of good things.
*You fail to see the good things in life.
*You see the glass as half empty
not half full.
*You feel worthless.
*You don't take action because
someone else will do the job.
III PARANOID THOUGHTS
*You think everyone is out to get you.
*A disagreement with one person
means everyone is against you.
*Failure in one relationship means that
all relationships will fail
*You take criticism
as a conspiracy.
IV EXAGGERATING NEGATIVE THINKING
*You see a small black spot
on a white shirt rather
than see all of the white.
*One old driver cuts you off
so all old drivers are bad.
V OBSESSIVE/COMPULSIVE
*You are obsessed with washing
your hands. You have to clean and tidy
everything.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Panic Attack Help: What are Anxiety and Panic Attacks?
Well to see what Anxiety And Panic are let us first look at the BASIC dictionary definitions of these words.
ANXIETY:
PAINFUL OR APPREHENSIVE UNEASINESS OF THE MIND USUALLY OVER PENDING OR ANTICIPATED ILL, FEARFUL CONCERN OR INTEREST,ABNORMAL SENSE OF APPREHENSION AND FEAR MARKED BY TENSION, INCREASED HEART RATE, AND SWEATING. SELF DOUBT LACK OF SECURITY .
PANIC:
A SUDDEN OVERPOWERING FRIGHT, A SUDDEN UNREASONING TERROR OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY MASS FLIGHT. SYNONYMS ARE: ALARM, DREAD, FRENZY, HYSTERIA, FRIGHT, AND TERROR.
What can we infer from these definitions? We can see that Anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry, or stress over something. While Panic is an intense response to fear, worry, or stress.
Fear is a feeling and can come in many forms. In fact worry and stress are very similar to fear. One can be afraid of getting into a fight or one can worry about getting into a fight. One can be afraid to lose his or her job or one can be stressed about losing their job. Panic is the response to these feelings in most cases. When confronted with a fearful situation the body will prepare itself to either fight or flee. Anxiety, fear, worry, and stress can trigger an adrenaline build up that puts the mind and body in a panic mode. This makes the heart beat faster in order to give the mind and body more energy to handle the situation being faced. This same reaction is found in a Panic Attack resulting in the same symptoms (SEE CHART 1). You may ask though, Why does Panic Attack happen at times of relaxation or at times when there is nothing to be fearful, worried, or stressed about? This has been what is called "Free-Floating" anxiety, because it seems to float around inside of us and can pop up at anytime, manifesting itself as a Panic Attack.
To describe this better, imagine that you're driving your car along a secluded road and your favorite song is playing on the radio. You are in no hurry to get anywhere, this is just a pleasant Sunday evening drive through the country. Suddenly, someone walks out in front of your car. Instantly you slam on the brakes and you swerve to miss them! You now find yourself alongside the road in a cold sweat and your heart is pounding out of control. Fear of hitting the person and of ruining your car triggered your body to produce adrenaline and panic. This in turn allowed you to react quickly so that you could react to miss the person. This also triggered the symptoms of a rapid heart rate, sweating, palpitations, tense muscles, and heavy breathing. Just as in this example, anytime you are in a fearful situation your body can produce adrenaline to allow you to react (fight or flee) quickly. Your body can also do this on a smaller scale during worrisome or stressful situations.
Now imagine that throughout the day that there are many little fears, worries, and stresses that you encounter but you did not necessarily react to these fears, worries and stresses. Inside your body was producing the adrenaline it needed to react to those situations. But because you didn't "Panic" or use the adrenaline during those situations, this adrenaline is floating around in you and is slowly building up in side of you. Imagine that this happened on a daily basis and no adrenaline was ever used up and no conclusion was ever reached for a lot of those fears, worries, and stresses you were faced with. Eventually, the adrenaline would have to manifest itself at some time. This manifestation is in the form of a Panic Attack and it can happen at anytime, even during times of relaxation. Its just like a balloon. You can blow a balloon up and then pinch the end of it with your fingers. You can hold the air in for a long time and keep the balloon inflated but sooner or later you will relax and let go of the balloon. When you do relax and let go, the air rushes out, rapidly deflating the balloon in a mad rush. Similarly, we can control our reactions to our anxieties, but when we try to relax and let go, the adrenaline inside of us rushes out of us in the form of a panic attack. Also sometimes we can over-inflate a balloon and it pops. We too can over-inflate and build up too much adrenaline and we then too can figuratively pop in the form of a panic attack. So you can see from these illustrations that panic attacks are simply a physical response to a build up of adrenaline in our body that was not used to react when we were faced with anxieties throughout our daily life.
Now that we know the answers to our first questions: what are anxiety and panic? and what are panic attacks? we need to know what source(s) of anxiety in our lives are triggering our panic attacks. Identifying these sources is the subject of my next chapter and is crucial in eliminating Panic Attacks
ANXIETY:
PAINFUL OR APPREHENSIVE UNEASINESS OF THE MIND USUALLY OVER PENDING OR ANTICIPATED ILL, FEARFUL CONCERN OR INTEREST,ABNORMAL SENSE OF APPREHENSION AND FEAR MARKED BY TENSION, INCREASED HEART RATE, AND SWEATING. SELF DOUBT LACK OF SECURITY .
PANIC:
A SUDDEN OVERPOWERING FRIGHT, A SUDDEN UNREASONING TERROR OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY MASS FLIGHT. SYNONYMS ARE: ALARM, DREAD, FRENZY, HYSTERIA, FRIGHT, AND TERROR.
What can we infer from these definitions? We can see that Anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry, or stress over something. While Panic is an intense response to fear, worry, or stress.
Fear is a feeling and can come in many forms. In fact worry and stress are very similar to fear. One can be afraid of getting into a fight or one can worry about getting into a fight. One can be afraid to lose his or her job or one can be stressed about losing their job. Panic is the response to these feelings in most cases. When confronted with a fearful situation the body will prepare itself to either fight or flee. Anxiety, fear, worry, and stress can trigger an adrenaline build up that puts the mind and body in a panic mode. This makes the heart beat faster in order to give the mind and body more energy to handle the situation being faced. This same reaction is found in a Panic Attack resulting in the same symptoms (SEE CHART 1). You may ask though, Why does Panic Attack happen at times of relaxation or at times when there is nothing to be fearful, worried, or stressed about? This has been what is called "Free-Floating" anxiety, because it seems to float around inside of us and can pop up at anytime, manifesting itself as a Panic Attack.
To describe this better, imagine that you're driving your car along a secluded road and your favorite song is playing on the radio. You are in no hurry to get anywhere, this is just a pleasant Sunday evening drive through the country. Suddenly, someone walks out in front of your car. Instantly you slam on the brakes and you swerve to miss them! You now find yourself alongside the road in a cold sweat and your heart is pounding out of control. Fear of hitting the person and of ruining your car triggered your body to produce adrenaline and panic. This in turn allowed you to react quickly so that you could react to miss the person. This also triggered the symptoms of a rapid heart rate, sweating, palpitations, tense muscles, and heavy breathing. Just as in this example, anytime you are in a fearful situation your body can produce adrenaline to allow you to react (fight or flee) quickly. Your body can also do this on a smaller scale during worrisome or stressful situations.
Now imagine that throughout the day that there are many little fears, worries, and stresses that you encounter but you did not necessarily react to these fears, worries and stresses. Inside your body was producing the adrenaline it needed to react to those situations. But because you didn't "Panic" or use the adrenaline during those situations, this adrenaline is floating around in you and is slowly building up in side of you. Imagine that this happened on a daily basis and no adrenaline was ever used up and no conclusion was ever reached for a lot of those fears, worries, and stresses you were faced with. Eventually, the adrenaline would have to manifest itself at some time. This manifestation is in the form of a Panic Attack and it can happen at anytime, even during times of relaxation. Its just like a balloon. You can blow a balloon up and then pinch the end of it with your fingers. You can hold the air in for a long time and keep the balloon inflated but sooner or later you will relax and let go of the balloon. When you do relax and let go, the air rushes out, rapidly deflating the balloon in a mad rush. Similarly, we can control our reactions to our anxieties, but when we try to relax and let go, the adrenaline inside of us rushes out of us in the form of a panic attack. Also sometimes we can over-inflate a balloon and it pops. We too can over-inflate and build up too much adrenaline and we then too can figuratively pop in the form of a panic attack. So you can see from these illustrations that panic attacks are simply a physical response to a build up of adrenaline in our body that was not used to react when we were faced with anxieties throughout our daily life.
Now that we know the answers to our first questions: what are anxiety and panic? and what are panic attacks? we need to know what source(s) of anxiety in our lives are triggering our panic attacks. Identifying these sources is the subject of my next chapter and is crucial in eliminating Panic Attacks
Panic Attack Help: Introduction & Doctors Visits
About 9 years ago in Dayton, Ohio I experienced my first Panic Attack (I did not realize what it was at the time.). I was relaxing on the couch, watching some television, and drinking some pop, when without warning my heart began to palpitate and beat out of control. I couldn't seem to catch my breath. It was really scary when the attack didn't go away. I thought to myself, "Could this be a heart attack? I am only 22 years old, how could this be happening?" I then went and woke up my wife and asked her to take me to the emergency room. I kept the car window down for fresh air as the attack persisted. The ride to the hospital seemed endless. The attack continued as we arrived at the hospital's main entrance.
In the emergency room the doctors seemed to be at a loss. They thought that maybe I was doing drugs and that this was causing my heart to race out of control. The tests that they ran for drug use all came up negative. They tested my blood to look for muscle damage from my heart which would indicate that I had had a heart attack. An x-ray of my chest was taken to see if there were any abnormalities with my heart or lungs. I was also hooked up to an EKG monitor to see if my heart was beating normally. After being monitored all night I was released and prescribed some pills to help me relax. The Doctors never told me what was wrong. The only thing that they confirmed was that I had Tachycardia, or a fast heart rate.
These attacks became a normal part of my life after that night. Most of the time the attacks struck after work when I was trying to relax. Soon though they started to happen at different times of the day. They even struck when I was on family outings. Sometimes I had trouble while driving since it was so hard to concentrate when my heart was racing. At other times my chest would hurt and pain would shoot down my left arm. Sometimes this pain was so bad that I had trouble lifting objects. I thought for sure that these attacks were the symptoms of a heart attack, yet the attacks always subsided and things would go back to normal.
After living several years with these attacks I decided to go and see my personal Doctor. I now lived in Cleveland and had a new baby son, and I really did not want my son growing up without a dad. Also, my coworkers over the years had suggested that I was experiencing Panic Attacks. I had never heard of Panic Attacks before, so I wanted to find out for sure what exactly was wrong with me and see if I could eliminate these attacks from my life. There were many questions that I wanted the answers to about these attacks. I am sure you would want to know the answers to these questions as well. The questions were as follows:
WHAT ARE THESE ATTACKS?
WHY ARE THEY HAPPENING?
WHAT IS THE SOURCE?
HOW CAN I COPE WITH THEM?
HOW CAN I ELIMINATE THEM?
By reviewing my personal struggle with Panic Attacks this web site will help answer these questions. The first place I went to look for answers was the Medical Profession. Let us see what the professionals had to say about my attacks and see if they could help answer any of the questions I had about these attacks in the next chapter.
AT THE DOCTORS OFFICE:
The symptoms of Panic Attacks (SEE CHART 1) are very similar to the symptoms of many serious physical ailments; therefore, if you have not done so already I strongly urge you to go see a doctor. Did you notice on Chart 1 all of the serious ailments that share the same symptoms of Panic Attacks? The doctor has the difficult job of diagnosing which ailment is causing your symptoms before you can be treated effectively. In order to narrow down the probable causes of your symptoms the doctor will have to do a "diagnosis of exclusion" which requires a lot of questions to be asked and a lot of tests to be performed. You will need a lot of time, patience, and money or insurance to go through this process. Your life is worth the effort though so you should make sure you do follow through and see your doctor. The following summarizes my experiences during my quest to find the answers to the questions I had about these attacks. This should give you a glimpse as to what to expect on your doctor visits during the "diagnosis of exclusion" process. Remember, even though this chapter will DISCUSS many of the tests you would probably have to go through at the doctors office,it is not intended to dissuade you from seeing your doctor and going through these tests yourself.
My first visit was to my personal doctor. The first thing that the doctor did was weigh me in. This was to see if I had lost or gained weight since my last visit. Then the doctor listened to my heart through a stethoscope. The doctor then asked me a series of questions. These questions were intended to help with the diagnosis process. The questions were similar to those that follow: * Note that my answers to the questions are at the end of the questions.
1) WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOUR EXPERIENCING?...............,Chest Pain
rapid heart rate, difficulty swallowing.
2) WHERE WAS THE PAIN?.... Left lower arm and upper chest.
3) WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?...... Continuous for some time now.
4) WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN IT HAPPENED?....Relaxing.
5) WAS IT A SHARP OR DULL PAIN?........Sharp continuous pain.
6) HOW LONG DID IT LAST?..........Varies
7) HAVE YOU EVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE? IF SO DESCRIBE......Yes
8) HAS ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY EVER HAVE HEART PROBLEMS BEFORE?..No.
9) DO YOU DO DRUGS?......No.
10) DO YOU DRINK ALCOHOL?.....Once in awhile.
11) DO YOU SMOKE?............No.
12) DO YOU HAVE ALLERGIES TO ANY MEDICATIONS?..No
..ETC............ETC...........ETC.........
After these questions were answered the doctor listened to my heart again. The doctor did not hear anything abnormal with my heart when listening to it. Next, the doctor took my blood pressure. My blood pressure was normal so the doctor decided to hook me up to an EKG Monitor or Electrocardiogram. This process involved taping tiny electrodes to my chest and upper abdomen. The electrodes measured electrical impulses from my heart beats and translated this information onto a graph. By looking at the pattern produced by the electrical impulses on the graph the doctor was able to determine whether or not my heart was beating or contracting normally. This was the last test that my doctor performed during this visit. All of the tests that were done indicated that I was in good health and none of the questions I had about my attacks were answered.
My doctor did not have enough information to make a diagnosis at this visit. Based on the answers to the questions that were asked about my symptoms my doctor decided that I should go see some specialists. The specialists the doctor wanted me to see were a Cardiologist and a Gastroenterologist. At the Cardiologist my doctor wanted me to get a Chest x-ray,complete blood work-up, stress test, and an echocardiograph with Doppler mapping. At the Gastroenterologist I was to have an Upper G.I. performed. Hoping that I would not have to go through all of those tests, I suggested to my doctor that I was probably just having Panic Attacks. The doctor really did not respond to my suggestion but did go on to prescribe some anxiety related medicines for me. These medicines were Pepcid and Lorazepam. These might be some of the medicines you are prescribed during your doctor visits, so before I go any further let me tell you a little bit about these medicines, as well as another medicine you may be prescribed during your visit.
PEPCID: ,
Is a FAMOTIDINE that is used to treat ulcers and ESOPHIGITIS ( inflammation of the Esophagus). Pepcid basically stops acid production in the stomach and allows ulcers to heal. I guess the Doctor prescribed this medicine because he thought I might have an Acid Reflux problem. In any case the Pepcid did not prevent my panic attacks from happening. Note: PEPCID was also prescribed to me in Dayton after I had my first Panic Attack.
LORAZAPAM: or ATIVAN
Is a BENZODIAZEPINE( The same family as XANAX ) and it is given to treat INSOMNIA or MILD ANXIETY. It works by suppressing brain activity and is like a tranquilizer. This drug did not help prevent my attacks either, in fact it made them worse since at the same time my heart was racing out of control the drug made me sleepy, yet I couldn't sleep because my heart was PALPITATING so much. That is one feeling I do not wish upon anybody!
VISTARIL:
Which is a HYDROXYZINE. This is a ANTIHISTAMINE drug used to treat hives or motion sickness, and in some cases mild anxiety. This drug made my mouth dry and made me drowsy but did not help prevent my panic attacks.
CHART 1
SYMPTOMS
a racing or pounding heartbeat
dizziness and lightheadedness
a feeling that you can’t catch your breath
chest pains or a smothering "heaviness" in the chest
flushes or chills
tingling in the hands, feet, legs, or arms
jumpiness, trembling, or twitching muscles
sweaty palms
or
a feeling of detachment from oneself
Some of these symptoms are also associated with more serious medical conditions such as:
HEART ATTACKS
ULCERS
MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE
MUSCLE PULLS
TACHYCARDIA ARRHYTHMIAS
HERNIAS
ACID REFLUX
ASTHMA
PERICARDITIS
SHINGLES
ANGINA
NERVE ROOT PRESSURE
After the doctors visit I went and got my anxiety medicines from the pharmacy. I tried these medicines and found that they were not effective. So I decided that I had better set up appointments with the specialists that my doctor wanted me to see. Since I thought that the heart was more vital than the digestive system, the first specialist I thought that I should see was the Cardiologist. The Cardiologist could diagnose any heart related ailments that could have been causing my attacks. See Chart 1
My Initial visit to the cardiologist was much like the visit I had with my personal doctor. I was weighed, asked a series of questions, my heart was listened to, and my blood pressure was taken again. All of this indicated that I was in good health. At the end of the visit the cardiologist set up appointments to have all of the different tests prescribed by my doctor performed.
The first procedure I had done was the chest x-ray. This was done at the hospitals outpatient center. By looking at the x-ray the doctor could see any abnormalities in the size,shape or appearance of my heart. Also, the doctor could check for Pulmonary Edema (CALCIFICATION(CALCIUM DEPOSITS) IN THE ARTERIES). The doctor could also check for engorgement of vessels which could indicate previous heart failure.This procedure took about five to ten minutes to complete.The results came back in a couple of days and did not indicate anything abnormal with my heart.(Still no answers to my questions.)
The next procedure I had performed was a complete blood work-up.This procedure was also done at the hospital's outpatient center.The hospital labs were able to check just about everything in my blood from white blood cell count to thyroid production, and from sugar levels to phosphorus counts. They compared my results with those of normal blood counts to see if there were any abnormalities in my blood. When the results came back, the only irregularity found was a high phosphorus count. The cardiologist did not know how to interpret this and thought it to be of little significance.
The third procedure I had done was the echocardiograph. This basically was an ultrasound picture of my heart. It was very similar to the ultrasound my wife had when she was pregnant. A gel was put on my upper abdominal area and a transducer was moved over my chest area. The transducer emitted inaudible sound waves into my body. These sound waves were echoed back and translated by a computer to form a picture of my heart.This picture would reveal any structural defects my heart or surrounding blood vessels might have. The cardiologist could also measure blood flow and valve efficiency through Doppler mapping. Overall this test was the most interesting, since I was able to actually see and hear my own heart beat. The results from this procedure showed no abnormalities in my heart or surrounding vessels, except for a mild tricuspid insufficiency, which according to the doctor was of no clinical significance.
The last test I had to do for the cardiologist was the stress test. In this test I had to get on a treadmill and walk against increasingly harder resistance with an EKG monitor hooked up to me. During this process my heart rate and blood pressure were measured while under stress. The doctor did not find any irregularities with my heart during the course of this test. I did work up a sweat during this test and strongly recommend that you wear comfortable clothing if your doctor prescribes a stress test. I would also like to note that if you decide to do this test that it is done at your own risk.
Through all of these tests the cardiologist concluded that from the standpoint of my heart and cardiovascular system that I was in good health. After I suggested I was probably just having Panic Attacks the cardiologist recommended that I avoid caffeine, chocolate, and alcohol to help prevent future attacks. Since I didn't drink much and was already watching my caffeine intake this advice was not much help. After all of those tests I still did not have any answers. The good news was that my heart was okay and that I was not going to have a heart attack anytime soon, so I decided to make an appointment to see the other specialist my doctor wanted me to see, the gastroenterologist.
On my visit to the gastroenterologist I was weighed, asked the questions, and my heart was listened to again.(This process sounds familiar?) This time though, the doctor heard my heart skipping beats when he listened to it. Since my cardiologist did not mention anything about my heart skipping beats the gastroenterologist did not pay much heed to it. I was supposed to get an upper G.I. on this visit but that didn't happen. Remember from CHART 1 that Ulcers and Esophigitis have the same symptoms as panic attacks. Also, if you recall, along with my panic attacks I was having difficulty in swallowing. An upper G.I. would help the doctor see whether or not a digestive problem such as an ulcer was causing these symptoms and attacks. The upper G.I. would have given the doctor an x-ray of my digestive tract. Since the Barium used in this process reflects x-rays, a good picture of any abnormalities in the digestive tract can be seen. The gastroenterologist did not think this test was necessary because he thought another "test" would be better. This "test" , a rectal exam, was rather quick and was performed right in the office. Basically, it checked for blood in my feces which could indicate if I had an ulcer or another digestive tract problem. The test results showed no indications of any problems with my digestive tract. Since, the doctor felt confident that I did not have any digestive tract problems hedid not see a need to proceed with the upper G.I..
The doctor wasn't finished though, and wanted to try another procedure with an endoscope or gastroscope. This device is a flexible fiberoptic tool that allows the doctor to look at the esophagus close up. The doctor would place the device down the esophagus to do this.Once done, he could check for signs of inflammation caused by acid reflux from the stomach. Acid reflux could have accounted for my chest pains and difficulty in swallowing. After talking with the doctor, I opted not to do this test because even if I had esophigitis it wouldn't explain away my rapid heart rate and heart palpitations. Also, from what I understood there was not much in the way of a cure for esophigitis. To cure esophigitis I would have to change my eating habits and I did not see myself realistically doing that, thus I saw no need to proceed with the test. After I made that decision a brief check was made by the doctor for signs of a hernia. No signs of a hernia were found so I was given a clean bill of health by the gastroenterologist and my visit with him came to an end.
From anxiety drugs, to stress tests, to digestive tract examinations, I still had no answers to my questions about my attacks. Therefore, I concluded that my attacks were not a result of some serious physical ailment but must be from PANIC, as my coworkers had previously suggested. The good news was that I was not going to have a heart attack or die from stomach cancer and you probably aren't going to either. The bad news was that I had no idea what a Panic Attack actually was or what caused it. Through my personal experience with these attacks though, I have been able to come to an understanding of what I think these attacks really are and why they happen. The next chapter discusses these ideas and helps to answer some of the questions we had about these attacks.
In the emergency room the doctors seemed to be at a loss. They thought that maybe I was doing drugs and that this was causing my heart to race out of control. The tests that they ran for drug use all came up negative. They tested my blood to look for muscle damage from my heart which would indicate that I had had a heart attack. An x-ray of my chest was taken to see if there were any abnormalities with my heart or lungs. I was also hooked up to an EKG monitor to see if my heart was beating normally. After being monitored all night I was released and prescribed some pills to help me relax. The Doctors never told me what was wrong. The only thing that they confirmed was that I had Tachycardia, or a fast heart rate.
These attacks became a normal part of my life after that night. Most of the time the attacks struck after work when I was trying to relax. Soon though they started to happen at different times of the day. They even struck when I was on family outings. Sometimes I had trouble while driving since it was so hard to concentrate when my heart was racing. At other times my chest would hurt and pain would shoot down my left arm. Sometimes this pain was so bad that I had trouble lifting objects. I thought for sure that these attacks were the symptoms of a heart attack, yet the attacks always subsided and things would go back to normal.
After living several years with these attacks I decided to go and see my personal Doctor. I now lived in Cleveland and had a new baby son, and I really did not want my son growing up without a dad. Also, my coworkers over the years had suggested that I was experiencing Panic Attacks. I had never heard of Panic Attacks before, so I wanted to find out for sure what exactly was wrong with me and see if I could eliminate these attacks from my life. There were many questions that I wanted the answers to about these attacks. I am sure you would want to know the answers to these questions as well. The questions were as follows:
WHAT ARE THESE ATTACKS?
WHY ARE THEY HAPPENING?
WHAT IS THE SOURCE?
HOW CAN I COPE WITH THEM?
HOW CAN I ELIMINATE THEM?
By reviewing my personal struggle with Panic Attacks this web site will help answer these questions. The first place I went to look for answers was the Medical Profession. Let us see what the professionals had to say about my attacks and see if they could help answer any of the questions I had about these attacks in the next chapter.
AT THE DOCTORS OFFICE:
The symptoms of Panic Attacks (SEE CHART 1) are very similar to the symptoms of many serious physical ailments; therefore, if you have not done so already I strongly urge you to go see a doctor. Did you notice on Chart 1 all of the serious ailments that share the same symptoms of Panic Attacks? The doctor has the difficult job of diagnosing which ailment is causing your symptoms before you can be treated effectively. In order to narrow down the probable causes of your symptoms the doctor will have to do a "diagnosis of exclusion" which requires a lot of questions to be asked and a lot of tests to be performed. You will need a lot of time, patience, and money or insurance to go through this process. Your life is worth the effort though so you should make sure you do follow through and see your doctor. The following summarizes my experiences during my quest to find the answers to the questions I had about these attacks. This should give you a glimpse as to what to expect on your doctor visits during the "diagnosis of exclusion" process. Remember, even though this chapter will DISCUSS many of the tests you would probably have to go through at the doctors office,it is not intended to dissuade you from seeing your doctor and going through these tests yourself.
My first visit was to my personal doctor. The first thing that the doctor did was weigh me in. This was to see if I had lost or gained weight since my last visit. Then the doctor listened to my heart through a stethoscope. The doctor then asked me a series of questions. These questions were intended to help with the diagnosis process. The questions were similar to those that follow: * Note that my answers to the questions are at the end of the questions.
1) WHAT IS THE PROBLEM YOUR EXPERIENCING?...............,Chest Pain
rapid heart rate, difficulty swallowing.
2) WHERE WAS THE PAIN?.... Left lower arm and upper chest.
3) WHEN DID IT HAPPEN?...... Continuous for some time now.
4) WHAT WERE YOU DOING WHEN IT HAPPENED?....Relaxing.
5) WAS IT A SHARP OR DULL PAIN?........Sharp continuous pain.
6) HOW LONG DID IT LAST?..........Varies
7) HAVE YOU EVER HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE? IF SO DESCRIBE......Yes
8) HAS ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY EVER HAVE HEART PROBLEMS BEFORE?..No.
9) DO YOU DO DRUGS?......No.
10) DO YOU DRINK ALCOHOL?.....Once in awhile.
11) DO YOU SMOKE?............No.
12) DO YOU HAVE ALLERGIES TO ANY MEDICATIONS?..No
..ETC............ETC...........ETC.........
After these questions were answered the doctor listened to my heart again. The doctor did not hear anything abnormal with my heart when listening to it. Next, the doctor took my blood pressure. My blood pressure was normal so the doctor decided to hook me up to an EKG Monitor or Electrocardiogram. This process involved taping tiny electrodes to my chest and upper abdomen. The electrodes measured electrical impulses from my heart beats and translated this information onto a graph. By looking at the pattern produced by the electrical impulses on the graph the doctor was able to determine whether or not my heart was beating or contracting normally. This was the last test that my doctor performed during this visit. All of the tests that were done indicated that I was in good health and none of the questions I had about my attacks were answered.
My doctor did not have enough information to make a diagnosis at this visit. Based on the answers to the questions that were asked about my symptoms my doctor decided that I should go see some specialists. The specialists the doctor wanted me to see were a Cardiologist and a Gastroenterologist. At the Cardiologist my doctor wanted me to get a Chest x-ray,complete blood work-up, stress test, and an echocardiograph with Doppler mapping. At the Gastroenterologist I was to have an Upper G.I. performed. Hoping that I would not have to go through all of those tests, I suggested to my doctor that I was probably just having Panic Attacks. The doctor really did not respond to my suggestion but did go on to prescribe some anxiety related medicines for me. These medicines were Pepcid and Lorazepam. These might be some of the medicines you are prescribed during your doctor visits, so before I go any further let me tell you a little bit about these medicines, as well as another medicine you may be prescribed during your visit.
PEPCID: ,
Is a FAMOTIDINE that is used to treat ulcers and ESOPHIGITIS ( inflammation of the Esophagus). Pepcid basically stops acid production in the stomach and allows ulcers to heal. I guess the Doctor prescribed this medicine because he thought I might have an Acid Reflux problem. In any case the Pepcid did not prevent my panic attacks from happening. Note: PEPCID was also prescribed to me in Dayton after I had my first Panic Attack.
LORAZAPAM: or ATIVAN
Is a BENZODIAZEPINE( The same family as XANAX ) and it is given to treat INSOMNIA or MILD ANXIETY. It works by suppressing brain activity and is like a tranquilizer. This drug did not help prevent my attacks either, in fact it made them worse since at the same time my heart was racing out of control the drug made me sleepy, yet I couldn't sleep because my heart was PALPITATING so much. That is one feeling I do not wish upon anybody!
VISTARIL:
Which is a HYDROXYZINE. This is a ANTIHISTAMINE drug used to treat hives or motion sickness, and in some cases mild anxiety. This drug made my mouth dry and made me drowsy but did not help prevent my panic attacks.
CHART 1
SYMPTOMS
a racing or pounding heartbeat
dizziness and lightheadedness
a feeling that you can’t catch your breath
chest pains or a smothering "heaviness" in the chest
flushes or chills
tingling in the hands, feet, legs, or arms
jumpiness, trembling, or twitching muscles
sweaty palms
or
a feeling of detachment from oneself
Some of these symptoms are also associated with more serious medical conditions such as:
HEART ATTACKS
ULCERS
MITRAL VALVE PROLAPSE
MUSCLE PULLS
TACHYCARDIA ARRHYTHMIAS
HERNIAS
ACID REFLUX
ASTHMA
PERICARDITIS
SHINGLES
ANGINA
NERVE ROOT PRESSURE
After the doctors visit I went and got my anxiety medicines from the pharmacy. I tried these medicines and found that they were not effective. So I decided that I had better set up appointments with the specialists that my doctor wanted me to see. Since I thought that the heart was more vital than the digestive system, the first specialist I thought that I should see was the Cardiologist. The Cardiologist could diagnose any heart related ailments that could have been causing my attacks. See Chart 1
My Initial visit to the cardiologist was much like the visit I had with my personal doctor. I was weighed, asked a series of questions, my heart was listened to, and my blood pressure was taken again. All of this indicated that I was in good health. At the end of the visit the cardiologist set up appointments to have all of the different tests prescribed by my doctor performed.
The first procedure I had done was the chest x-ray. This was done at the hospitals outpatient center. By looking at the x-ray the doctor could see any abnormalities in the size,shape or appearance of my heart. Also, the doctor could check for Pulmonary Edema (CALCIFICATION(CALCIUM DEPOSITS) IN THE ARTERIES). The doctor could also check for engorgement of vessels which could indicate previous heart failure.This procedure took about five to ten minutes to complete.The results came back in a couple of days and did not indicate anything abnormal with my heart.(Still no answers to my questions.)
The next procedure I had performed was a complete blood work-up.This procedure was also done at the hospital's outpatient center.The hospital labs were able to check just about everything in my blood from white blood cell count to thyroid production, and from sugar levels to phosphorus counts. They compared my results with those of normal blood counts to see if there were any abnormalities in my blood. When the results came back, the only irregularity found was a high phosphorus count. The cardiologist did not know how to interpret this and thought it to be of little significance.
The third procedure I had done was the echocardiograph. This basically was an ultrasound picture of my heart. It was very similar to the ultrasound my wife had when she was pregnant. A gel was put on my upper abdominal area and a transducer was moved over my chest area. The transducer emitted inaudible sound waves into my body. These sound waves were echoed back and translated by a computer to form a picture of my heart.This picture would reveal any structural defects my heart or surrounding blood vessels might have. The cardiologist could also measure blood flow and valve efficiency through Doppler mapping. Overall this test was the most interesting, since I was able to actually see and hear my own heart beat. The results from this procedure showed no abnormalities in my heart or surrounding vessels, except for a mild tricuspid insufficiency, which according to the doctor was of no clinical significance.
The last test I had to do for the cardiologist was the stress test. In this test I had to get on a treadmill and walk against increasingly harder resistance with an EKG monitor hooked up to me. During this process my heart rate and blood pressure were measured while under stress. The doctor did not find any irregularities with my heart during the course of this test. I did work up a sweat during this test and strongly recommend that you wear comfortable clothing if your doctor prescribes a stress test. I would also like to note that if you decide to do this test that it is done at your own risk.
Through all of these tests the cardiologist concluded that from the standpoint of my heart and cardiovascular system that I was in good health. After I suggested I was probably just having Panic Attacks the cardiologist recommended that I avoid caffeine, chocolate, and alcohol to help prevent future attacks. Since I didn't drink much and was already watching my caffeine intake this advice was not much help. After all of those tests I still did not have any answers. The good news was that my heart was okay and that I was not going to have a heart attack anytime soon, so I decided to make an appointment to see the other specialist my doctor wanted me to see, the gastroenterologist.
On my visit to the gastroenterologist I was weighed, asked the questions, and my heart was listened to again.(This process sounds familiar?) This time though, the doctor heard my heart skipping beats when he listened to it. Since my cardiologist did not mention anything about my heart skipping beats the gastroenterologist did not pay much heed to it. I was supposed to get an upper G.I. on this visit but that didn't happen. Remember from CHART 1 that Ulcers and Esophigitis have the same symptoms as panic attacks. Also, if you recall, along with my panic attacks I was having difficulty in swallowing. An upper G.I. would help the doctor see whether or not a digestive problem such as an ulcer was causing these symptoms and attacks. The upper G.I. would have given the doctor an x-ray of my digestive tract. Since the Barium used in this process reflects x-rays, a good picture of any abnormalities in the digestive tract can be seen. The gastroenterologist did not think this test was necessary because he thought another "test" would be better. This "test" , a rectal exam, was rather quick and was performed right in the office. Basically, it checked for blood in my feces which could indicate if I had an ulcer or another digestive tract problem. The test results showed no indications of any problems with my digestive tract. Since, the doctor felt confident that I did not have any digestive tract problems hedid not see a need to proceed with the upper G.I..
The doctor wasn't finished though, and wanted to try another procedure with an endoscope or gastroscope. This device is a flexible fiberoptic tool that allows the doctor to look at the esophagus close up. The doctor would place the device down the esophagus to do this.Once done, he could check for signs of inflammation caused by acid reflux from the stomach. Acid reflux could have accounted for my chest pains and difficulty in swallowing. After talking with the doctor, I opted not to do this test because even if I had esophigitis it wouldn't explain away my rapid heart rate and heart palpitations. Also, from what I understood there was not much in the way of a cure for esophigitis. To cure esophigitis I would have to change my eating habits and I did not see myself realistically doing that, thus I saw no need to proceed with the test. After I made that decision a brief check was made by the doctor for signs of a hernia. No signs of a hernia were found so I was given a clean bill of health by the gastroenterologist and my visit with him came to an end.
From anxiety drugs, to stress tests, to digestive tract examinations, I still had no answers to my questions about my attacks. Therefore, I concluded that my attacks were not a result of some serious physical ailment but must be from PANIC, as my coworkers had previously suggested. The good news was that I was not going to have a heart attack or die from stomach cancer and you probably aren't going to either. The bad news was that I had no idea what a Panic Attack actually was or what caused it. Through my personal experience with these attacks though, I have been able to come to an understanding of what I think these attacks really are and why they happen. The next chapter discusses these ideas and helps to answer some of the questions we had about these attacks.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Anxiety: The Script For Self Hypnosis
Give yourself some useful new instructions. You can hypnotize yourself if you put your mind to it. It' s not dangerous - you can't get 'stuck' under hypnosis or give yourself some harmful command. You'll just use the space given by deep relaxation to put some constructive thoughts where they'll do most good.
Start by lying on the floor or sitting in a straight backed chair, hands in your lap. If you have time, go through the foot-to-head relaxation. If time is short, do some breathing exercises to set the scene and put you in a calm and peaceful frame of mind.
The Script
Say to yourself, 'Everything I am doing makes me healthier, more relaxed, and more in control of my life. I will wake up immediately if I need to. When you feel comfortably relaxed, imagine sitting on a wooden bench in a beautiful garden, full of flowers. Bees are buzzing gently, and the sun warms your skin. At the end of the garden there's a gate. You walk through, noting the rough texture of the weathered wood as you push it open. Beyond it are steps leading down to a secluded beach, with waves gently lapping on the sand. You walk slowly down, feeling the coolness of stone. under your feet as you count the steps - one, two, three... at every step you feel more relaxed... four, five, six... deeply calm and relaxed... seven, eight, nine... your body is relaxed, your mind open to all the good that can come to you here... ten. You are on this beautiful beach, knowing you are perfectly safe and can leave whenever you want. Enjoy the peace and serenity. Nearby you see a wrought-iron seat facing the sea. You sit down and say to yourself, 'I am peaceful, happy and perfectly in control of my life. I easily cope with everything that happens.' Now pinch the fold of skin between thumb and first finger on your right hand (pinch your thumb if you're pregnant). From now on you can relax at will, simply by doing that and remembering this peaceful place. Repeat, 'I am peaceful, happy and perfectly in control of my life. I easily cope with everything that happens. I can relax at will, simply by pinching my right hand and thinking of this place.' When you're ready, return to the steps, knowing you can come back here any time you like. You will return to everyday consciousness as you count down, but will be able to relax at will. Count slowly down from ten, as you walk up the steps, starting to notice the everyday sounds around you. By zero you are back to everyday consciousness, relaxed and alert.
Getting started
You can do this without making a tape, but it's easier to follow spoken instructions - simply read out the script on this page. Speak in a slow, calm, rather monotonous voice and remember to leave pauses. You can give your self any suggestions you like on your secluded beach, but they must be positive, clear and harm-less. In an emergency, just say to yourself, 'One, two three, ready.' You can snap out of hypnosis instantly, but a brief wake-up formula reduces the jolt. If you find it hard to visualize, just do the counting many people find this equally effective. For deeper relaxation use 30 steps down to the beach instead of 10.
Sleeplessness
When you are wound up about stressful events that have occurred during the day, being unable to go to sleep is the final straw. When nothing seems to work, try this technique of self-hypnosis. It is worth learning it beforehand (read it over to yourself till you know it), then when you come to need it, it will be effortless. Lying down, close your eyes. Imagine a familiar image, say, for example, your bedroom (but keep your eyes shut). Say to your self: 'Nothing but this room exists.' Visualize all the different details that go to make up this room: the ceiling, the walls (are there pictures on them?), the floor (does it have a carpet or rug?), the windows (what are the curtains like?), the furniture dressing table, chest of drawers, wardrobe, the bed on which you are lying. In your mind work systematically from one end of the room to the other, from top to bottom. Then, one by one, wipe the image of each of these details from your mind, until everything has gone. You are left with absolute total emptiness. Concentrate on this void, with you in the middle of it, for a few moments. You will experience a feeling of relaxation coming from it. If you still cannot sleep, repeat the exercise several times. It's usually successful after only a few minutes of 'disconnection'.
Start by lying on the floor or sitting in a straight backed chair, hands in your lap. If you have time, go through the foot-to-head relaxation. If time is short, do some breathing exercises to set the scene and put you in a calm and peaceful frame of mind.
The Script
Say to yourself, 'Everything I am doing makes me healthier, more relaxed, and more in control of my life. I will wake up immediately if I need to. When you feel comfortably relaxed, imagine sitting on a wooden bench in a beautiful garden, full of flowers. Bees are buzzing gently, and the sun warms your skin. At the end of the garden there's a gate. You walk through, noting the rough texture of the weathered wood as you push it open. Beyond it are steps leading down to a secluded beach, with waves gently lapping on the sand. You walk slowly down, feeling the coolness of stone. under your feet as you count the steps - one, two, three... at every step you feel more relaxed... four, five, six... deeply calm and relaxed... seven, eight, nine... your body is relaxed, your mind open to all the good that can come to you here... ten. You are on this beautiful beach, knowing you are perfectly safe and can leave whenever you want. Enjoy the peace and serenity. Nearby you see a wrought-iron seat facing the sea. You sit down and say to yourself, 'I am peaceful, happy and perfectly in control of my life. I easily cope with everything that happens.' Now pinch the fold of skin between thumb and first finger on your right hand (pinch your thumb if you're pregnant). From now on you can relax at will, simply by doing that and remembering this peaceful place. Repeat, 'I am peaceful, happy and perfectly in control of my life. I easily cope with everything that happens. I can relax at will, simply by pinching my right hand and thinking of this place.' When you're ready, return to the steps, knowing you can come back here any time you like. You will return to everyday consciousness as you count down, but will be able to relax at will. Count slowly down from ten, as you walk up the steps, starting to notice the everyday sounds around you. By zero you are back to everyday consciousness, relaxed and alert.
Getting started
You can do this without making a tape, but it's easier to follow spoken instructions - simply read out the script on this page. Speak in a slow, calm, rather monotonous voice and remember to leave pauses. You can give your self any suggestions you like on your secluded beach, but they must be positive, clear and harm-less. In an emergency, just say to yourself, 'One, two three, ready.' You can snap out of hypnosis instantly, but a brief wake-up formula reduces the jolt. If you find it hard to visualize, just do the counting many people find this equally effective. For deeper relaxation use 30 steps down to the beach instead of 10.
Sleeplessness
When you are wound up about stressful events that have occurred during the day, being unable to go to sleep is the final straw. When nothing seems to work, try this technique of self-hypnosis. It is worth learning it beforehand (read it over to yourself till you know it), then when you come to need it, it will be effortless. Lying down, close your eyes. Imagine a familiar image, say, for example, your bedroom (but keep your eyes shut). Say to your self: 'Nothing but this room exists.' Visualize all the different details that go to make up this room: the ceiling, the walls (are there pictures on them?), the floor (does it have a carpet or rug?), the windows (what are the curtains like?), the furniture dressing table, chest of drawers, wardrobe, the bed on which you are lying. In your mind work systematically from one end of the room to the other, from top to bottom. Then, one by one, wipe the image of each of these details from your mind, until everything has gone. You are left with absolute total emptiness. Concentrate on this void, with you in the middle of it, for a few moments. You will experience a feeling of relaxation coming from it. If you still cannot sleep, repeat the exercise several times. It's usually successful after only a few minutes of 'disconnection'.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Managing Anxiety: Determined Slow Talk
Here we are working on the feelings that accompany our peaceful, quiet determination. Inside this relaxation and peace are the other positive emotions: confidence, security, strength, power, assertiveness.
We want to grow those positive emotions until they are blooming boldly and brightly. What we are doing is solidifying those feelings into your emotional brain.
This is how "Determined Slow Talk" works:
1. First, we take slow talk and move it down even slower so that we can literally FEEL the determination, the strength, and the seriousness.
2. Then we use the DETERMINATION FACTOR to synergize these positive, quiet, peaceful, confident feelings of strength and power. It is easier to feel the determination and strength when you are using determined slow talk. (Again, notice that it's the feeling we're going after here.)
3. Third, we use the handout and/or statements you are working on and use "Determined Slow Talk" to sink them down to that emotional area of your brain where things become foundational, set in stone, automatic, and natural.
Determined slow talk has the power to allow you to FEEL the confidence, the strength, and the power to allow you to FEEL the confidence, the strength, and the power of your new thoughts and behaviour.
Remember, it is important that the statements, strategies, and beliefs become FEELINGS and these FEELINGS are rooted in your determination, your peace, your inner resources.
When you start to feel these things (even if it is only briefly) instead of just saying them, move on over into "determined slow talk" - because you are ready for your new thoughts to become permanently rooted in your brain... and for you to FEEL the difference!
We want to grow those positive emotions until they are blooming boldly and brightly. What we are doing is solidifying those feelings into your emotional brain.
This is how "Determined Slow Talk" works:
1. First, we take slow talk and move it down even slower so that we can literally FEEL the determination, the strength, and the seriousness.
2. Then we use the DETERMINATION FACTOR to synergize these positive, quiet, peaceful, confident feelings of strength and power. It is easier to feel the determination and strength when you are using determined slow talk. (Again, notice that it's the feeling we're going after here.)
3. Third, we use the handout and/or statements you are working on and use "Determined Slow Talk" to sink them down to that emotional area of your brain where things become foundational, set in stone, automatic, and natural.
Determined slow talk has the power to allow you to FEEL the confidence, the strength, and the power to allow you to FEEL the confidence, the strength, and the power of your new thoughts and behaviour.
Remember, it is important that the statements, strategies, and beliefs become FEELINGS and these FEELINGS are rooted in your determination, your peace, your inner resources.
When you start to feel these things (even if it is only briefly) instead of just saying them, move on over into "determined slow talk" - because you are ready for your new thoughts to become permanently rooted in your brain... and for you to FEEL the difference!
Managing Anxiety Strategy: Slowing Down Deliberately
SLOW TALK ("CALM" TALK)
Strategy: Slow talk is nothing more than slowing your speech down very slightly. You are slowing down enough that you notice the change in your speaking rhythm. The change is so slight, however, that other people will not notice you have slowed down. Slow talk is nothing more than slowing your speech down very slightly. You are slowing down enough that you notice the change in your speaking rhythm. The change is so slight, however, that other people will not notice you have slowed down.
It is important to be as calm as possible while you are in the process of learning new ways of thinking and new strategies of acting. Remember that it takes 45-55 days of repetition before your brain starts to automatically use these strategies.
And notice that the only way your brain is going to be able to use these anti-anxiety strategies is if you are consistent and persistent and drop down these techniques into your brain over and over again... for the entire course of therapy.
The first benefit you may discover from using this technique is that it will be easier to remain calm and at peace while you do your therapy. The more you can slow talk the therapy into your brain, the easier and deeper it will get in.
As you become more familiar with the strategy and feel like you can use it in public, you will find it has great practical value in slowing you down so that you can begin to control your anxiety level. If you stay in slow talk mode, there is not much chance you can speed up, get the adrenalin pumping, and then become socially anxious. So, slow talk can prevent us from getting as socially anxious as we used to get.
Another benefit that people usually notice is that there is a slight relaxation while you're using slow talk.
Generally, as a deliberate result of slow talk, the muscles loosen up and are less tight, and many people feel a calmness or relaxation in the shoulders and upper back area where we tend to carry around much of our stress.
The more you have the ability to use slow talk, the more you will feel in control of situations. Slow talk is not something we want to do all the time, but while we are getting better, we want to be able to use this tool as an option to help us lower our social anxiety whenever we need to.
In public situations - the use of slow talk makes it easier to sound and be less anxious, and helps the words to come out more logically and clearly. High anxiety over real-world situations like this can be controlled by slow talk.
Now, please don't jump the gun. In your first week of practicing this technique, do not move this out into real-world settings yet. It is much more important to practice slow talk when you are by yourself. It is important to get it down deeply into your brain. It is important that you feel comfortable in doing it. You need to feel OK with slow talk before you ever try it out in a public situation.
So, generally, this first week, we ask you to practice slow talk for about ten minutes a day. You can read anything you want, but it generally helps to read something positive or inspirational. It isn't important what you read, the therapy is doing the slow talk. You are practicing the slow talk, not the material you choose to read.
One of our women worked in a large advertising agency where concepts and ideas were important, and she felt that no one paid her ideas very much attention. Every time she had a good idea, she would excitedly and quickly blurt it out, expecting other people to be excited, too. Instead, they just looked at her like she was weird, and they ignored her.
When this woman started using slow talk, she brought it to work with her. By this time, she was feeling comfortable with the process, and although some anxiety was involved, when it came her turn to share her new ideas, she switched over into slow talk and calmly and rationally gave her ideas to the assembled group. What happened next surprised her a great deal...
Once you learn to slow talk, you no longer will feel rushed and anxious, you can move on into your message sure you're staying calm and focused, and present a talk that everyone understands. In public, social situations like this, slow talk can be a very effective and powerful tool in decreasing anxiety and increasing clarity.
Almost everyone I've worked with has been able to pull a lot out of this technique. But keep in mind it takes practice first - when you're alone. When you do start to use this in public, we want to start out small - talking to one person, such as a friend or relative for example. We do not want to use slow talk in a gut-wrenching anxiety situation until we are ready for it.
It is important that we do things slowly, on a small scale, feel the success behind it at this point, and then move it up gradually to other situations.
And remember this is just one technique. We will be continually adding to these methods with each and every handout. Then, each and every technique will have the "synergistic" effect of strengthening the others.
The more you practice, the more results you will see.
Strategy: Slow talk is nothing more than slowing your speech down very slightly. You are slowing down enough that you notice the change in your speaking rhythm. The change is so slight, however, that other people will not notice you have slowed down. Slow talk is nothing more than slowing your speech down very slightly. You are slowing down enough that you notice the change in your speaking rhythm. The change is so slight, however, that other people will not notice you have slowed down.
It is important to be as calm as possible while you are in the process of learning new ways of thinking and new strategies of acting. Remember that it takes 45-55 days of repetition before your brain starts to automatically use these strategies.
And notice that the only way your brain is going to be able to use these anti-anxiety strategies is if you are consistent and persistent and drop down these techniques into your brain over and over again... for the entire course of therapy.
The first benefit you may discover from using this technique is that it will be easier to remain calm and at peace while you do your therapy. The more you can slow talk the therapy into your brain, the easier and deeper it will get in.
As you become more familiar with the strategy and feel like you can use it in public, you will find it has great practical value in slowing you down so that you can begin to control your anxiety level. If you stay in slow talk mode, there is not much chance you can speed up, get the adrenalin pumping, and then become socially anxious. So, slow talk can prevent us from getting as socially anxious as we used to get.
Another benefit that people usually notice is that there is a slight relaxation while you're using slow talk.
Generally, as a deliberate result of slow talk, the muscles loosen up and are less tight, and many people feel a calmness or relaxation in the shoulders and upper back area where we tend to carry around much of our stress.
The more you have the ability to use slow talk, the more you will feel in control of situations. Slow talk is not something we want to do all the time, but while we are getting better, we want to be able to use this tool as an option to help us lower our social anxiety whenever we need to.
In public situations - the use of slow talk makes it easier to sound and be less anxious, and helps the words to come out more logically and clearly. High anxiety over real-world situations like this can be controlled by slow talk.
Now, please don't jump the gun. In your first week of practicing this technique, do not move this out into real-world settings yet. It is much more important to practice slow talk when you are by yourself. It is important to get it down deeply into your brain. It is important that you feel comfortable in doing it. You need to feel OK with slow talk before you ever try it out in a public situation.
So, generally, this first week, we ask you to practice slow talk for about ten minutes a day. You can read anything you want, but it generally helps to read something positive or inspirational. It isn't important what you read, the therapy is doing the slow talk. You are practicing the slow talk, not the material you choose to read.
One of our women worked in a large advertising agency where concepts and ideas were important, and she felt that no one paid her ideas very much attention. Every time she had a good idea, she would excitedly and quickly blurt it out, expecting other people to be excited, too. Instead, they just looked at her like she was weird, and they ignored her.
When this woman started using slow talk, she brought it to work with her. By this time, she was feeling comfortable with the process, and although some anxiety was involved, when it came her turn to share her new ideas, she switched over into slow talk and calmly and rationally gave her ideas to the assembled group. What happened next surprised her a great deal...
Once you learn to slow talk, you no longer will feel rushed and anxious, you can move on into your message sure you're staying calm and focused, and present a talk that everyone understands. In public, social situations like this, slow talk can be a very effective and powerful tool in decreasing anxiety and increasing clarity.
Almost everyone I've worked with has been able to pull a lot out of this technique. But keep in mind it takes practice first - when you're alone. When you do start to use this in public, we want to start out small - talking to one person, such as a friend or relative for example. We do not want to use slow talk in a gut-wrenching anxiety situation until we are ready for it.
It is important that we do things slowly, on a small scale, feel the success behind it at this point, and then move it up gradually to other situations.
And remember this is just one technique. We will be continually adding to these methods with each and every handout. Then, each and every technique will have the "synergistic" effect of strengthening the others.
The more you practice, the more results you will see.
The Cycle of Stress
Human beings have an innate response to real danger. It's often referred to as the fight-or-flight response, and it triggers the secretion of certain hormones along with an increase in blood pressure, breathing rate, metabolism, and muscle tension to help us fight or flee a perceived threat.
The problem today is that our bodies can't always distinguish between real danger and the pressures of modern life, such as juggling conflicting responsibilities, meeting deadlines, or dealing with traffic. As a result, some estimate that the stress response may occur 50 times a day in the average person.
People exhibit prolonged episodic stress in a number of ways: they become anxious, irritable, angry, withdrawn, or depressed. Over time stress can contribute to a variety of chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms that can put people at risk for heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. Untreated, stress can also make it more difficult for people to stop certain behaviors, such as smoking or excessive drinking, or to implement lifestyle changes such as improved eating habits or regular exercise.
There is ample evidence now that the use of stress reduction techniques can dramatically improve the body's innate ability to take care of itself. In a recent study at the UCLA School of Medicine, 22 people with high blood pressure were taught various stress reduction techniques such as biofeedback, deep breathing, and the use of relaxation tapes. Seventy-three percent were able to keep their blood pressure under control with lower levels of medication, and over half were able to safely stop taking medication altogether. In a control group of 17 people who did not learn the relaxation methods, only one-third were able to reduce their medication levels.
A major part of the program at the Mind/Body Medical Institute at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston is learning how to manage stress. In addition to practicing the relaxation techniques of meditation, deep breathing, and visualization, participants learn how to identify their automatic emotional and physical reactions to stress. Then they are taught how to break the cycle with these four steps:
The problem today is that our bodies can't always distinguish between real danger and the pressures of modern life, such as juggling conflicting responsibilities, meeting deadlines, or dealing with traffic. As a result, some estimate that the stress response may occur 50 times a day in the average person.
People exhibit prolonged episodic stress in a number of ways: they become anxious, irritable, angry, withdrawn, or depressed. Over time stress can contribute to a variety of chronic health problems, such as high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms that can put people at risk for heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. Untreated, stress can also make it more difficult for people to stop certain behaviors, such as smoking or excessive drinking, or to implement lifestyle changes such as improved eating habits or regular exercise.
There is ample evidence now that the use of stress reduction techniques can dramatically improve the body's innate ability to take care of itself. In a recent study at the UCLA School of Medicine, 22 people with high blood pressure were taught various stress reduction techniques such as biofeedback, deep breathing, and the use of relaxation tapes. Seventy-three percent were able to keep their blood pressure under control with lower levels of medication, and over half were able to safely stop taking medication altogether. In a control group of 17 people who did not learn the relaxation methods, only one-third were able to reduce their medication levels.
A major part of the program at the Mind/Body Medical Institute at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston is learning how to manage stress. In addition to practicing the relaxation techniques of meditation, deep breathing, and visualization, participants learn how to identify their automatic emotional and physical reactions to stress. Then they are taught how to break the cycle with these four steps:
- Stop: Don't let negative thoughts make the situation worse than it really is
- Breathe: Take several deep breaths to release physical tension
- Reflect: Focus your energy on the problem at hand
- Choose: Now you can choose the best way to deal with the situation
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