"Walk through the fire, through the dust and ashes
while the building crashes…show no sign of fear."
– Peter Gabriel
On August 6, 2005, my home in England was burnt down. There are days I actually wake up and forget this minor fact. Seeing my home be digested by flames — including a nearly completed manuscript inside — was not the worst part.
The worst part was having to try to live as normal a life as possible while trying to forget that someone set my home on fire. Sometimes I wish I could wear a big sign that says "Home burnt down — Cut me some slack." It’s been over two years since the fire, my life has improved dramatically and I should be over this by now. And yet I’m not over it. I probably won’t be for a long time.
In various moments of my new life, things happen that trigger the memories of that fire, such as the recent terrible wildfires in California. I have relatives out there, and it was a tense couple of days until we got word that they were all right. Panic attacks built up many times over the past couple of weeks, and here is how I learned to deal with them.
Oh No, Not Again!
This is the reason why we have panic attacks. We fear that the past will repeat itself. This is a normal instinctive response, but if you let it stay too long, you get so stressed that you can get ill. Also, you can get to making some very strange choices. I get so panicked, I dive under the covers and won’t come out for hours. I have these strange arguments with God/dess about "Haven’t I used up my portion of bad luck yet?" However, the God/dess has yet to argue back, which really makes me feel that arguing with me is just not worth a Deity’s attention. Yup — this is the way my brain works when I panic. Frightening, isn’t it?
Panic attacks screw up my stomach so it’s hard to drink tea. Life is too short not to drink tea when I feel like drinking tea. That’s reason enough for me to work on dealing with my panic attacks. Now, I have not been diagnosed with a panic attack disorder. That needs a doctor’s help. I’ve had doctors tell me that it’s normal to have panicky moments after witnessing my home burn down, but they say I do not have panic attack disorder.
Stop
If you feel panic coming on, STOP what you are doing. Even say the word "Stop," if that helps you.
Look around. Is anything threatening you at that moment?
Sniff the air. Listen. Feel the ground beneath your feet. Is anything threatening you at that moment? If not, then concentrate on the moment. If you have someone sympathetic with you, describe the immediate surroundings to them. This should distract you enough to calm down. Also this is where learning meditation really helps. Even rubbing a piece of marble or a smooth stone or a piece of jewelry can soothe you.
Take deep breaths. If you have trouble breathing deeply, then try and sniff something that will force your body to take deep breaths, like peppermint, roses or frankinscence. Although it sounds weird, getting enough oxygen through your body will also help you calm down. When you breathe the shallow, quick breaths associated with fear, your brain goes a mile a minute and you see dangers where there aren’t any.
If you meditate, then your meditation ritual will help you relax. Me, I like to watch my fish swim, or pet my dog, or even write in a blog. The trick is to do something that takes your mind off of the hamster wheel of remembering your past. And if you know what scenes, smells or actions can trigger a panic attack, try to avoid them whenever possible (For example — I don’t watch the national news anymore).
Life does get better after a tragedy. Perhaps panic attacks are our bodies’ way of reminding us "Could be worse!" All you need is a reminder. Try not to dwell on it. You can do it.
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Write a Comment»Very useful advice, although the difficulty usually lies in keeping the good advices as we all know.
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[...] Whne you have a panic attack, you need to take deep breaths, look around and remind yourself that nothing bad is actually happening and that the attack will end. For some more details, check out "Dealing with Panic Attacks". [...]