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breathing for me, so I would have to manually take over and tell myself when to
breathe in and when to breathe out. Of course, this didn’t suit my body’s
requirement of oxygen and so the sensations would intensify—along with the
anxiety. It was only when I employed the technique I will describe for you later,
did I let the body continue doing what it does best—running the whole show.
Importantly, a side-effect of increased breathing, (especially if no actual activity
occurs) is that the blood supply to the head is actually decreased. While such a
decrease is only a small amount and is not at all dangerous, it produces a
variety of unpleasant but harmless symptoms that include dizziness, blurred
vision, confusion, sense of unreality, and hot flushes.
Other Physical Effects of Panic Attacks
A number of other effects are produced by the activation of the sympathetic
nervous system, none of which are in any way harmful. For example, the pupils
widen to let in more light, which may result in blurred vision, or “seeing” stars,
etc. There is a decrease in salivation, resulting in dry mouth. There is decreased
activity in the digestive system, which often produces nausea, a heavy feeling in
the stomach, and even constipation. Finally, many of the muscle groups tense
up in preparation for “fight or flight” and this results in subjective feelings of
tension, sometimes extending to actual aches and pains, as well as trembling
and shaking.
Overall, the fight/flight response results in a general activation of the whole
bodily metabolism. Thus, one often feels hot and flushed and, because this
process takes a lot of energy, the person generally feels tired and drained.
Mental Manifestations
The goal of the fight/flight response is making the individual aware of the
potential danger that may be present. Therefore, when activated, the mental
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