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psychological collision. This preparation for collision is similar to what our body
does for a real-world physical collision such as a car crash.
Using a simple car crash analogy, we perceive the imminent danger ahead on
the road and we respond with automatic reflexes as adrenaline is released into
the bloodstream and apply whichever evasive maneuvers we can in order to
avoid the very real threat of a physical impact. The key difference with a panic
attack is that there is no real threat. Instead of a quick burst of anxiety that
would normally dissipate once the threat is over, a person suffering from panic
attacks plays the perceived threat over and over in slow motion, leading to a
prolonged state of heightened anxiety.
Before I introduce you to the “One Move” technique, it is important to
understand: There is never a damaging psychological or physical collision
during a panic attack. It may seem like there is a real and present threat, like
the example of a car crash. Remind yourself of all the previous times you have
emerged unscathed from panic attacks. Think of all the panic attacks you have
experienced and how you have always come out on the other side—possibly
petrified, but nevertheless alive and undamaged with no harm done to your
body except for possible fatigue. The real issue here that causes most of the
upset and understandable distress is the fear of damage that a panic attack is
supposed to cause.
So where does this leave us? The first clue to successful recovery lies in our
ability to run with a panic attack, to fully engage the experience. To use a cliché,
we need to “flow with it” by becoming the observer of fear and anxiety, not the
victim.
The fear and panic experienced during high anxiety is a result of the individual
reacting to their emotions and identifying with the warning of an “attack,”
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