believing in a real imminent physical or psychological threat . So the first key in understanding is that there is no panic if there is no perceived threat .
Do you realize there is a big similarity between a panic attack and a roller coaster ride ? Both are exhilarating experiences that excite our nervous system and increase our bodily awareness . The roller coaster , however , does not send the same level of panic through us , as we are fully aware that it is not lifethreatening and will shortly come to a safe stop . This is the same attitude we need to adopt towards panic attacks . It is only our interpretation that differs . We are looking to change our interpretation .
What does that mean in practical terms ? It means if you embrace the fear and let the emotions and sensations run freely through you , rather than close down in the face of an imminent panic attack , your fear immediately subsides . The sensations that usually terrify you become exactly that , sensations , and nothing more , such as sweating palms , dizziness , palpitations , shortness of breath , etc . Uncomfortable sensations you could do without but the key difference with this approach is that the sensations do not lead to a panic attack .
It is not that you will never feel anxious at times ; a certain level of anxiety is part of everyday living . What is different is that your occasional anxiety is not developing into a higher anxiety experience . The occasional feeling of anxiety is fine and is experienced by everyone . Your new response is putting you in synch with all those people who never get panic attacks because their feelings do not develop into an exaggerated sense of irrational fear .
So where do we begin ? Because there is no danger , there is no real threat . This simple but true understanding combined with the “ One Move ” technique outlined below will be the tool with which you will learn to defuse panic attacks in seconds !
So let ’ s look at the first step in defusing a panic attack .
22