Panic attacks are above all a physical reaction to thoughts or events that happen to us. Because these physical reactions are so unpleasant, or even frighten or scare us, we do not want to experience something like that again.
If such a reaction then happens again and is experienced as similarly unpleasant, the fear of another panic attack often develops. This fear is all the more easily summoned the more we direct our attention toward it. A small vicious cycle has then been created.
The way out of this vicious cycle succeeds, among other things, by befriending this physical reaction. My clients initially do not find this idea amusing at all. However, one must understand that any resistance to these physical reactions causes these physical symptoms to persist. Because something we resist means that we give this event great negative attention through this resistance. The physical reactions are, so to speak, literally fed with our attention and thus with our energy. As a result, they persist and can even spread further. Because everything that receives attention grows and increases. We know this from other physical symptoms as well: for example, from pain that we intensify (through our constant negative attention).
We must therefore learn to no longer give negative attention to the physical symptoms of our panic. And how does that work? On one hand, it is quite simple; on the other hand, it truly must be learned. It works as follows: We become neutral observers of our feelings and their physical expression, their physical symptoms. That means: we register the symptoms, observe them in a completely neutral way and let them happen and run their course, just as they run their course. From beginning to end. In my practice, I teach you how this can succeed -- without it being as unpleasant as you have experienced it so far.
And when this succeeds, you will notice that the panic attack observed in this way is different from the ones you know from your past.
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Related Topics
- Panic Attacks, Causes & Symptoms – Detailed guide to panic attacks
- Why Relaxation is Not Enough – Limits of pure relaxation
- Panic Attacks (topic page) – Treatment and ways out
- Why We Feel Fear – Background on the function of fear