Question
~ What are some common issues or thoughts that trigger panic in people?
Strengths Based Biopsychosocial Approach to Recovery from Panic
Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC, NCC
Executive Director, AllCEUs
Objectives
~ Define panic
~ Examine how the fight or flight reaction can be corrupted to prompt panic attacks
~ Examine the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, biological sources of the stress reaction
~ Explore a variety of interventions that may assist people in counterconditioning the panic response
How It Impacts Recovery
~ Panic attacks can feel overwhelming
~ Panic attacks are exhausting and can leave people feeling out of control of their own body
~ People can avoid things they have phobias of, but panic attacks seem to come out of the clear blue
~ People with panic attacks often restrict what they do (superstitiously) to avoid panic triggers
~ Awareness of what a panic attack is and what triggers them for each individual is crucial to recovery.
The Body’s Response to Anxiety/Panic
~ We have a primitive response system that protects us from danger “Fight-Flight-Freeze”
~ To prepare to take on the threat, the body sends out “excitatory” signals
~ Increase in heartrate
~ Increase in respiration
~ Numbness or tingling in hands (blood to the core)
~ Sweating (temperature and slipperiness)
~ Pupil Dilation (blurred vision/spots/brightness)
~ Muscle Tension
The Mind’s Response to Panic
~ Oh CRAP!
~ Something bad is going to happen or I wouldn’t be feeling this way
~ Catastrophic thinking— I’m going to
~ Pass out
~ Die
~ Throw up
~ ???
The Panic Cycle
Track Panic Symptoms: Anxiety Log
~ Log your anxiety episodes (not just panic)
~ What were your symptoms
~ Physical
~ Cognitive
~ Emotional
~ What triggered it
~ Why did that trigger it
~ What may have made you more vulnerable to your triggers
~ How can you prevent those in the future?
~ What have you done in the past that might have helped in this situation?
~ Review your log each week to
~ Identify particular situations that might trigger panic and begin to address those
~ Identify times when you are not panicky and increase those
Life Through Panic Colored Glasses
~ If you are hypervigilant about panic triggers, you will find them (Emotional reasoning)
~ Review your Anxiety Log
~ Identify your triggers
~ Make a plan to deal with them
~ Identify vulnerabilities
~ Make a plan to prevent them
Body Awareness | Physical Mindfulness
~ Body Scan
~ What am I experiencing
~ What might be causing it
~ Blood Sugar
~ Stimulants
~ Adrenaline Rush
~ Orthostatic Hypotension
~ Hormones
~ Excitement or Panic
Its only a False Alarm
~ Mindfully attending to panic
~ Feel the sensations (ride the wave)
~ Focus on breathing
~ Use positive self-talk
~ Distract
~ Keep a list of 3 things you can do to distract yourself
~ Pray
~ Sing
~ Call someone
~ Listen to music
Exercise
~ When the body is on high alert because it is getting stress signals, but you are sitting still, there is a disconnect which causes:
~ An increase in stress chemicals
~ May trigger catastrophic thinking
~ One way to get the mind and body back in synch is to move
~ Providing a reasonable explanation for the increased heartrate and respiration
~ Using the stored energy that has been released to fuel the fight or flight reaction
~ Exercise also releases serotonin (a calming effect)
Nutrition
~ Stimulants, medications and certain supplements can trigger a stress response.
~ Caffeine
~ Decongestan