My Struggles With Anxiety
If you suffer from general anxiety on any level then you already know how crippling it can be and so do I.
- Shortness of breath
- pure panic
- sweaty palms
- feeling like you’re going to pass out
- thumping chest
- dizziness
- a prickly sensation all over your body
- and a heart beat that is racing off the charts
It is very scary and intense. Not just scary – frightening. There are times when you think you aren’t going to make it.
It Started Early
Since I was a child I’ve had very serious panic attacks, usually brought on by social situations.
My parents in trying to groom me to be well rounded put me in theater and music. I can remember performing in plays and piano recitals. Of course these things will make you nervous, but when you suffer from anxiety these situations can bring you to your knees.
I never once made it through a piano piece while others were watching me. I would play the first few chords and then go into panic mode. I always had to step off the stage before finishing a song and it was traumatic and embarrassing.
I Couldn’t Do Simple Things
I soon found myself struggling to even take the car out on the road. I would start shaking and sweating so bad. I would feel like I couldn’t breath and was so worried that I would pass out. Even trips to a shopping mall took all of the energy out of me and just talking to people was extremely stressful.
In fact trying to hold down a job was it’s own battle. I simply couldn’t handle the stress that I felt around other people and expectations.
Important Things For You To Know About Panic Attacks
- 18% of the U.S. population suffer from anxiety disorders, making it the most common mental issue
- Women are 2 times more likely to have anxiety
- According to the Anxiety & Depression Association Of America, this serious issue costs the U.S. 42 billion dollars every year
Anxiety Can Be Treated
Even though you might feel like there is no hope for you, it is absolutely possible to get better. In fact, the ADAA says that this condition is highly treatable, but sadly only 1/3 ever seek treatment.
I know that treatment is possible, because I’ve come a long ways since then.
The Panic Loop
- It all begins with physical sensations (shortness of breath, rapid heart beat, etc) that subconsciously tricks you into believing that something threatening is occurring.
- As a result your panic builds
- You have a panic attack
- As soon as the attack is over you enter a state of high anxiety
- Then the 4th stage is complete fear that it will happen again
- This fuels the body and it keeps looping like this
Panic attack loop
In other words. A panic attack is a trigger of itself. It just keeps feeding itself and you can never reach a state of calm.
The Fight Or Flight Response
The fight or flight response is something that is in all animals and humans. A section of the brain called the hypothalamus is responsible for triggering two biological systems.
- The sympathetic nervous system
- The adrenal-cortical system
It’s designed this way to protect us. If a creature feels that it’s in immediate danger this whole process kicks into gear and can give us the ability to react appropriately, although not always with good judgement.
The problem with panic attacks is that your body becomes accustomed to triggering the fight or flight response all the time and especially when it is not needed. Literally, you can be pumping gas with no identifiable harm around you and sudden go into panic mode. So the secret is to tame the fight or flight response and train the body to react in a calm way every time anxiety starts to occur. With practice, this process can become routine almost as a background operation that you don’t really need to manage after a while.
How I Turned The Tables On Anxiety
I knew I couldn’t live like this. What I didn’t realize was that to have both depression and anxiety is very common. Luckily, a panic attack never sent me to the ER, although many people check themselves in everyday because they think they’re having a heart attack.
I Tried Everything I Could Think Of
- Herbal remedies
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Deep Breathing
The one thing that has really helped though is Magnesium. In fact I wrote an article about a product that I’m madly in love with called Natural CALM and I’m not the only one. Natural CALM is more a solution for night time however, because it promotes rest and gets you calmed down.
But the one thing that really helped me get control of myself was this resource that I stumbled upon called Panic Away. In fact that’s where I learned about the Panic loop and everything that I’m talking about here
What Is It?
The Panic Away program shown in physical copy
Panic Away is a program that was developed by Barry McDonagh, a man who for years struggled with his personal battle against anxiety. This book is different. Unlike other materials that teach you how to cope with anxiety, only to have panic attacks return – Panic Away helps you understand the nature of anxiety and teaches you how to handle it accordingly.
It shows you how to short-circuit the loop of anxiety and bypass the actual “fear” of fear itself. If you can learn to do this, it is the most powerful tool in my opinion for managing anxiety and then putting it to rest.
The Problem With Other So Called Treatments
The reason most approaches to treating panic attacks don’t work and the reason most of them aren’t a long term fix is because they rely on techniques that only get you through for a while.
The breathing technique, which I do believe in a lot from a meditation standpoint; is a good one, but it’s only a temporary fix. Establishing a “happy place” in your mind is also nice, but again – it’s very hard to do deep breathing and go to a positive state in your mind when the anxiety has taken control.
Panic Away deconstructs the problem so that you understand the entire nature of anxiety and panic attacks and then equips you with the information that you need to control anxiety.
Panic Away Is Not For Everyone
This is by far not a quick fix. It’s certainly not a magic pill either. It is going to take some effort on your part, but if you invest yourself in it I believe that it can help you.
Since applying what I learned about the Panic Away system, over time my life has blossomed. I find now that I can go to a party, surrounded by lots of people and remain calm. On top of that my true personality gets to shine. I have a lot of people who love to be around me, and yes – I still need lots of breaks. Socializing exhausts me sometimes, but for once I’m in control.
And I no longer hesitate to hop in the car and go out and be with the world. I can walk into banks, the grocery, make conversations with strangers and do amazing things that I never thought would be possible in my life time.
The best part? my relationship has never been better. I can finally be the partner I was supposed to be.
If you are interested in giving Panic Away a try, you can visit the official website at www.panicaway.com
hope this helps – and best of luck.