Don't let the problems overcome you
 

Welcome to our mental health Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

Article #168: Anxiety Panic Attack & Agoraphobia--Impact of Fight/flight

(Browse for more articles)

 
To Overcome Anxiety Panic Attack it's the way it used to be. But much to her
important to understand the contributing disappointment, her sisters were married
factors. Anxiety Panic Attack is a with other interests and the relationship
response to stress--specific stressors with her mother was different-the
which in addition to nutritional camaraderie she remembered was gone. The
stressors include life situations from result was that she was no happier in NJ
which the sufferer would like to run with her family than she was in the
away--the flight response. This article Florida Keys.
is focused on handling the connection To me it seem obvious that she'd want to
between psychological threats and the run away from this whole disappointing
fight/flight response. mess. How could she explain to her
My first visit with the client, Jane, husband the move was for naught? And her
with whom I developed this technique that teen age son was getting into some
demonstrated 80% success rate, left my trouble with drugs-another disappointment
office with a full blown anxiety for which she was unprepared.
attack--not a good start. I thought I'd I explained my take on her plight by
never see her again and hoped I wouldn't asking her, "OK, you were unhappy in
hear from her attorney in the form of a Florida, convinced your husband to uproot
law suit. Actually as apologetic and the family, change jobs, and move back to
embarrassed as she was, a law suit was a NJ so you'd be happy with your family
very remote possibility. But I wonder how only to find that your relationships with
many clients in similar situations might your sisters and mother has changed and
not be considering law suits against that your son was getting into trouble.
clinicians using inward focusing Wouldn't you just like to run away from
techniques that can bring on panic this whole embarrassing mess?" She
attacks. Then again, their personality is acknowledged that she'd like to escape
not that of a trouble maker and as long the whole entire mess, but it's not her
as they continue suffering from anxiety, nature.
they would never allow themselves to be I explained that her brain was simply
in a court room for fear of having an taking action on that desire. I explained
anxiety attack and having to run away or the fight/flight reaction to stress-how
lose control. when we feel threatened the unconscious
Inward focus techniques are generally intelligence gets us ready to fight or
what most professionals use--it's having run-even a threat to our egos, family
the client focus on relaxing one's status...--and that since she is not a
breadth, muscles, thoughts... to learn fighter (personality wise), there's
relaxation. However, in reality, it's plenty reason to unconsciously want to
these type of techniques that contribute run away. But being a responsible person,
to anxiety attacks. she would never allow her self to run
Within a few days, Jane did call again. away.
She was too fearful to come to the OK, then we talked about diet and how
office-she blamed her anxiety attack on certain foods can trigger anxiety-sweets,
my small 12'X12" treatment room which is refined carbohydrates, caffeinated
more than three times the size of most beverages...
treatment rooms. She asked if I'd All this was nice, but she still had
consider in-home sessions. Reluctantly I trouble understanding how she was ever
agreed. going to gain control of anxiety since it
A few days later I arrived at her home just happens "out of the blue."
with an Galvanic Response (GSR) Essentially, this is the first
biofeedback instrument in hand. I didn't step-educating the conscious mind. I left
want a repeat of our first meeting so I her home without ever using the
avoided using any relaxation exercises biofeedback instrument and focused on the
that used inward focus. I took more time challenge of making a difference in her
to get to know Jane. I got the feeling life-how to shift her from the
that she could talk for hours about her conditioned response of anxiety.
symptoms, but I wanted to know more about First it was apparent to me that the
what stressors led to the beginning of panic anxiety label her primary doctor
the anxiety attacks. According to the gave her was in the absence of
Homes-Rahe Stress Scale, I'd be looking understanding much about her background.
for some rather significant life changes She came to a conclusion that she had a
six months to a year before the onset of problem and no one knew how to cure
symptoms. it-certainly took her mind off her real
Yes, her panic and anxiety started about problems in life-anxiety was an escape.
six months after she and her family moved In summary, personality factors of being
back to NJ from the Florida Keys. "Ah highly responsible led Jane to want to
ha," I thought to my self although I escape the seemingly impossible situation
didn't know what to do with this in which she placed her family--a move
information at the moment. I learned that for naught. Add to that hi-sugar eating
she was unhappy living in Florida. She habits, a suggestion she gave herself re
had no close friends and she missed the another family member having had anxiety
camaraderie of her sisters and mother attacks, and the fight/flight wanting her
back in NJ. to escape her family status, and voila,
It was so much of a problem that she created agoraphobia and anxiety panic
eventually she convinced her husband to attacks. See the resource box for more
change jobs and move back to NJ with her information on how to overcome panic and
teen age son in expectation of life being anxiety.






1 - A - B - C - D - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23 - 24 - 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 - 32 - 33 - 34 - 35 - 36 - 37 - 38 - 39 - 40 - 41 - 42 - 43 - 44 - 45 - 46 - 47 - 48 - 49 - 50 - 51 - 52 - 53 - 54 - 55 -