Anxiety attacks seem to come on suddenly without warning and when it inconveniences us the most. Once an anxiety attack strikes it becomes the center of all our attention. It gives us all we can handle and though we try our very best to overcome it, anxiety with its panic attacks come on anyway.
Those experiencing anxiety disorder say they are having feelings of unreality or feeling as if they are going insane. This is not however, what is happening to the anxiety sufferer. It may be how they describe their feelings, but the truth is anxiety is a function of the nervous system, not the brain. The truth is anxiously ill people are typical well adjusted and of a stable mind. Their problem is adrenaline runs wildly through their bodies and this, in turn is brings on feelings of unreality and such.
This article is a discussion about just what is happening to a person who is having an anxiety or panic attack. It also gives advice about handling anxiety is such a way one can begin to overcome this condition.
Keeping it Loose
Adrenaline shoots through our veins in response to fight or flight. What this means is, when we are struggling to overcome some situation or when we are trying to get away from something, such as a wild animal, adrenaline will enter into our bloodstreams. This adrenaline is there to help us fight better and run away faster. In certain situations it is good that we are able to fight better or run faster, but when adrenaline secretion is already giving us feelings of unreality, fighting this adrenaline secretion or trying to run away from it only secrets more adrenaline and makes us feel more unreal.
When we experience panic/anxiety, our body functions differently because of adrenaline. Because of the different way our body is functioning at this time we will feel things we normally don’t and usually, these feelings can be disconcerting. However, when we fight or run away from these feelings we bring on more unusual feelings and so we compound our misery.
Also, once a panic attack has come and left, it usually has left us so overwhelmed, we vow never to let one ever occur again. Taking this attitude is likely to keep us on edge thereby making the chance another one will come on even greater. However, when we don’t realize this we keep on fighting.
Doing this will often help intensify nervousness into panic. It is when we are constantly trying to prevent panic from ever returning we go through our day constantly tense in hope this will somehow prevent anxiety when actually, it is bringing it on.
Develop Passivity
Since anxiety is always fueled by fighting and/or running away, it lessons in intensity when it is ignored. I know, this is easier said than done, but it is the key to becoming free of anxiety and panic attacks.
The more anxiety attacks with their panic and feelings of unreality are ignored or accepted the less they will dominate our lives. After total acceptance with no fighting whatsoever becomes our modus operandi, panic will leave us and we will never have to face it again. Of course, this attitude of acceptance does not happen immediately and has to be learned over time. Still, the learning period can be short once the theory of acceptance is understood.
