PANIC ATTACKS: Why Avoiding Triggers Is A Bad Ideas (Foundations of Panic 4 / Podcast Ep 284)
Vložit
- čas přidán 30. 01. 2024
- Struggling with constant anxiety, recurring panic attacks, or a full blown anxiety disorder? Avoiding anxiety and panic triggers might seem like the safest path, but let's look at why this understandable and common response can be more foe than friend.
In this episode we'll look at some of the mechanics of panic attacks and panic disorder, shedding light on why evading anxiety can inadvertently feed the beast, intensifying and fueling the cycle of fear. Prudent prudent avoidance in the face of true danger is a helpful survival tool, but avoidance can become problematic when we use it to sidestep anxiety and fear themselves, rather than actual danger.
So if avoidance is more harmful than helpful, what next?
Unfortunately, what's next is the dismantling of avoidance and a turn TOWARD what you fear most. This may sound ridiculous or unthinkable to you right now, which is perfectly OK. Everyone comes to grips with this approach - or doesn't - in their own way and in their own time. If you're not feeling this idea today, it doesn't mean you're doing something wrong, broken, worse than everyone else, or beyond hope. Take whatever time is needed to think about this and consider the concept. Everyone has to do that part - the mental wrestling with an unpleasant idea.
As we move toward an acceptance based recovery, embracing discomfort becomes an unexpected and paradoxical compass. This approach may appear daunting, yet it paves the way to teaching our brains that the alarm bells of anxiety and fear are false signals. that don't actually need to be interpreted and treated as disasters or emergencies. There is quite a bit to digest when we decide to move away from avoidance and toward facing fear. It can't all be explained in one video or one podcast episode. There are lots of principles to follow and concepts to understand.
If the idea of eliminating avoidance to recover is making sense to you know and you want to know HOW this works, first accept that you're going to have to take some time to listen, learn, contemplate, and get a better understanding of the principles and mechanics of acceptance based recovery. Take advantage of all the free podcast episodes, videos, and social media content I've created that all discuss these ideas. Check out the workshops I've created to help explain these principles. Consider consulting my recovery guidebook, also called "The Anxious Truth". You won't solve this problem or change your relationship with anxiety overnight, but you can start to turn in the direction of recovery by reading, learning, listening and starting to consider this different approach.
Links from this episode:
Episode 152 - Agoraphobia Explained
theanxioustruth.com/152
My Panic Attacks Explained Workshop
theanxioustruth.com/panic
My Agoraphobia Explained Workshop
theanxioustruth.com/agoraphobia
My Panic and Agoraphobia Recovery Guidebook
theanxioustruth.com/recoveryg...
Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.
--
🎓 ANXIETY COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
learn.theanxioustruth.com
📚 MY BOOKS:
theanxioustruth.com/books
🔗 ALL MY SOCIAL MEDIA AND OTHER LINKS:
theanxioustruth.com/links
💜 SUPPORT MY WORK - BOOKS, WORKSHOPS, COURSES, AND MERCHANDISE:
theanxioustruth.com/support
ℹ️ WHO AM I?
theanxioustruth.com/about
❓ WANT TO ASK ME A QUESTION?
theanxioustruth.com/ask/
🎵 Music Used on My Podcast: AfterGlow by Ben Drake (with permission)
bendrakemusic.com
I been on this journey for 20 plus yrs. And I found you from the sleep coach and think you’re great. Wish I found you many yrs ago!
Thank you for all you put out there!
You're very welcome! I'm glad I can help in some way. :-)
Totally agree. I am doing the avoidance thing right now but working on changing it.
I never saw avoidance as a "fight" but so true. Thank you for this insight. Thank you Drew.
Avoidance is actually the reward we give our alarm ‼️ system. That’s why it intensifies. It’s like training a dog with a snack to help the dog continue doing the behavior we want. 😮 So we accidentally fall into this trap.
Thank you.
Just started trying to accept the panic attacks…is it okay while I’m going through it I think “come on anxiety give me your worst”? Doesn’t seem as intense when I think like that
That’s one of the steps in some methods
If you find framing statements that inform the next action - allowing, surrendering, tolerating, etc. - then that's a good thing! I see no problem with this at all.
Anxiety requires RESISTANCE to exist. 💯 The more you resist the more it exists. The opposite of resist is to accept. Accept…. Then anxiety can’t exist.
Congrats Drew on your practice in NY.. I'm by Albany and it's great to have some one like you in the general area!!
Thank you! :-)
I am currently standing in my bathroom trying to talk myself out of going to the er. I’ve had panic attacks since I was 10. The last month they are now daily again. I don’t know why. I keep thinking it may be something wrong with my health. I don’t have insurance, so I don’t have access to a doctor right away. I have become to the point I am avoiding even going to my small grocery store. I do work, but that is considered my “safe space”. Even driving across town I don’t feel like I am in my body. I do have a benzodiazepine to help, but seems to be not helping much anymore. I am out of options. I am just learning about exposure therapy through CZcams. So that’s why I am in my bathroom allowing my panic to come. I am scared to death.
Sending love your way. Been there. It will pass. You will get better. Believe this
This was two weeks ago so clearly I can't help with that particular panic attack, but I just wanted to say well done. You chose to do something really brave in that moment, which is a win for sure. xx
My anxiety symptom is suddenly forgetting facts and feeling the worst case scenario will come true no matter what.
And I was avoiding discomforting feelings by constantly reassuring myself until it goes away. Which kind of turns into an mild OCD.
I am going to choose to face those discomforting feelings for now on
Thats a big choice to make, and its really hard to do. Be patience, be kind to yourself while you do this, and remember that you're going against "common sense" so if you stumble along the way, that's OK. Just keep practicing.
@@TheAnxiousTruth Thanks! And I am doing well! I kept a 'mood meter' which shows the percentage of my anxiety and panic, I stopped my avoidance behavior for a few days, and it went like this :
19/2 (date and month)
100%
20/2
100%
21/2
80%
22/2
60%
23/2
40%
24/2
15%
I feel so less anxious now. This has never happened before!
Hey Drew.
You and Josh Fletcher had talked about the “Stress Bucket” in an episode. Wish you guys would go deeper into that topic!
After an emergency open heart surgery (provoked pulmonary embolism) and a near death miss, my stress bucket has not lowered.
Reframing the traumatic event has been difficult despite being healthy and cleared of all medical issues…. I’m constantly afraid of something else going wrong with my health/ body and my stress bucket is still overflowing. Thanks for listening and for your podcasts.
We have a stress bucket episode planned! It is a thing we have been meaning to get a bit more detailed on for sure.
Off topic Drew, but im sure you know who prof. steven hayes, co founder of ACT, and he him self had a panic disorder in his early years as assistant professor, he is very well spoken and im sure you guys could make a great discussion together, he often goes on podcasts and discusses interesting stuff, and he knows panic disorder well from a personal and professional sense. you and him really cemented the idea of experiential avoidance and how it serves to propagate further anxiety symptoms, leading to the classical recursive symptoms of an anxiety disorder.
i cannot thank you enough.
Dr. Hayes is at the very top of my list in terms of guests for The Anxious Truth or Disordered. At some point I will definitely try to make that happen!
God bless you with the good job
Thanks❤
I am new to your channel and I have been suffering from anxiety attack for past two months cause by fears and sad of not being able to sleep at night
Welcome. I hope you find the videos useful in some way. Search my channel for the word "sleep" and you'll see some podcast episodes I did that address the fear of sleep or not sleeping. They might be helpful to you.
I’ve always had anxiety, but the last two months it’s gotten so bad I can no longer leave my house. I’ve been having bad panic attacks for months when I leave the house but I kept forcing myself to go out. But now they’re so bad I’m actually vomiting and using the bathroom on myself and can no longer control it. I have no idea why it’s so bad now but it’s destroying my life.
Sometimes that "force myself to go out" thing can backfire when we think that forcing ourselves and powering through scary situations is doing exposures. There's also the paradox of trying to so hard to control panic, which tends to lead to not being able to "control" panic. I wish I had some words that would change things for you right away, but I can tell you that even when anxiety and panic feel totally overwhelming and like you have no power against them, you're still safe. Just VERY scared, and your body is doing what very scared bodies do. Here are a few past podcast episodes that might help you understand a bit more, and as always, if you can access qualified in-person help that is never a bad idea.
Do you view your anxiety as a monster that attacks you?
czcams.com/video/fzX7Kszp0As/video.html
How does exposure work in anxiety recovery?
czcams.com/video/fzV93HuwABU/video.html
Exposure is more than just doing things
czcams.com/video/RpZN2jf6T-s/video.html
@@TheAnxiousTruth I ended up in the er yesterday with a panic attack so bad I was on the floor puking and very dizzy. Turns out I have covid and kidney failure and that’s what’s been causing my issues. I knew something didn’t seem right but I didn’t realize it was so serious. :/
My panic attacks cause dizziness and intense nausea and my worst fear is vomiting. Since a child, vomiting was my worst fear. I also have a inner ear problem where my crystals become dislodged and cause extreme dizziness. I have had these episodes since a child and it would come and go. But in the last year, I had 4 major episodes of vertigo that caused more panic then ever before. I can't drive anymore because it makes me feel dizzy and nauseated. And now, I am experiencing panic attacks at home that last for hours and I feel like I am going to throw up, but never do. I don't know how to surrender into the fear of vomiting. I'd rather die than have it happen. I know it sounds crazy, even to me, it sounds crazy. I am afraid to leave the house because what if I can't get to a bathroom to throw up. I am tired of this. This fear has taken over my life.
Ask your self this, what’s the worst that will happen if you throw up? Honestly what will happen? People will look at you? Ok and then? What? offer you some help maybe? And if not so what. You just go on about your day. Do you know that book everybody poops? Well guess what everybody throws up. It’s nothing new to anyone. It’s a human function. The next time you feel this say ok body let’s throw up. Give me your best. And if you do Throw up say damn that was a good one. Honestly look at it and say man I could of done better then that. 😂 remand we are ALL IN THIS so called life together. Tell yourself that. Why should one person love happier then you and you suffer? Exactly so also get a journal and write how much you love to Throw up, write all the pros of it like well if I throw up all the bad stuff will get out. Thank god for that. Write how good it will fell if you Throw up. Be friend the throw up. As crazy as that is trust me your brain will rewire it self so think differently about it. Watch videos of someone throwing up. Honestly and say good for them because they gonna feel better after. Sorry for my long comment lol I wish you the best you got this. We all got this. Remember we here for a good time not a long time so don’t let panics control you. You be the driver. ❤ still working on my healing as well.
I feel you, I have the fear of throwing up since I was I was young, but I didn’t have anxiety at the time. I would get scared if I get sick
IMO, emetophobia (fear of throwing up) is a thing that becomes a HUGE recovery obstacle for many, especially given that anxiety symptoms often include stomach/GI issues for many many many humans. It can be very difficult to implement the strategies you hear me talk about while also defending emetophobia and trying to accommodate it. If you feel like you're on a merry go round that you can't get off because accepting anxiety and panic means you might get nauseous and you can't possibly allow that, consider that addressing the emetophobia could be an important part of your overall recovery.
@TheAnxiousTruth I agree that addressing the fear of vomiting should be addressed first.
Quality context as always. I never get tired when you cover such basic context because this is so motivating and it helps me to keep going.
Wish you did something similar with Disordered podcast instead of having click-bait titles "anxiety and... (insert random topic and talk about it for 40 minutes).
I am the point when I have simply stopped listening to it or looking forward to new episodes.
Maybe, it's just me, but I really do not like the randomness of topics without ever covering the basic. What you are doing now would be fine if you guys had like stuff like you did on this episode. Explain agoraphobia, triggers, panic, how to get better... and then do the random sutff.
Luckily, I got your book and this podcast so there are plenty of useful episodes to re-listen as well as lessons from the book to re-read.
Well, "just you" is an extreme interpretation, but the data and stats do tell another story about that podcast. Disordered is doing quite well and gets a huge amount of positive feedback from listeners. But, you are entitled to your opinion and I respect that! Not listening is always a good option. You have to find the content that works for you and drop the rest on the floor.
Ojalá estuviera es español no puedo poner subtítulos en español
Like this thanks
You're very welcome. :-)
FAntastic!!