People say that the only way to get rid of panic attacks is to not be scared of them?

[verityvee]

I've read several things on the internet and have a therapist. They say that to really get over panic attacks you have to learn not to be scared of them. But the thing is.. i'm not really scared of the panic attacks... i'm scared of the panic attack making me actually vomit! Because when I have a panic attack I feel SO sick. I'm not panicing about panicing. I'm panicing because i feel like i'm about to gag. Once i got in such a state I actually DID gag and had several gagging fits and I couldn't stop! So I can't really get over my fear of panic attacks because I feel they will make me vomit.

Is anyone else the same?
Can I vomit from them?
Can I still get over them?

Please reply

[NaiveAndTrue]

I call shenanigans.

Here's the thing. I used to be completely agoraphobic, terrified to leave my safety zones, etc. I've never had therapy, but sorta willed myself better and worked through a lot of it. I finally caved and accepted a script to Tranxene, which I only take as needed. They help a LOT because my attacks do leave me extremely tired after, so it's nice to nip them in the bud.

Now, I'm completely functional. I work 2 jobs. 1 is 40-43 hours, 6 days a week. The other is a few hours monthly in promotions that sends me all over 2 states, driving alone. I'm in no way 'afraid' of having panic attacks. I've completely accepted them as part of my life, I know my triggers; some I avoid (alcohol), some I don't (caffeine). But 'not being afraid' of them hasn't done a damn thing to make them stop.

I've gotten to a point now that I'm extremely happy with my progress. If I never get any better than being nervous about getting sick myself and dealing with a few attacks a month, I can still be happy and I still consider it a resounding success, considering I've done it on my OWN. It'd probably be better to find a therapist that understands YOU and what would be best for YOUR recovery. You're not a statistic.

[turbokinetic]

Verity, I never had a problem with anxiety attachs making me feel like V. I still disliked them!

Have you ever tried to "burn off" the anxious energy by running? That would help me out. I would run like the wind until I was good and hot. Then as I calmed down from the running, the anxiety was gone.

No, you won't vomit from these.
Yes, you can MOST DEFINITELY get over them!!!!

Take care,
David

[sage]

I know what therapists mean by this and I often wonder if they've ever had an anxiety disorder themselves or even a panic attack themselves. My last therapist never had anxiety but he panicked once when he scuba dived and it was all murky in the sea and it took him a long time to get to the surface. I swear that made him sooooo understanding of what we go through!

Some people fear panic attacks because they really believe they are dangerous. They aren't. You can't die, lose control, look crazy or go crazy. And although if you look hard enough on the internet I'm sure you can find an exception to this - people don't vomit when they have a panic attack. Some people vomit when very "nervous" such as before a show, public speaking, etc. because it seems to calm them down. But emetophobes don't do this because it would not calm them down.

When something terrifies us, the brain kicks in something called the "sympathetic nervous system." It speeds up your heart, gives you adrenalin, tenses your muscles, heats you up, etc....all so you can fight or flee. It also stops your digestive system from working. It just siezes up. Because you need all your energy for the fighting or the fleeing. 100% of your body energy (and focus) goes into running the hell out of there or fighting anybody off who tries to make you stay.

When you begin to calm down, the "parasympathetic nervous system" takes over. Things slow down, digestion speeds up, intestinal wall muscles relax, etc.

Vomiting is just not one of the things people do when they panic. In fact, the opposite is more likely....that they would not vomit when they might want to or need to. You kind of have to be calm to vomit - believe it or not!

Take animals for example. When scared out of their minds they might freeze and pee. They might freeze and poo. But they'll never freeze and vomit. Not ever. They'll run like hell or - in the case of one of my dogs - attack whatever walks by!

Hopefully this helps? Don't be afraid of vomiting if you panic!

[typical skeleton]

I have direct experience with this, all of this.

In my previous thread, I talked about my condition, called labyrinthitis. It's a vestibular disorder which can send you into dizzy, n* spells at any moment. Now when I first got these "spells", they were made a thousand times worse by the ensuing panic attack. Obviously, I had no idea why I was getting dizzy, and naturally my mind played all kinds of tricks on me. It was a cascade of bad feelings, beginning with getting dizzy..

Then would come the racing heart, the constricted throat and chest feeling, the shallow and rapid breathing. Hyperventilation would result in a tingling sensation throughout my body (I had no idea I was hyperventilating, by the way), and I had driving sense that I needed to escape; to run, and even to leave my own body.

I distinctly remember the conversation I had with my father (a therapist, but not MY therapist, obviously) one night. I am a rather informed person, so I recognized my attacks as being anxiety/panic related, and he also told me that this sounded like a panic attack. Despite my own knowledge, I did end up in the ER (better safe than sorry, you know).

It wasn't a heart attack, or an anyurism, or anything else horrible, and it definitely didn't kill me.

I remember telling the doctor that I recognized the symptoms as anxiety related, but without a trigger. Turns out, labyrinthitis can directly trigger a panic attack. Sage calls it "fight or flee", I know it under almost the same name, "fight or flight." In my case, my body was sending all the right signals. The dizziness was an indication that "something was very wrong" (i.e, I was in a poisonous environment), so my body immediately set into fight or flight mode, because it believed I needed to escape whatever dangerous situation I was in.

Now, like I said, this body reaction is very much biological. After getting a battery of tests done at the ER, the doctor suggest valium for my anxiety, which I promptly refused. On subsequent episodes of dizziness, I was acutely aware of my body attempting to enter "fight or flight" mode. This required immediate mental intervention.

Self-talk does work for me under a lot of circumstances, though it does not work for everyone. I had to immediately acquire "comfort" items, such as cold ice water or certain mints, or I would take my medication with a lot of mental affirmation that the medication *would* work. All of this combined, allowed me to ease out of panic mode. Granted I was still uncomfortable from my dizziness, but all other symptoms (racing heart, shortness of breath, tingling hands, constricted throat, etc) abated entirely. Even the n* was a lot less severe.

You state you're not afraid of the attacks themselves, but of v*. Well you're lucky, you have your target right there -- the act of v*, which is highly unlikely. Unfortunately, I cannot counsel you on what it is you need, personally, to overcome this fear of v*. I suggest reading up on n* and v*, viruses, and etc, and reminding yourself they are very unlikely, especially if your episodes are daily or weekly (nobody gets an sv* at that rate).

Find your personal "comfort zone", your favorite show, place, thing, person, or etc. Use self-talk to whatever extent it helps you, or if you're feeling really terrible, take a pill (as directed), and affirm to yourself that this medication DOES work, and that you will be O.K.

It is possible to control your mind and your body to a certain extent, though it takes work. Be aware of your "triggers", of the sensations of panic, and "write them off" in your mind under scientific pretenses. For example, "my mouth feels dry -- this is typical of me when I'm entering panic mode, I need not panic. This is normal. I will be O.K and it shall pass", and so on.

Good luck.

[ButterfliesInHerEyes]

When I was terrified of my panic attacks, I couldn't function. I became almost completely agoraphobic because the panic attacks would make me nauseous (among other things), which made me more anxious, which made the panic worse, which made the nausea worse... it was a vicious cycle. As I'm learning not to fear them because nothing worse than the attack itself will ever happen, the majority of them are not as severe and don't last as long. So yes, from my personal experience, this is true.... fear is what feeds panic attacks. Take the fear out of the equation, they starve and die off.

[teh folder]

the only way to get rid of panic attacks is to not be scared of them?

I disagree with that advice. Always approach, “the only way,” statements with caution. To be honest it sounds silly, sort of like telling a person to cure their phobia by not being scared. As for panic attacks I suggest seeking professional medical help if they hinder your ability to enjoy life. Medicine is out there that can do wonders. I am not going to tell you that is the only way though. They could have at least said “the only way I know of,” and sounded less arrogant. (No offense to them.)

[turbokinetic]

...Always approach, “the only way,” statements with caution...

Life has taught me that "absolutes" almost never exist. In fact I have yet to find a true absolute in life. I pretty much discard statements with "only" or "always" in them.

Just my two cents worth!
David

[VASTdejection]

I'm in the same boat there. I'm not so afraid of the panic attacks, but of the massive nausea that takes over. I've never thrown up, and I'm 20, and so I don't know what it feels like. But I really think it feels like I'm gonna throw up. And it scares me so bad.

But after talking with many therapists and others, it is not normal for you to throw up. You may feel nauseous from the panic, but your body isn't intending to and it is not doing the right motions for it to happen.

[sage]

Hey David....no matter what they do, people will always die eventually. lol
But other than that....and "we will always have taxes" you're right. In fact, I learned that talking in absolutes is anxious! Interesting.....