“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”
Plato
Fear is a sensation common to any human being and occurs when your life is in danger, which causes bodily sensations that lead our body to activate our limbic system and promote a physical attitude of struggle or flight. Thus, a dose of adrenaline is released into our bloodstream with various body effects, from increased heart rate, activation of our skeletal muscles or dilation of the pupils to increase our focus. Our entire body is on alert to decide how to react to the stimulus.
However, when fear is a constant in our life and has no origin in a specific stimulus, it carries wear in all dimensions of being, leading to a loss of quality of life and well-being.
The panic attack happens suddenly and is characterized by a feeling of intense fear that triggers a series of physical reactions without there being a real danger. It usually generates feelings of loss of control or even imminent death. When panic attacks recur, they promote a substantial loss of quality of life, preventing the performance of simple tasks by those who suffer them.
What symptoms can I feel?
The panic attack appears suddenly and without warning and may take a few minutes to disappear. After the attack, it is normal to feel tiredness and exhaustion. Some of the sensations felt during the attack are:
- Fear of loss of control or death;
- Sense of danger;
- Nausea;
- Increased sweating;
- Increased heart rate;
- Tremor;
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath;
- Chest pain;
- Chills;
- Headache;
- Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting spells;
- Feeling of heat;
- Abdominal changes;
- Tingling sensation.
What can I do?
In addition to specialized professional help, small things can be included in the everyday life of those who suffer from this disorder.
Improve the lifestyle
From a more careful and nutritious diet, to a regular exercise, to the reduction of stimulant drinks or other drugs and the reduction of situations that promote stress and anxiety. In this way, we release areas of tension in our body and produce hormones that promote well-being.
Acceptance, knowledge and understanding
Knowing what a panic attack is, what the symptoms are, accepting and understanding that what we’re experiencing is just an experience, an emotion, a feeling that will pass allows us to use strategies that decrease the intensity of the attack.
It is important not to regard this experience as good or bad. Although this idea may be challenging to understand, it does not appreciate it, we are drawing strength from this situation. We are giving information to our brain that this situation has no power and everything that has no strength is decreasing its intensity.
It is also essential to know the situation, how it interferes with us, and what thoughts and sensations occur. In this way, it becomes easier to face the situation because we know what we are dealing. Avoiding facing the problem will make it stronger. By accepting and facing, we are piecing together all our thoughts and beliefs, allowing more beneficial thoughts.
We have to teach our brain not to fear certain sensations. Accepting and looking at them with different eyes teaches the brain to determine that these situations are not dangerous.
Relaxation techniques
As already mentioned in the article “How anxiety affects the quality of life”, there are several relaxation techniques that can be applied, such as: breathing, focus, meditation, Chi Kung, Tai Chi, among others.
Thinking
Learning to work our thinking for our well-being is of utmost importance. Being mindful of what we think, thinking we are in the present moment, focusing on the now, reducing negative thoughts, and focusing on the positive, helps us create new neural lines in our brain that are healthier for our well-being.
Sulisluna also presents a vibrational solution – TOUTATIS – that helps bring peace and serenity in these difficult moments.