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Things you can do to help reduce symptoms, before & during an Adrenaline rush & fight/ flight episode. It is extremely important & imperative to take control of your breathing, to help activate the parasympathetic nervous system “the rest digest response” which releases hormones to calm down your nervous system, after the threat is dismissed, Adrenaline rush withdraws. The Adrenaline can take 3-5 minutes to withdraw & the rest/ digest hormones can be felt immediately, but can take up to 20 minutes before the full nervous system calms down. You need to use your thoughts & relax tools, to slow the panic “feeling”, so the rest/digest hormones can help.
Pay close attn. to your breathing & try to work on it enough, so that it just becomes natural, at all times. Structured Breathing consists of being sure that you are breathing deeply, slowly & through your stomach, as fast, shallow, or chest breathing feed panic, through hyperventilation & less O2 to the brain.
The Breathing consists of this, or something similar. Take a slow, deep, (stomach) breath through the nose, while counting to 4, hold for a count of 4, slowly release through pursed lips, counting to 6, wait for a count of 4, repeat. This will help slow your heart rate & relay safety message to the nervous system, to stop the Adrenaline release & start the resting hormone release.
Grounding techniques, like the following, help pull your mind back to the truth of now, to calm your nervous system when irrational fear is triggered & works very well when paired with proper breathing. The 5-4-3-2-1 plan; Start by naming 5 things you can see around you. Pay attn. & touch 4 things around, or on you, naming them. Close your eyes & listen & name 3 sounds you hear. Notice 2 smells, or recall a favorite scent. Taste 1 thing, sour candy works best.
I find that a stress ball, e.g. Amazon, in my pocket to squeeze to reduce nervous feeling helps. During an event splashing cold water on your face, or dunking face into a bowl of ice water, or holding a very cold item safely to calm nervous system response. Count backwards from 100 by sevens to engage your logical brain & quiet panic.
These techniques interrupt irrational panic thoughts & tells your nervous system that you are safe, to bring your focus back to the moment, while helping the parasympathetic nervous system to help you.
If you do get feeling out of control, it is okay to excuse yourself from the situation you are in, to get a hold of your emotions.
Dehydration/ loss of fluids & electrolytes can slow blood flow affecting the nervous system & brain, as the brain interprets body distress, causing increased heart rate, dizziness, lightheadedness, unsteadiness, confusion, faintness, shortness of breath & rapid breathing/ hyperventilation which may initiate the fight, flight, freeze, fawn, feign response possibly bringing on a full-blown (Massively fearful, harmless) panic attack, increasing dehydration from hyperventilation & sweating
Life is uncertain & will have moments, or seasons, that will be very hard. It will not be fair & can change in the blink of an eye & we need to be ready to accept that things happen, but we can learn how to stand strong, knowing that we are not the 1st, last, or only ones, dealing with these seasons, that will eventually come to an end, through our own hard work, even when we can’t see it, think it, or feel it.
We must realize, that hard, doesn’t equal bad, but sometimes faulty thoughts, feelings & reactions can lead to life becoming something that we could have never imagined, leading into seasons of battles, for a great number of people, whose lives have been gripped by Agoraphobia, panic disorder, mental issues, or any number of negative life changing issues.
We will be addressing & providing positive coping skills for dealing with many of life’s issues. For starters we are going to discuss a tool that can help with many issues, when worked seriously & given the time & effort that it is worthy of, which is writing out, carrying & reading Coping cards often, as creating positive new thoughts & mental pathways in your thinking & brain, needs to be achieved & can affect your thinking & life.
Learning to use positive coping statements to counteract negative thoughts & thinking is very important for healing. These need to be realistic, in your own words, applying directly to the issue you want to change, as you work on what you can & are willing to do, or change in your thinking & behaviors, to bring about this change. You must remember that it is okay to be human & that anyone could be overtaken by what you are dealing with, as 100 million already have & you can win this battle, as a great many have & it can start with using the right positive brain & hope enhancing tools, including carrying simple positive messages e.g. note cards, or cell phone notes “coping card statements”, to help guide your mind, through difficult moments.
E.g. Writing out something like this; Many may accept me, many will not, but I don’t need others approval, as I fight this battle that I will win. I don’t blame them for not understanding my fears, as I don’t either, but I will learn that if something scares me, to say, so what & do it afraid, it’s not a big deal, as long as I don’t make it a big deal & I will be okay, as everyone battles hidden thoughts & fears & if I shake a lil, out of fear, that’s okay, as that’s just anxiety releasing itself, or if I stumble, or studder, or whatever, so what, I’ll go forward, as I am not here to impress anyone & others thoughts of me, are not important to my healing, as I will be go be okay for me.
Coping cards start with a reminder, that running into disapproval is not all bad, as making mistakes is natural & will happen & can be survived & as long as your treating others with respect, because of who you are, than you can deal with disapproval, as you cannot please everyone & the consequences that you fear, are not as bad, or real, as your fear tries to make you think they are.
There is true guaranteed power in filling your mind with positive coping thoughts & truths, all day, everyday & Coping cards are personally designed by you, for you, e.g. When I go out in public, I’ll be anxious; my heart will race, I will be sweaty & shaky etc. but I will still do my best & though fearful, I will get through it. I will remember that anxiety is uncomfortable, & that it will pass. I don’t have to be perfect, I’m only human & I will be happy with myself for facing this. When I face my fears, I beat them, as I realize that disaster is unlikely & if I run into disapproval, it’s okay, as the people that care about me, will still love me no matter how, or what
I feel.
