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Seeking Suggestions/Advice for Exposure Plan

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1853

Hi jaeson and welcome to the PC community.

I'm glad to hear that you have been working through the program available to you on this site. What have you found most helpful in the past 3 weeks?

Are you aware of any triggers that may be contributing to symptoms of heart palpitations or tightness in chest? Everyone's situation is unique, but as Davit mentioned, it's possible that even foods can trigger symptoms of panic attacks. It may be helpful to start recording events surrounding when you have a panic attack, including your diet, to determine a possible pattern. If you discover it is a situation in particular that may be leading to panic attacks than you can focus on more exposure work connected to the situation or environment.

As davit mentioned, CBT is an important tool to help you become better aware of illogical thoughts.

Continue practicing mindfulness meditation and deep breathing techniques as these are both excellent ways of grounding and bringing your mind back to the present moment.

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 6252

Hello jaeson

Some information first.

Even in normal people BP is elevated in the morning. Lower number is more important than the upper. Panic usually makes your heart race, if it doesn't it is not a big problem. I take Atenolol for the palpitations only because they bother me, it also brought my BP down. Sustained high BP beyond the panic could be physical such as water retention. How is your weight? Age? Physical condition? And more important self esteem. This last one can give you problems.

As to exposure. Exposure is not a cure, it is a marker of how well you are doing. If you have relaxation and coping skills in place exposure will be relatively easy. Don't push exposure, stay exposed only till you are uncomfortable and use the relaxation and coping skills to keep it acceptable. We are talking here about situations that border only on triggering panic. When you can handle them then the final move is to induce a panic attack by focusing on a trigger and using relaxation and coping skills to shut it down. If you can stare at the floor and shut down the panic in a minute or less you can move on to more intense exposures. If not then you are not ready and need to spend more time on relaxation and coping skills. You may also seriously have to look at core beliefs and see if they are keeping you anxious.

I know bp is supposed to be 117 over 75 now, but 149 over 95 consistently is considered time for medication. 200 over 120 or higher is considered critical, but during panic attacks mine has been that high.

It really is up to a Doctor but if you are consistently high then it is more likely high BP is causing panic not panic causing high BP. But this is up to a Doctor to decide.

All my BP tests are normal and were during panic.

Last night chocolate late in the evening triggered a panic attack in the middle of the night which I shut down in seconds and laughed off. You too will be able to do this. As for never having a panic attack again, sorry but once you have one you will always have the potential to have another. If you have good coping skills they will kick in subconscious and you will never have any more than an uncomfortable feeling like mild anxiety which we all know is normal. Some people when they realize that the trigger is unreasonable never have another attack. This is part of CBT.

Davit

10 years ago 0 +0 / -0 4

Four years ago the stress of renovating our house and my son’s marriage caused intense anxieties in me and culminated in me suffering from panic attacks. There had been several huge attacks that landed me in the hospital trembling and heart pounding with my BP was extremely high 164/110 but my pulse was always at normal of 65-72. I was also perpetually having palpitations. I was put on BP medication and Zoloft. The doctor tried many BP medications on me, but my BP would remain high in the morning when I woke up – 160/103 but by 10am it would drop to 106/70 and by noon time it could go as low as 96/63 and I would feel lethargic. My palpitations did not seem to be better I so I stopped Zoloft as I did not want to depend on drugs. I started mindfulness meditation and breathing exercise which helped reduced the attacks greatly. I still have occasional intense full blown attacks but managed to bring it down with the breathing exercise in fairly short time.

I joined this program 3 weeks ago with the hope to be fully recovered from panic attacks. I have been faithfully doing the homework. I am now ready to do exposure works and have some queries regarding this.

Almost every morning I would be awoken by palpitations or tightness in my chest and this would trigger a fear in me and the thoughts that my BP must be high and I can suffer from a stroke or heart attack even though I have come clean and negative on Echo Test, Stress Test, ECG and Holter Monitor (to check palpitations). These thoughts would trigger mild panic. I would most appreciate suggestions and advice on the kind of Exposure Plan for this issue as I have no idea where or how to begin.

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Seeking Suggestions/Advice for Exposure Plan