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The Panic Cycle


11 years ago 0 6252 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Ashley

I find that people have a hard time accepting that it is not the event that causes the attack but how you think about it. The event does cause panic if it is that type of event but how you think on it and what associations you drag out of your memory dictate whether it will just pass or become an attack. This is why it is so important to end each panic attack with a positive note. The reaction to the event is going to get into your memory and become an association. Do you want to have a positive association or a negative one to draw on for future events?
Then there is "common sense". This might be easier for some to understand or help to understand the association between "event, thought, action". Common sense is a collection of previous thoughts on events that dictate how you react to an event. They don't even have to be things that happened to you. They can be related thoughts or actions from other sources, (books, school, TV, computers) here in lies the problem. What do you believe, what is true, what is false. If you don't know for sure then barring it being life threatening (possible cancer) pick out the positive to build your association on. Between the second and third part of the equation is where this is done. There are articles on how to do this on the net for those who want to reinforce what they are learning here from the program.
Again we are back to CBT. Changing negative to positive. But this time knowing why it is so important, especially to those who tend to be negative to start with.
There is so much negativity around us that it is hard not to parrot it.  Do people realize that every time they think or do something negative that they are setting themselves up for the future to be similar. 

Davit
11 years ago 0 11209 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
The basic idea of the Panic Cycle is that each component of anxiety and fear affects the other two. For example, our physical sensations affect our thoughts and our thoughts affect our behavior. All combinations are possible.

Sometimes the Panic Cycle is triggered by an outside event, sometimes not. Panic can also be set off by symptoms. Furthermore, being on the lookout for panic symptoms means we are more likely to notice even the slightest change in our bodies. The problem is that if you look for small changes such as an increase in heart rate, rapid breathing or skin temperature you’ll find them. It’s normal for our hearts to speed up when we walk or it’s hot outside. However, if you start looking to interpret every small change as the start of a panic attack, you’ll get the Panic Cycle going.

What starts the Panic Cycle for you?
 
Ashley, Health Educator


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