The Panic Switch by Hammes Jeffrey

Author:Hammes, Jeffrey [Hammes, Jeffrey]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Publisher: Unknown
Published: 2013-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

Losing Control

When we are afraid of panic attacks we want to be in control, desperately. Many people say, “I feel like I am losing control!” And the sufferer goes into a deep inner search to somehow stop these fearful feelings while fretting over the future panic yet to come. But let’s put “in control” IN perspective:

Are people who are deemed “control freaks” prone to having panic attacks? I would say, no. It would depend more on the person’s ability to release stress and tension. It is more the type of person that bottles up their stress but demands control over their emotions that is more prone to panic attacks. There are hypochondriacs who tend to express the maximum need to control yet are able to let go of their stress at the first sign of tension - by complaining, shouting, crying, through strenuous exercising or just by giving up the analyses. Hypochondriacs tend to miss out on panic attacks.

I will say that we never have conscious “control” and it is a futile exercise to try to attain it. In fact, what “control” we do have is all on the autonomic and subconscious level - nervous system, breathing, heart beating, swallowing, blinking, etc. When we attempt to exercise a CONSCIOUS control over our autonomic systems is when we get into trouble. It’s highly stressful and not possible.

If you think about it, there is no control possible. How long can I hold my breath before I begin to breathe again? How long can I force myself to not think a thought before the thought returns? Then the question becomes: what happens when I force conscious control on something that my body does instinctively?

If I am worried about not being able to swallow (because of a dry mouth or lodged food) and then try hard to control it CONSCIOUSLY, you can bet that I will feel like I CAN’T swallow and the resulting fear and focus will prevent more swallowing as it becomes exceedingly difficult and the subconscious control is all messed up and distorted. Why? Because we are trying to CONSCIOUSLY control a function that left to our autonomic nervous system will function just fine!

Have you ever tried to be conscious of your heartbeat, your breathing, blinking or swallowing? It occurs despite your consciousness of it, right? Can you imagine what happens when you add fear to the mix? For example, you are worried about your heart beating fast, or skipping a beat/extra beat or even pounding so loud that you can hear it! If you are worried about this heartbeat, what will you do? You will be on alert for any change in the heartbeat and be monitoring it closely because you deem that your life may depend on it. And how will your heartbeat react to this worry? It will probably act differently. It may now beat faster and louder which will then verify your initial worry and that now you should be even more worried and on alert for changes.

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