Panic attacks are a problem that affects more and more people, especially in developed countries. People who suffer from panic attacks describe them as a gut feeling that causes increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, and dizziness.
But it is not limited to everything on a physiological level as there are also symptoms such as loss of contact with reality, depersonalization and intense fear, the feeling of losing control or about to die.
At the base of the anxiety crisis there is almost always a thought that in one way or another triggers the episode. Thus, most psychological therapies to control panic attacks are aimed at teaching the person to manage their thoughts. Basically, it is believed that
By replacing negative thoughts with positive, calming ones, you can reduce the symptoms of panic attacks until they disappear completely.
However, the Mindfulness Transcendental Meditation approach takes a step forward, because it does not believe that the problem is solely due to the content of these thoughts, beliefs or memories, but to the emotional energy they generate. That is, the emotional load that certain ideas contain is what gives them real power and is, ultimately, the cause of the symptoms of panic attacks.
For example, two people may develop the same thought, but they are likely to react to it differently, because the emotional charge they give them is different. Therefore, in Mindfulness Therapy we focus on different pathways to try to change that emotional energy. Once this is done, all that the person will experience will be an "empty thought", meaning that it will have been emptied of the negative emotional charge that generated the anxiety.
With this type of therapy, people learn to focus on their emotions, without trying to avoid or control them. This is a very subtle but fundamental change, because in this way we are no longer at the mercy of our emotions but we analyze them from a more objective point of view. So let's stop running away from our emotions and trying to control them, let's just let them flow and accept them. Assuming this attitude, yes
removes much of their negative emotional charge from the emotions. As you can imagine, at this point the emotions associated with thoughts lose their strength and their power to intensify the symptoms of panic attacks.
How to put these ideas into practice?
We need to find a moment of tranquility during the day and choose a place where no one bothers us. So we have to face our fear. Let all those thoughts that normally haunt us when we suffer from a panic attack flow into our minds. We must reflect on the concreteness of these thoughts and, above all, discover the emotions they generate. We must not resist these emotions and not even try to hide them, but only live and accept them.
At this point you will begin to develop a conscious relationship with the emotions that arise when you have a panic attack. If you repeat this exercise regularly, gradually the emotions will gradually lose their intensity and, consequently, the negative impact they have on us.
Of course, this is just a very simple and concise explanation of the fundamental principles of Mindfulness Therapy applied to anxiety attacks. It is actually better
contact a psychologist who can guide you on this path by teaching you the techniques that best suit your case.
