Posts
You may be sitting at your desk at work or driving your car like you do everyday. Nothing is all that different. Nothing is particularly scary, but, all at once, your heart starts pounding and you're scared. You may feel like you're having a heart attack and your breathing may be shallow and urgent. Many people rush to the emergency room at this point.
Panic attacks often convince their surprised victims they're physically ill and need immediate medical help.
The classic panic attack--think Jack Nicholson in Something's Gotta Give--can seem to mimic a cardiac event. You feel like you're dying! Panic attacks are only one way anxiety can impact your life. There are smart, competent people around you who struggle daily with moments of overwhelming fear and anxiety. Many seek a pharmacological answer to these baffling episodes, and medication can help on a short-term basis. There are individuals whose lives begin to revolve around avoiding or trying to avoid this kind of experience.
It might be your boss--an attractive, competent woman who has earned the power she wields. You may have a close friend or a relative. People who struggle with anxiety can alter their lives, avoiding situations that have previously been associated with the overwhelming feeling of not being okay. Many seek professional help to manage their physical symptoms.
You might, however, need to look at your emotional life.
As it is with all complicated human experiences, one answer doesn't fit everyone, but anxiety usually comes from one of several places. Individuals who live their lives very rationally sometimes don't listen to their own feelings very well. They just go on with life, assuming emotions aren't that significant. Your emotions, however, can be vital in conveying information you need. You need to tune into your gut reactions. This isn't saying you're going to be controlled by your feelings. You can still make rational choices in a situation when you are attuned to your feelings .
Most people just want to make this go away, but panic and a sense of chronic anxiety may be your mind's way of telling you to tune into yourself.
Other individuals struggling with anxiety might have an underlying sense of inadequacy: they're not sure they're capable of dealing with whatever life throws them. These individuals can also seem bright and strong-minded. Inside, though, they're convinced of their own limitations. They might have a deep conviction of their inability to respond to situations and people around them.
Which ever disorder fits you, anxiety can be gripping and overwhelming. It can take over your life. Medication is not a long-term solution. Your body will adjust to the meds and you'll start needing a bigger dosage or a different kind of medication. You can learn to manage this emotional experience, however. You can deal with it so well, it no longer rules your life.
We are such finely tuned systems. With therapeutic assistance, you can learn to listen to your feelings without being controlled by them. You can learn to see your own strengths and feel confident in these.
Anxiety doesn't have to rule your life. You can live--not an anxiety-free life--that wouldn't be safe, but you can beat this. You don't have to live with the monster in your closet.
