Ask a Therapist: Panic Attacks
By: Ms. Nicole Lembo, MA, LMHC
Q: I’ve been feeling really stuck with uncontrollable anxiety and panic attacks. How can I start the process of managing my anxiety and finding relief?
A: Great question! Anxiety and panic can feel incredibly overwhelming and even debilitating. In therapy, we can observe patterns, stressors, and frequency to help us better understand what our anxiety could be connected to. Additionally, we can work to regulate our nervous system. In short, we have to relabel how our mind registers experiences, danger vs. safety.
Our nervous system is made up of two parts, the sympathetic nervous system which signals the fight or flight response and the parasympathetic nervous system which helps the body regulate to a relaxed state. When we experience traumas and or intense experiences consistently, our nervous system fails to calm us down out of anticipation of further stressors arising. The mislabeling of experiences often leads to panic and anxiety, along with other symptomology.
Tools to regulate your nervous system are both cognitive and behavioral, such as cold exposure, vague nerve activation, meditation, body scans, as well as challenging our thoughts and beliefs to reinstate safety. Some of my personal favorites, and clients favorites consist of:
- Cold exposure: either submerging your face in ice water for 10-15 seconds, repeating 3-4 times until your tolerance is built. Or, simply using an ice cube and running it over your face and neck until it melts.
- Meditation / Body Scans: YouTube has some great 10-15 minute guided meditations and body scans to help us relax our bodies and slow our minds.
- Cognitive challenging: repeating a short affirmation over and over again when in a situation where anxiety and panic is activated. This can sound like, “I’m allowed to be anxious, but I am safe.”
As always, don’t be afraid to speak to your therapist for additional encouragement and support throughout your journey, we have your back.