Hands on

Panic disorder, an anxiety disorder associated with agoraphobia, panic …

December 27, 2009

Panic disorder, the onset of intense fear accompanied by physical-illness symptoms, may lead to agoraphobia when people avoid places where they experienced a panic attack.

Stop Panic Attack Without Drugs

panic disorder

“The Power of Now,” is a concept that spiritual guru, Eckhart Tolle, popularized in his phenomenally best-selling book by the same name. It is a concept that is so simple, yet so profound. Moreover, it is a concept that can help you to combat your panic attacks, just as it has helped me to do so.

In fact, “The Power of Now” may be the only tool you need to end your panic disorder.

Those Dreaded Panic Attacks

Although there are many theories as to the cause(s) of panic attacks, on one thing almost everyone agrees—after you have your very first panic attack, your anticipation, fear, and dread of having another one causes the next one…and the next one…and the next one.

It becomes a vicious, hard-to-end cycle.

But living in the “Now” can end that cycle.

Why Living in the “Now” Combats Panic Attacks

The practice of living in the “Now” seems almost custom-made to combat panic attacks because it works on the root cause of anxiety—worry.

As a group, people who are prone to anxiety, panic attacks, and panic disorders, are constant worriers. We worry about everything and nothing, and our worries quickly take on catastrophic proportions. With this mind set, your anxiety-induced heart palpitations become signs of an impending heart attack, which makes you start to panic, which make your heart palpitations stronger…which throws you into a terrible panic attack.

Or you call off work sick (even though you are quite well), start to feel guilty, then start to worry that you will get in trouble for taking the day off. In no time at all (because you are so experienced at worry), you are SURE that, when you go back to work, your boss is going to FIRE you for missing just one day in 6 months. You can even hear his words, “Sorry, I'm going to have to let you go.” On your way to work the next day, you have a major panic attack.

Or you are unemployed and looking for a job. You have had two job interviews at different places, but were not hired. You start to worry that no one will hire you, ever again. In your mind, you can see yourself homeless, sleeping in alleyways, rummaging through trashcans for food. Worry about your imagined homeless future causes you to have almost constant panic attacks.

An End to Worry—and Panic Attacks

Worry is always a fear of some imagined future outcome. It is not possible to worry about what is happening NOW. Whenever anything happens—NOW—you just respond to it with appropriate actions, never with worry.

This is what “living in the Now” is about—present thoughts and actions. When you live in the Now, there is no past and no future; there is only NOW. When you live in the Now, you cannot worry about anything and nothing; worry is not possible if you keep your mind in the present. When you live in the Now, panic attacks are a part of your forgotten past.

How to Live in the Now

*Whenever you start to think about the past or the future, gently bring your mind back to the present. What is happening, right now? What tasks need completed, right now? What actions can you take, right now?

*Practice thinking—”so what?” Whenever any worries enter your Now state of mind, mentally shrug and say, “so what?” For instance, if you get fired, so what? What is the worse that can happen? Well, if you get fired, you will probably feel badly at first, then you will find another job, probably even a better job than the old one. That's all that will happen…pretty minor stuff, huh? Then bring your attention back to the Now.

*See everything that happens to you as the totality of the Universe, a Universe that is working exactly as it should. Seen this way, nothing is either good or bad—it just IS. With this mindset, worry is not possible, because you know that everything is working together as it should, to take you to the place that you need to be. So why worry about it?

Entry Filed under: Health. Tags: anxiety disorders panic attacks, cure for panic attacks, help for panic attacks, managing panic attacks, ocd panic attacks, panic attacks self help, ptsd panic attacks, tips for panic attacks.