Although medication may be helpful, there are other ways of dealing with panic on a long term basis. Sometimes the things we tell ourselves while we are panicking can intensify the panic. "Oh my God, here comes that nasty panic - it's unbearable, I feel like I am going to die!" It's the catastrophizing during panic that makes panic more panicky. Try refocusing your thinking when you are about to panic and try doing something ridiculous like doing jumping jacks, or singing your favorite song, etc. Some people find it helpful to schedule a panic time. Find a quiet place, relax and try to bring a panic attack on. You will find that it is impossible. It is the fighting with panic that makes it more troublesome. Embrace your panic with all of its symptoms and you will learn to minimize its impact on your life. Say to yourself rational thoughts like, "Here comes that panic again - just calm down and take those deep breaths and it will eventually calm down. These feelings won't last forever - they are time-limited- they'll be gone soon." If you are moving into an activity that makes you panicky, take it slowly. For example, if you are afraid of elevators, experiment by doing one floor at a time and then getting off and evaluating your experience and feelings. Then get back on a do another floor. Keep doing the activity slowly until you feel more comfortable. Good luck to you!
James P. Krehbiel is an author, contributing writer, and cognitive-behavioral therapist. He recently released a new book, Stepping Out of the Bubble: Reflections on the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy. The book can be purchased at http://www.booklocker.com/books/2242.html. James can be reached at http://www.krehbielcounseling.com.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Dealing With Our "Anxiety About Anxiety"
The key to dealing with anxiety and panic is not in dealing with the primary symptoms, but in attacking the nonsensical things we tell ourselves about our anxiety. Everybody suffers from anxiety, but not everyone catastrophizes about it. For example, let's say you are taking a midterm exam in college. You open the test booklet and realize immediately that you are not familiar with some of the material and appropriate answers. You can respond in one of two ways: "Oh man, none of this looks familiar to me; I'll never get this, I'll never pass this test; if I dont't pass this test, I'll fail for the semester; my parents will just die if I flunk out of school." Or you can respond rationally by thinking, "Now just hold on a second, some of this material looks a little unfamiliar, but I'll just calm down, take some deep breaths and start working on the questions I do know. I can always go back later and tackle the more difficult ones." The primary anxiety is not the focus here, but rather it's the secondary thoughts that we keep telling ourselves about anxiety that paralyzes us. Our "anxiety about our anxiety" or our secondary thoughts about anxiety are the focus of behavioral change. It is important in dealing with anxiety that people stay focused in the here and now, and do not get caught up in the "rear view mirror" or the anticipation of future worries.
James P. Krehbiel is an author, contributing writer, and a cognitive-behavioral therapist. He recently released a new book, Stepping Out of the Bubble: Reflections on the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy. His book can be purchased at http://booklocker.com/books/2242.html. James can be reached at http://www.krehbielcounseling.com.
James P. Krehbiel is an author, contributing writer, and a cognitive-behavioral therapist. He recently released a new book, Stepping Out of the Bubble: Reflections on the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy. His book can be purchased at http://booklocker.com/books/2242.html. James can be reached at http://www.krehbielcounseling.com.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Common Threads Link Addictive Behavior
Many people have features of an addictive personality. They heed the call to the "pleasure center," located in the frontal lobe of the brain. As many of us yield to the urges and cravings of the pleasure center, our negative beliefs and behaviors reinforce the need to continue self-defeating addictive behavior.
Beneath the addiction, one finds personality characteristics that sustain the addiction. According to Charlie Whitfield, these characterisitics are common to all addictions. People most likely experience problems with trust, dependency, abandonment, shame, guilt and the expression of deep feelings. Once the addiction is uncovered, these issues must be addressed through group addictions meetings or individual therapy.
Often adults, whose parents were alcoholics, choose to attend Adult Children of Alcoholics meetings in order to resolve the fallout from family behavior. Family members can be affected by addictive behavior and may adopt behavioral characteristics similar to the addict.
Addictive behavior lies on a continuum. For some of us, our tendency to compulsively engage in a particular behavior may not affect our everyday functioning. For example, many people engage in a pattern of ritualistic jogging. This may be considered a positive addiction because the activity promotes physical fitness and can release endorphins that elevate one's mood and behavior. If, however, the jogger begins to dismiss friendships, social activities and responsibilities in order to sustain the jogging pattern, then the activity takes on a different meaning. Furthermore, many joggers may become so obsessive about their interest, that they begin experiencing significant weight loss, making them appear too thin and fostering body misperception problems.
People struggle with addictive patterns such a weight gain, gambling, sexual addictions, eating disorders, compulsive shopping and self-cutting. I am merely providing a brief list of addictive behaviors. A comprehensive list is too exhaustive to print.
Many people ask me, "Are there any common characteeristics or features that likn various addictions into a pattern? The following is my perception of the common threads that link all addictive behaviors.
Beneath the addiction, one finds personality characteristics that sustain the addiction. According to Charlie Whitfield, these characterisitics are common to all addictions. People most likely experience problems with trust, dependency, abandonment, shame, guilt and the expression of deep feelings. Once the addiction is uncovered, these issues must be addressed through group addictions meetings or individual therapy.
Often adults, whose parents were alcoholics, choose to attend Adult Children of Alcoholics meetings in order to resolve the fallout from family behavior. Family members can be affected by addictive behavior and may adopt behavioral characteristics similar to the addict.
Addictive behavior lies on a continuum. For some of us, our tendency to compulsively engage in a particular behavior may not affect our everyday functioning. For example, many people engage in a pattern of ritualistic jogging. This may be considered a positive addiction because the activity promotes physical fitness and can release endorphins that elevate one's mood and behavior. If, however, the jogger begins to dismiss friendships, social activities and responsibilities in order to sustain the jogging pattern, then the activity takes on a different meaning. Furthermore, many joggers may become so obsessive about their interest, that they begin experiencing significant weight loss, making them appear too thin and fostering body misperception problems.
People struggle with addictive patterns such a weight gain, gambling, sexual addictions, eating disorders, compulsive shopping and self-cutting. I am merely providing a brief list of addictive behaviors. A comprehensive list is too exhaustive to print.
Many people ask me, "Are there any common characteeristics or features that likn various addictions into a pattern? The following is my perception of the common threads that link all addictive behaviors.
- Most addictive behaviors are an attempt at avoiding unpleasant and painful experiences.
- Most addictive urges and underlying self-defeating beliefs trigger cravings.
- Most people with addictions experience masked emotional problems such as anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive characteristics.
- Most addictions are fueled by thwarted anger and self-blame, particularly among adolescents.
- Shame-based feelings are at the core of all addictions.
- Most people who experience addictions complete a "repetition cycle" of abuse. The cycle starts with an experience or urge, yielding to cravings, feeling numb with a decrease in anxiety, manifesting guilt and remorse, followed by an escalation of anxiety and a repeat of the cycle.
- The primary goal of addictive behavior is to decrease anxiety.
If you think you might have a problem with addictions, listen to your partner, listen to your friends and listen to your own inner voice. Don't wait until you "hit rock bottom." Demonstrate courage by addressing your problem now.
James P. Krehbiel is an author, contributing writer, and cognitive-behavioral therapist. He recently released a new book, Stepping Out of the Bubble: Reflections on the Pilgrimage of Counseling Therapy. The book can be purchased at http://www.booklocker.com/books/2242.html. James can be reached at http://www.krehbielcounseling.com.
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