One of Mel Brook's funniest movies,
High Anxiety, featured the Home for the Very, Very
Nervous, or as the actors referred to it, the HVVN.
It's good for a chuckle, but anxiety is no laughing
matter for those who are indeed very, very anxious.
Extreme agitation, pounding heart, shallow breathing,
stomach cramping and pain -- these symptoms are
frequently part of an anxiety attack and can send
people to the emergency room (ER) because they think
they are having a heart seizure.
Many people choose to medicate for
anxiety and panic -- witness the thriving sales of
fast-acting benzodiazepines, such as Valium and Xanax,
and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs),
including Prozac and Paxil, often used to treat panic
and depression. Although these medications may soothe
the problem, they can't resolve it. Lucinda Bassett,
founder of the Midwest Center for Stress and Anxiety,
Inc. and author of the book From Panic to Power
(HarperCollins), has had a great deal of experience
dealing with anxiety and panic -- both personally
and professionally. I called Bassett for advice on
how to overcome these troubling conditions.
DEFINING THE PROBLEM
Anxiety attacks (feelings of
incredible angst) and full-blown panic attacks
(such severe fear that you must remove yourself
from the situation) are emotional and physical
states created by the people themselves. They
result from the scenario(s) an individual creates
in his/her mind about an event or situation.
Anxiety-prone people overreact, over- analyze
everything, including their own behavior and
that of others, catastrophize possible outcomes
and obsess with "what-if" thinking, fantasizing
all manner of terrible things that could happen.
This thinking pumps up adrenaline, sodium lactate
and cortical, chemical responses that stimulate
anxiety. There's one central fear, says Bassett --
that of losing control. She explains that anxious
people aren't afraid that a plane will crash --
they are afraid that they'll lose control and start
running up the aisle screaming.
There may be some comfort in
knowing that genes are definitely part of why a
person becomes anxiety- and panic-prone. In fact,
if your parents had these problems, you are seven
times more likely to have them than people whose
parents weren't so afflicted, says Bassett. There
are personality traits that foster anxiety, including
sensitivity to such things as light and noise, and
emotional sensitivity as well. Affected people also
are often extremely creative and intelligent, but they
have unrealistically high expectations of themselves
and others, they are perfectionists and, almost needless
to say, they worry a lot.
OVERCOMING THE SITUATION
Because people cause anxiety and
panic attacks through their own thinking, they also
have the power to overcome them by altering how they
think and behave in any given situation. You can start
the process today. When you feel anxiety or panic start
to build, there are several things you can do that will
immediately quell the feelings and keep the event
from progressing...
Begin "diaphragmatic-paced breathing."
Most people hyperventilate or hold their breath when under
extreme stress. A different kind of breathing will correct
the problem, says Bassett. Exercise: Lie on the floor with
a cushion on top of your waist. Breathe in through your nose
and out through your mouth, making sure each breath raises
and lowers the cushion. In an anxiety-producing situation,
concentrate on taking 10 diaphragmatic breaths per minute.
It will refocus your attention, slow your heart
rate and relax you.
Use calming self-talk. Tell yourself,
"It's just anxiety... it will go away... I am calm... it's
no big deal." When thoughts of "What if... " start, say to
yourself, "So what if?" instead. That shifts the sense from
dread to a feeling that you are back in charge.
Distract yourself. Turn on music, talk to
the person next to you, sing a song if you're alone.
In general, Bassett advises people to
take themselves and the world less seriously (part of "so
what if?" thinking). She suggests that any time that old
familiar feeling starts to emerge, use it as an opportunity
to consciously focus on under-reacting. For example, slow
everything down, including your speech, your movements,
even your thought process. Or perhaps indulge in a leisurely
bath. This is all part of taking good care of yourself, not
only psychologically, but physically as well -- relieving
your body of the physical stress of heightened
anxiety and panic.
GETTING HELP
Many people find that they need outside
help to guide them through overcoming anxiety. Since body
symptoms are so prevalent and frightening in panic attacks,
have a complete physical to be certain that you have no
cardiac, circulatory or other health issues that would
send you running to the ER. Once you are confident that
you are healthy, the physical symptoms of an attack won't
be so frightening and you will be able to talk yourself
through the anxious moments.
After your physical, Bassett suggests
that you rate your anxiety on a scale of one to 10 -- at
one, you have little anxiety... at five, the anxiety is
high but you can tolerate it... at 10, it is intolerable.
If your anxiety level is regularly over five, she suggests
getting professional help from a therapist who specializes
in anxiety disorders. There is tremendous energy involved
in these attacks, but it is all turned inward. A professional
can teach you how to redirect the energy, to where it can be
used constructively instead of wreaking emotional havoc.
The Stress Center has a list of such experts nationwide.
It also has a free cassette tape... and a self-help program
with additional tapes that you can try free of charge -- you
pay only if you decide to go ahead with the program. Call
800-611-0857 or go to the Center's Web site at
www.stresscenter.com.
Sources...
Lucinda Bassett, founder, The Midwest
Center for Stress and Anxiety, Inc., and author, From
Panic to Power (HarperCollins).
