Secret States of Mind: Anxiety and Panic

I call them secret because those who live with anxiety and panic every day do so with quiet bravery and silent resolve.  It’s like the outside of you smiles, while the inner you braces for another wave of anxiety to pounce.  And pounce they do . . . while you are in the car, at work, with your family, watching a ball game . . . and after a while, the world feels disconnected.  For so many people, anxiety takes away the things that give joy and the freedom to savor special moments with family and friends. The emergency brake is always on, but it’s too embarrassing to let anyone (except your closest safety buddy) know.

Maybe anxiety started to creep in after a significant loss or stress in your life, and the panic button has been on high alert ever since. After years of this you’re not even sure what triggers this feeling. Now it’s just the fear of the fear that keeps you stuck and close to safe places and predictable routines.

You’ve probably been to your doctor or the emergency room a time or two. They have run tests to make sure you are in no physical danger, and they have declared that your health is fine. Perhaps he/she prescribed medication and/or counseling, meditation, and other forms of treatment to rid you of this intense emotional roadblock. With all the information available at bookstores and on the internet you may have purchased a self-help program but nothing seems to stick for long. Does this sound like you?

• You live in fear of imminent danger.
• The panic attacks are becoming more erratic and more frequent.
• You’ve been told that anxiety of one of the more difficult conditions to treat.
• You find that you are spending more time in “safe” places and less time doing things that used to bring you joy and fulfillment.

If you have been suffering from anxiety and panic, here are some steps you can take to quickly move through the sensations and get back to a more comfortable place. Follow the steps below if you find yourself in the middle of a panic attack.

Step 1: Pull your shoulders down from your ears. Relax them. Then look up.

Step 2: Breathe in and expand your belly area and say or think, “I am calm.”

Step 3: Breathe out and say or think, “Relax and release.”

Step 4: Do something playful that uses all of your senses. For example, smell the fresh air, sing, dance, feel the way the air is brushing against your skin, imagine a moment when you were at your most playful and relive the details of that time.

But, if you have been in intense pain for way too long, the techniques you’ll learn with Unstuck Living can help you find lasting relief in just 1-3 sessions 90% of the time. The process is called Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and it isn’t therapy. It is an easy and tested method that helps people move through old patterns and get unstuck. It’s about learning to use your mind more effectively, developing positive choices that will heal old emotional scars. This is achieved by reframing past hurts and pains in a way that puts you in charge of how you’ll respond. Everything you need to change your life is already within you. All you need are the right tools and a bit of guidance to tap into your wisdom and innate resources.