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Wednesday, October 31, 2007 edit
Panic attacks, Adrenalin rushes. What they are and what they do to us.

Ancient man lived in savage times, times when wild animals would suddenly jump on him looking for their next meal. Man looked on them as his next meal. Man needed to either run away, very fast, or stand his ground and fight, sometimes to the death. He needed suddend surges of instant energy and strength to enable him to do this. This is called " Fight or Flight " he needed energy & strength for both. Time passes and this is not often needed, we have trolley rage now!!! We don't need that fight or flight mechanism on a daily basis. It's not often we have to lift a car with some one else lying underneath the wheels, using that strength that 'came from somewhere' It actually comes from your adrenalin glands, they still function as they did in early man.

Panic attacks can be brought on as a real thing, by the adrenal glands. Your sub consciecne is at work. There is often a fear, so deeply burried, a horror not re-looked at and at some point, it's going to hit you one way or another.

Adrenalin is made so fast and then pumped to the nescessary muscles for 'fight or flight' you will notice how neck, arms, heart, chest pain, legs can be stiff during a panic attack, shaking also, heart is pumping to try to get that adrenalin to all the important parts. It stops pumping so much blood to the stomache, it doesn't need adrenalin at this moment in time. (hence butterfies in the tummy)

So, adrenalin is a useful tool, you see sportsmen use it a lot. We may go into this deeper another day.

So, what starts this process? sometimes general anxiety You may not notice that your breaths are getting more and more shallow, or you are gulping air. You may not be aware of what is running through that brain of yours, but something is.

Surface anxiety, a sudden scare, can produce a panic sympton too. Ok you say, so what can I do about this, my thoughts are sub conscious, I don't know what is causing mine?. Something is, you need to find out what that is.

In the mean time, you can do lots to help yourself, I can't stress enough just how important correct breathing is. It is a good idea to practise correct breathing when you are not in a state of panic, as you are too busy with the panic to try to learn something. Have you seen when people breathe into paper bags? that is because their breathing has produced oxygen, far too much, and to lower that you need more carbon dioxide, hence breathing back some some cabon dioxide. This is a good way to decrease oxygen levels that affect your brain and bring on strange feelings.

Today I will tell you how to breathe properly, practise it a lot because when panic strikes you will need to force your self to breathe correctly.

Best way is to sit upright on a chair, some people prefer to lay down, I prefer the more normal sitting comfortably way. Place a hand on your tummy, under the rib cage and feel if it rises and falls with your breathing, this is necessary and our aim. It is the natural way of breathing, that rise and fall, of your tummy. Notice how cats and dogs, when asleep are such naturals. When you breathe this way, your brain is relaxed and doesn't need to scream to adrenal glands that something terrible is iminent, as brain is happy. Adrenal glands are resting and you are not in a panic.

I will carry on, in my detail and with extra tips tomorrow and will, if I can speak to anyone individually if you need to.

If you sit and beathe, bring up your shoulders with you inbreath 2 3 4. breathe in through your nose.

Then breathe out and drop your shoulders 2 3 4 and out through the mouth. (It is not a holding your breath competition)!!! Gently and relaxed, practise, practise, practise until you get sick of it, as this is the thing you have to be able to do automatically, when panic start to get you. By breathing you WILL control it.

I hope this first part is a little help and some comfort. I can't do a whole page of it. It needs to be learned, but at my pace, I hope you don't mind. I hope to write some more tomorrow. Tell any friends to take a look at this if they need to also.

my love and kindest wishes to you......Carol