Overcoming Panic Attacks: Effective Strategies for Facing Anxiety and Taking Charge of Your Life by Shanley PsyD David

Author:Shanley PsyD, David [Shanley PsyD, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Rockridge Press
Published: 2020-06-18T16:00:00+00:00

Go Deeper: Keep a Thought Log

Familiarize yourself with the table here . You can re-create this table in a blank document on your computer and print it out or draw one by hand in your notebook or journal. This table will be your thought log. The next time you have a panic attack or worry that you are going to have a panic attack, record the thoughts you were having in the first column. See if you can figure out what the distortion was. Question whether the thought was true and if it was actually a problem. What might be a more realistic interpretation of the situation?

Here’s an example: You are having a panic attack on an airplane and you think, I feel trapped and I’m going to suffocate. The distortion is an example of catastrophizing—your mind is taking the sensation of feeling trapped and turning it into a bigger issue: I’m going to suffocate. In this case, it is true that you feel trapped; you are on an airplane and you cannot leave. The part that is untrue is that you are going to suffocate, because fresh air is being circulated throughout the plane. Is this scenario actually a problem? Everyone else is “trapped,” too, and they seem to be breathing just fine. If you commit to the experience of feeling trapped, do you think it may actually start to decrease at any point in the next 10 to 20 minutes? What if you start doing an activity, such as working on a puzzle, watching a movie, or listening to music? Now, is the feeling of being suffocated still present? Mark down how else you might interpret this situation and the reality of what is happening to you.

Here’s another example: You need to go the grocery store. The thought that you “always” have panic attacks in grocery stores pops up. This distortion is an example of overgeneralizing, perhaps based on a previous experience. So, is it true? Even if you have had a panic attack in a grocery store, you can’t be sure it will always happen. So you’d answer no. Is having a panic attack in the store actually a problem? The reality of the situation is that if you don’t go to the store, you won’t get what you need. With this more realistic interpretation of the situation, the idea of acceptance and approach comes in again: “I feel like I could panic and lose my mind if I go back to that store, and I don’t want to feel that, but I bet I could actually get through it and still get what I need.” Now it’s your turn. Keep a thought log for the next few weeks and observe how it is helping you maintain control over your panic.

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