The sound of ambulance and police vans’ siren outside hurt .She just looked out of the window and the caravan of many vehicles running at a high speed just down below on the road, triggered an instant panic in her mind .She felt her heart pounding like a hammer in her chest. Her head was getting lighter. She couldn’t stand and sat on the bed immediately to prevent her falling. She could hardly breathe and felt her breathes getting shorter and shorter. The acute pain in her legs shot through like needles .She felt she would faint .She was sweating profusely. She wanted to call her husband but couldn’t raise her voice as she felt her throat choked.
Such a situation can take place with anyone. You can get a surge of fear racing through your mind and panic attack triggers .This may last for five to ten minutes, but the panic and the bodily reaction, together can leave you mentally and physically paralyzed temporarily. You then want to avoid such situation at any cost in future as you don’t want to experience the same panic attack again.
A few steps as we enlist them below can help cope up with such a panic situation.
- Since you have experienced the trigger once you will be able to identify the initial symptoms. If ever such a situation arises again. You need to tell yourself that,” it is only my anxiety building up “, and tell yourself, “I don’t have to lose my control. I am fine “.
- During such a situation, talking to your own self and listening to your own voice can help .Speak to yourself in the affirmative. Acknowledge that it is only a thought and that the thought will pass away. Just say,” I am a positive person and I don’t have to think negative. I am good and I am a healthy person”.
Deep breathing exercises during this can help. Put your right hand on your heart and left hand spread just below the belly button on your stomach .Start inhaling deeply and exhaling as much longer. Just focus on your breathing and inhale deep and exhale deep for three to five minutes. Keep your mind focused on the rise and fall of chest and stomach by breathing exercises and soon your mind will move away from the panic and you will feel better.- Focus in the present and focus on your situation. Do not try to hide it. Do not try to wish it away. Acknowledge, it is happening to you and that you are fighting it out. The room is yours and the person is you only. Such a presence of mind can be brought about by identifying your favorite sitting spot, your television, your mobile, and your leftover coffee Cup in the room. Think of the aroma of coffee you just had. Or the good fragrance of your favorite flowers .Such feel of familiar environment will help tell you, “I am fine and all is good with me “.
- Such panic attack usually triggers in case you haven’t had food or you are thirsty or even when you haven’t had a normal sleep .Just run over your mind the questions, 1. Am I tired, 2. Am I hungry 3? Do I need to drink water 4.what’s making me restless .You will soon get the answer and then take necessary remedial steps.
Progressive Muscles Relaxation Exercise will help alleviate the bodily discomfort and muscle spasms. Begin from the toes of your feet , relax each muscle ,travel upward gradually ,relax calf muscles, the knee muscles, thigh muscles, hips and then focus on stomach ,chest shoulders ,neck ,forehead and head muscles. Spend 15 to 30 seconds on each muscle part and once you have finished, keep feeling relaxed all through the physique.
Do not give up on your daily quota of physical exercise. Manage your workout schedule regularly, be it yoga, spot jogging, walking all over the home or exercising with your partner, helping each other with calisthenics.- Living indoor for long may necessitate popping up a few vitamins to build up the immune system. Vitamin C, Vitamin D or B12, can be added to your daily dose after talking to your physician.
- Do remember to say your grace to the lord almighty for keeping us alive and healthy. Do pray for the sick and dying and ask God to stop the annihilation of the humans.
- Let’s together thank all our heroes e.g. the doctors, nurses, health workers and paramedics, the municipal staff cleaning and sanitizing colonies, roads and buildings for our safety.
Mrs Sharma sounded worried when she handed over the school bag of her daughter to bus attendant, “Please tell the driver not to drive too fast. He fetches small children, They can fall off their seats “. The bus attendant just nodded her head in affirmation. Not satisfied with just a nod, Mrs Sharma moved to the front of the bus .”Please drive slow and take care of our children” she had told the driver. The driver too nodded his head. Mrs Sharma waited for the bus to move. She kick started her scooter . She paused for a moment and then turned her scooter towards the direction in which the bus had been going. She followed the bus at a safe distance and eventually having seen the bus safely getting into the school gate, she turned back . Such melodrama has been going on with Mrs Sharma for over a month now.
Julie is only six years old .She studies in the neighborhood kindergarten school. She had been fine all this while and used to be very eager to go to school every morning .Last week suddenly out of the blue she complained of stomach ache and refused to go to school. Her mother had taken her to the pediatrician who found nothing wrong with the child . The child had been referred to the school counselor. A few sessions with the parents, the child and the class teacher revealed, the child has been always worried about her mother being alone at home and this worry always prevailed upon her mind.
Mrs Narwhal was so much worried of getting affected by the germs or carrying the germs back home that she would hang an extra set of clothes in her toilet in advance , which she wanted to wear the moment she would get back home from her trip outside. Every time she had come back to her house, she would first get into the bath to wash her clothes, bathe herself in order to cleanse herself of all the germs that she thought she might have brought with her from outside. She would feel completely relieved once having done this ritual .But it is obvious, such a ritual can be a great pain to other members of her family as the rule of changing into the fresh clothes after returning from outside and of washing the clothes that had been worn for going outside immediately on return from outside played havoc with the peace of the family . Any kind of advise to Mrs Narwhal to stop worrying created further problems as she would avoid such person who would advise her to not to worry .
Alka Mansik Pramarsh Foundation Clinical Psychologists-Family therapists Indore 0731-4263087,9179383554 