"Yet a time is coming
and has now come when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the
kind of worshipers the Father seeks." - John 4:23

My Heavenly Daddy is healing
me from the inside out.

Transparency is Real.
Many times painful.

Daddy let me be secure in You only!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

PANIC!


“Fear is a normal part of life-and of the healing process. The more you become familiar with it, the less distressing it will be. But in the beginning of the healing process, there may be times when you feel overwhelmed by fear.

Panic is fear that has spiraled out of control. You feel panic when you get scared by your own emotions and don’t have the skills to calm yourself down or when you’re trying like mad to suppress feelings or memories. Sometimes panic comes when the past intrudes into the present and it feels as if it’s happening now.

Although panic can seem to come out of the blue, there is always a trigger. Often it is a reminder of abuse that you aren’t consciously are of. Randi Taylor panicked whenever she stopped at a red light. The feeling of being boxed in and unable to move reminded her of the trapped feeling she had when she was molested.

When you are in a state of panic, you are usually not aware of these connections. You simply feel out of control. Your heart is racing; your breathing speeds p. You may break into a sweat, want to run, or feel as if your body is going to explode. Even your vision can change. You might far that you’re going crazy. And not understanding what’s happening only makes things worse.

Laura had her first major panic attack when she was twenty years old:

I was scared. I was scared about being scared, and the whole thing kept snowballing out of control. I was getting more and more terrified by the minute and I didn’t know how to find the release valve. Somehow I had the sense to call my best friend. I remember telling her on the phone, “I feel like either I’ll go insane, or kill myself.” She gave me a priceless and simple piece of advice. It got me through that attack of panic and many other tight situations in the years that followed. “Breathe, Laura,” she said. “Just breathe.”

If you start to feel overwhelmed and panicky, breathe. Sit with the feeling. Often women think they have to do something quickly to get away from the feelings of terror and alarm, but this frenzy to escape can escalate your fear rather than relieve it. Don’t rush into action. Instead, reassure yourself that this is just a feeling, powerful though it may be, and that feelings always change.” (The Courage to Heal)

19 comments:

  1. My son has had panic attacks for a few years now. Each time that he calls me to talk him through them, I simply do as your friend and remind him to breathe, to slow down his breath, in and out.

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  2. Her mom was in obvious panic, trembling hands, gruesome facial expression, and ready to come apart at the seems.

    The daughter rushed over to her Alzheimer mom, to see why this panic and dread was occurring.

    Mom was going to put her makeup on and grabbed her compact. But instead of looking into the mirror, she had opened the compact upside down, staring into the cosmetics, with deep ridges and little flesh colored disfigurations.

    She convinced herself that her face had disappeared! She could not "see" herself in the mirror, and what she DID see, scared her even worse...her face was a pile of cosmetic colored ridges.

    The daughter turned the compact right side up, and handed it to her mother to look in the mirror at the top. She did; and all fear subsided. Her face did NOT disappear.
    She was "her" once again; albeit stuck with Alzheimer's and prone to such fear every day out of the most ordinary of ordinary occurrences.

    Carry a compact with you.
    When fear strikes, open it up and look in the mirror part. That face you see is the face our Creator made, and is unique in all the faces ever made. That makes it precious to Him.

    Smile back in the mirror knowing just how precious you are. Perfect love drives out fear, and you are perfectly loved....by Him.

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  3. Thank you for this. You have no idea how much I need this right now!

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  4. oh, i have to get away when this happens. away, away, away. but i've learnt to not say or do anything when in this state. i know i don't think clearly...

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  5. Good one....thank you for this informative post...happy day sister:) God Bless!

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  6. Wow so much info in this one. So much to apply. So much to learn. Having to find the right means to help is so important. Thanks for the post.

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  7. I have had such panic attacks in the past and occasionally have them now. The deep breathing seems to help. Thanks for sharing, dear. *Hugs*

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  8. Dear JBR, thanks for your kind comment on my last post. I have found a post at this blog which I thought might be of interest to you:

    http://lifeinthesecondhalf.blogspot.com/

    It is a article about toxic parents. Have a great day. Paula

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  9. I have found my fear a tasty morsel ripe for eating and...well you know what happens after you eat.

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  10. stuck-in-the-middleOctober 22, 2009

    I needed to read this post this morning JBR! Thanks!

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  11. "Sitting with the feeling." That is the key. I'm so used to running or pushing aside the fear that does creep up in me at times. Great to know. God Bless.

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  12. .
    Great comments from all of you. Even though I do not suffer from panic attacks, I can become very fearful.

    Tomorrow will be 'just' another test for me, and one step closer to trusting God.

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  13. It's awful when I see inmates having panic attacks. They are feeling dread and even think that they are having heart attacks! I tell them to think of happy thoughts, relax, breathe in and out in a slower mode...And just showing them that you really listen and care, it works every time...Blessings.

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  14. Bless you for sharing this, my sister suffers with panic attacks.

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  15. I panic a lot. It's hard to remember to be level headed during those times. I'm glad you addressed this, encouragement always helps.

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  16. The good thing is it can all go away. I was really afflicted with panic attacks and became agoraphobic. I don't get them anymore and I'm not agoraphobic!

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  17. The whole time I was reading this I was nodding my head. "yep, yep, yep... thats me"
    Thanks for posting. The "Just Breathe" part was something I needed to hear today.

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  18. Just dropped by to say I am thinking about you and praying for you, today. As always you have a great post that is helping so MANY people.

    Blessings, andrea

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  19. Exactly! You are spot on with this!

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