Strategies To Use When Having Panic Attacks

When you have insomnia, you can experience anxiety, panic attacks, and other scary symptoms when all you want to do is sleep. If you have insomnia, these symptoms are common, and you aren't alone. You can decrease the severity and frequency and maybe even eliminate them with a few strategies.

Panic attacks are common and can affect anyone. 1-in-4 people will experience a panic attack in their life, and I am one of them. I used to get them at work until I got fired for having them in stressful situations, and I got them at bedtime when I had insomnia. I am no stranger to them, and I know how scary they can be.

I remember how frustrating it was when people would tell me to just calm down or pull it together. Like it was that easy in the middle of a panic attack. I remember one girl telling me to put my big girl pants on and stop. I rarely get them anymore and have learned many techniques to manage them, and I want to share a couple with you.

 First off, I am not a fan of the word "Panic Attack." This can make the situation seem more severe. You are not having an attack, and nothing is attacking you. A panic attack is simply an over activation of your body's fight or flight system.

Your brain is confused and trying to keep you safe from something that isn't there. Unfortunately, it's scary to experience them, but you are safe, and nobody ever dies from a panic attack.

Usually, you may experience anxiety (intense worry). Then the symptoms of anxiety, such as a fast heartbeat, feel scary and triggers even more anxiety until it leads to a panic attack. One thing to understand is that the symptoms, sensations, and feelings you get from anxiety are a natural and safe response.

 Through our own fear of the sensations of having anxiety, our brain mistakenly learned to fear them, which creates even more anxiety. Anything that you have associated with anxiety can trigger a panic attack.

Managing panic attacks is counterintuitive, and what you think would work can often make things worse. Our instinct is to try and suppress a panic attack which only makes them stronger and lasts longer. What we resist persists.

 This not only goes for panic attacks but also for overcoming insomnia. The more we try to resist a panic attack or sleeplessness, the stronger it becomes. The intensity increases in attempting to fight the panic attacks, and they happen more frequently.

So now you are probably wondering how to manage them, and I have two strategies that you can try and experiment with.

#1: Don't try to fight or stop the panic attack. Instead, just accept that it is happening and that you cannot control it. Think of it as a wave. You can't stop the wave, but you can just ride it out until it passes. I am aware that accepting a panic attack can be challenging and scary, but you will get better at it with practice. The panic attacks won't decrease right away as it takes time to desensitize your nervous system.

 #2: Try to make your panic attack stronger and last longer. I know this strategy might sound a bit crazy, but research shows that it's effective. You may have heard me talk about trying to stay awake when it's time to go to sleep.

If you try to force yourself asleep, you become more awake. Or when you have a song stuck in your head, and you try not to think about it, it becomes more stuck in your head. When it comes to panic attacks, when you try to make them worse, you feel more relaxed. I know, weird!

Panic attacks are scary, but I need you to know that you are safe, and they are common. With a bit of understanding about why they happen and some strategies to manage them, they can decrease in severity and frequency. I hope these two simple techniques help you on your journey to overcoming insomnia.

If you struggle with insomnia, the best place to start is by downloading my Free 5-step guide to breaking the insomnia cycle. You can download it here https://www.katelingates.com/5simplesteps.