04/04/2024
How to stop a Panic Attack!
For those of you who have had a panic attack, you will know how terrifying it can be, from heart racing, chest pains, clammy hands, even your legs buckling it can be very frightening. The key thing with regular panic attacks is to know the signs of when it’s coming and take steps to get out of it before it takes hold.
Sometimes, due to circumstances we don’t always get that opportunity.
So, what can we do, my friends, let me introduce you to the FLOP!
This wonderful piece of advice was given to me by a pilot of all people, it was a technique used on people who had panic attacks on flights. It’s a simple mind trick.
Sit down and slump, flop like a rag doll, let your arms hang loosely and flop your head forward, the more you embrace this flop the better, feel the weight in your head, hands, and legs. Breathe in for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 6. (The breathing may take a while to slow but don’t worry the main thing is the FLOP.) Stay like this for 10 mins.
You will be surprised how fast this works, but where does it come from? You may have heard of the fight, flight, freeze response, this is another addition it's submission.
Have you ever seen dogs playing and one goes on their back, submitting, I’m not fighting! It’s a similar thing that we are doing. The reason it works is because of a chemical message to the brain, we are not fighting running away or freezing. This message tells our bodies to cut off the adrenaline supply now and that danger has passed. Hence why it takes 10 mins of the flop. We are tricking our bodies that we don’t need that adrenaline.
I have found this very helpful and hope that it may help another.
