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Questions & Answers:
Dissociation is triggering the panic
attacks
Q: I am someone who suffers from
panic disorder and generalized anxiety. Your theories on
dissociation and how these detached/spacey feelings trigger panic
attacks really struck a chord with me. Dissociation is one of my
biggest symptoms. I am currently taking a drug called Clonopin to
control my panic attacks. In general I am more relaxed, however, it
does nothing to help the dissociation. In fact, I would say the drug
makes me feel more spacey/bewildered and detached. Now that I
realize this is a major panic trigger, is there anything I can do or
tell myself while in this state to halt my panic attacks?
A: We have found over the years, dissociation is playing a
major role in spontaneous panic attacks. Those of us who do
dissociate have had this ability since we were children, although
many of us have forgotten we did it as children. It seems some of us
'grow' out of it but when as adults we experience major stress
and/or are not eating or sleeping properly, this ability is
activated once again.
The major way we do this during the day is by staring. Either out
of a window, at the wall, TV, computer, book etc. Staring can induce
a trance state and most of the dissociative 'symptoms' show the
trance states we can reach are quite deep. Fluorescent lighting also
appears to be a cause for the trance states. The research on
nocturnal panic attacks shows they happen on the change of
consciousness from dreaming sleep to deep sleep or deep sleep back
to dreaming. The same way as we can change consciousness during the
day when we induce the trance states.
The essence of all of this is to be (a) aware of how we can
induce these states during our normal daily activity and why they
happen at night, and (b) lose our fear of them so we don't panic.
I dissociate quite a bit, but now I don't panic. I am simply
aware of how easily I can do it. If I begin to get the sensations of
dissociation, depending on what I am doing, I'll either break my
stare/concentration or let it happen! Needless to say I don't let it
happen while driving, I simply break my stare. Sometimes I will say
to myself, 'Not a good time to do this' or words to that effect.
We teach people why there is nothing to be frightened of by this
ability and that they are not going insane. After all, we as
individuals are proof we don't go insane. If that was going to
happen it would have happened to us a along time ago!
We also teach people to become aware on a moment to moment basis
if they need to, of how it happens and how it can happen so easily.
When people can see this, we teach them to work with their thinking
and not buy into the panic/anxiety thoughts, 'What's happening to
me'...'I'm going insane' etc. We all put ourselves under more stress
by the way we think about our symptoms. This only makes us more
vulnerable to it happening. The harder we resist it, the worse it
becomes.
We teach people to break their stare by blinking, moving their
head, their gaze etc, let go of their thoughts and to get on with
what ever they are doing. If they are still anxious or feel as if
they may panic, we teach them to let it all happen and not buy into
it with their thinking. With practice people can get the
dissociation and the attacks down to about thirty seconds with no
residual anxiety or fear.
Meditation is also a great way to desensitize ourselves to the
various trance states plus a great way to practice non resistance
and working with thoughts.
Have you spoken to your doctor about your medication? The increase
in symptoms may be a side effect.
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