I may have found something that helps.
Posted , 3 users are following.
TLDR: smiling/laughing seems to halt panic in it's tracks.
Forgive the length but I truly think this can be of help. I am not a medical professional but have dealt with panic disorder/agoraphobia for roughly 6 years. I have had a panic attack in nearly every situation imaginable. I know what it is like to feel the absolutely horrific fear, the embarrassment that follows, and the despair/hopelessness that only serves to keep the cycle going. I have had those manic talks with myself regarding every symptom that rears its ugly head in a desperate attempt to fend off my next feeling of impending doom with logic and reason. I have thought I was cured only to be sucked back down a few weeks later (cue more hopelessness). Any situation you have been in I guarantee you that I have been there as well. Then, one day, as I felt my fear building in preparation for my standard "Oh no. I'm all alone. What if something bad happens?" panic attack, I did something unusual, I started smiling. I can't even recall why I did it. Maybe I was finally getting ready to snap into mania after all the suffering I had been through. But for whatever reason I had the biggest teeth smile I could possibly have. My psyche was astonished. It screamed at me and told me to wipe that grin off my face and address my "imminent demise." But I didn't. I just kept forcing a smile. The most natural expression of happiness was taking place in the midst of horror few people experience. My mind didn't know what to do. The smile clashed with the fear in a way I've never felt. My mind "knew" doom was at my doorstep but the smile just wasn't adding up. Eventually, my body began to listen to my actions rather than my thoughts. The smile was winning. My fear began to subside and that only bolstered the power of my smile. After 6-8 minutes I realized I was no longer in panic mode. I had won. I had won through the most counter-intuitive thing I could have done. By the time it was over I was in a fit of laughter, fearing nothing. Of course, the panic came back a few hours later. I began to tentatively smile and it worked again. I had never been so relieved. Eventually the anxiety stopped all together because I realized that a full blown panic attack wasn't able to manifest so long as I was smiling/laughing and if you know it can't occur then you have no reason to fear it. I encourage you to try it if you have suffered as I have. Just hold the smile and laugh if you can. Even when you are tempted to stop because your mind tells you it isn't working and to start doing something else, just hold it. I know we are all different but this has truly been my ace in the hole. Knowing that I helped even one person escape the nightmare of panic disorder/agoraphobia would mean the world to me. Thank you for reading.
1 like, 2 replies
jan34534 ashton70403
Edited
thats great! and it does actually make a lot of sense. So instead of fearing a panic attack which would intensify it, you did the opposite.
You fight fire with fire and it worked! You surprised your own panic with a stronger positive force! Your panic was not ready for that.
I hope everybody who reads your story will try this. But you are right, you have to push through the negative thoughts that tell you to give up.
I have been doing something similar when fighting my anxiety and negative thoughts. It got to the point where I was just sick and tired of feeling this way. So whenever my mind would start to go negative and scary thoughts, and those horrible feelings of doom and gloom, I would just say "I DONT CARE!!" in a firm strong voice either out loud If I am alone or in my mind if I am in public. And it works. I happen to pick those words but other people might find different words to say more helpful. In other words, we need to be defiant against this whether it’s through smiling and laughter or other ways. But you’ve got a great idea! Thanks for sharing that ❤
ashton70403 jan34534
Edited
It was as much of a surprise to me as it was to my panic 😄 You are spot on. We definitely have to defy it. If I ever find myself in that spot again I'll try to combine the two. Smiling + the strong verbal defiance. DOUBLE DEFIANCE! Thanks for reading and thanks so much for your ideas!