PANIC ATTACK!!!!

Have you had one? Many several?

I had never experienced one until shortly after my late husband died. Very quickly, I had two. Not really surprising but it was still hard, scary, and tiring.

I help clients with Anxiety and panic frequently. And i was blessed to be panic attack free for the next 10 years. Not a one, until…the other day.

BAM!!!!

Overly stressed, tired, concerned…

BAM!!!!

Dear Lord they are tough! And I needed to ask myself, why did this occur? What do I need? Where is my attention to be? And why did this rise up so huge?

The challenge with panic attacks is we start to fear having another attack, or that our heart will race, or we will feel flushed, and then we fear the anxiety itself. And this allows us to not utilize the situation as best as we can. It’s hard to not get fixated there. It’s hard to not feel lostand overwhelmed and panicked. But the anxiety didn’t come for solely that reason. It came to show you something that your body/mind needs.

Mine was that I needed more space, room to process and to ask for more support. It’s important to give the anxiety the opportunity to rear it’s loud ugly scary cry to recognize first, it’s presence and then, to ask questions about why is it here? What is happening now? What is it that you can and can not do in this moment? What is actually reality and what is fear for the future? Where do you need to soothe, gather support, or simply release.

I’d love to say that I never have a moment like this, you know what? Actually no, it was helpful that it happened, because it showed me a lot. Letting your anxiety guide you to what you need is really important. The fear isn’t the purpose. But boy does it grab your attention!

What is the anxiety trying to help you see? What needs support and compassion?

SO…

Have you had one? A few? Many?

What did that moment show you? Let me know if this is something you might want to explore together in a session. There’s so much to learn here! And I am fresh in that experience!

Heather Browne PsyD, LMFT

Dr. Heather Browne PsyD, LMFT helps people recognize the power of communication.  It is one of our most important skills that we have, and yet we don’t consider our understanding, approach, belief, and therefore, miss our possibilities.  Living with a paranoid schizophrenic mother gave Dr. Heather a unique and powerful awareness that no one has the same reality, though we believe we do.  Utilizing this revolutionary awareness has allowed her to transform communication within self and within all other types of relationship.  This is the hidden key to acceptance.  And this is her mission to share.

As a relationship expert, Dr. Heather Browne has worked with thousands of individuals and couples in psychotherapy.  She is a TedX Speaker and Keynote Speaker.  Her couple’s communication book, Speaking with the Heart: Transforming Your Relationship and Communication with Compassion and Connection, which offers readers a practical way to understand what it takes to truly communicate on a deeper level, not just with their partner, but within themselves, is now available in both paperback and Kindle.

. She is published in hundreds of journals, has an active YouTube channel, has been featured on ABC-7 news, was the relationship expert on KDOC Daybreak OC, and is published in Inc., Toronto Sun, Thriving Family Magazine,  Light + Life, BRAINZ, Scary Mommy, and Psychology Today.  She is a regular guest blogger for both Links for Shrinks and for Marriage Friendly Therapists. She offers a weekly newsletter packed with tips and techniques to improve relationships and has monthly workshops! Simply go to her website!
https://www.drheatherbrowne.com/