Coping with racing thoughts

Agitated depression

Agitated depression is an outdated term which refers to a severe subtype of depression. It’s characterized by feeling agitated instead of lethargic, the symptom that’s commonly associated with most types of depression. You may also feel restless, angry, and quick to react. Racing thoughts is more likely to affect those with agitated depression than other types of depression.

Medication side effect

Sometimes, medications may treat some symptoms of a condition but exacerbate or even cause others. Medications used to treat depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder can sometimes cause agitated depression, which can then trigger racing thoughts.

If you start a new medication and start experiencing racing thoughts, call your doctor so you can try a new medication or adjust the dosage as soon as possible.

Learn more about depression medications and their side effects »

You should call your doctor or make an appointment with your therapist if you’re having racing thoughts on a regular basis and they’ve become disruptive or are preventing you from sleeping. You should make an appointment with a therapist as soon as possible to be evaluated for a mood or mental health disorder if you experience racing thoughts alongside any of the following:

• symptoms of depression
• strong irritability
• strong compulsions
• anxiety or panic attacks
• severe shifts in mood

Read more: 11 ways to stop a panic attack »

Only once you’re diagnosed can treatment start. Just like other types of health conditions, mental health conditions are more easily treated when caught early.

Bad thoughts: how to stop them

Anxiety is an adaptive mechanism. It allows us to adapt to different life circumstances.

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anxiety

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The feeling of anxiety is an adaptive mechanism. It allows us to adapt to different life circumstances. Psychologist Elena Uspenskaya believes that when anxiety causes insomnia and uncontrollable fear, it must be dealt with. nine0003

Usually such bad thoughts arise as a reaction to a specific event, during a public speech or communication with strangers. For example, you have an important presentation scheduled. Naturally, you start to worry, thoughts are spinning in your head: “My voice will tremble”, “I will mix up the paragraphs”, “My report will seem stupid and uninteresting to them, but I look ridiculous.” And, as if by magic, your hands really begin to tremble and your voice disappears.

You get confused in words and become silent. Presentation on the verge of failure.

Situational thoughts are temporary and prevent us from solving a specific problem. Therefore, it is easier to deal with them than with other types of disturbing thoughts.

Detach from emotions

In a difficult situation, a process called “dissociation” is launched in the psyche. It works quite often, but at the same time remains unconscious.

The principle of action is very simple: when you find yourself in a stressful situation (deadline, conflict), panic is suddenly replaced by calmness. You feel how you move away from what is happening and as if you are looking at everything from the side. An unexpected lull allows you to make the only right decision. nine0003

We may well activate this effective defense mechanism consciously. To do this, it is enough during a speech to shift attention from your own experiences to the behavior and appearance of colleagues or other speakers. Having thus freed yourself from interfering emotions, you begin to think clearly, soberly and constructively. The dissociation technique is indispensable in resolving complex conflict situations, when it is important to keep a "cold head".

View from a different angle

There is a technique in Neuro Linguistic Programming that allows you to find a new vision of a problem by changing its context and, accordingly, its perception. It is called "reframing", which is translated from English as "insert into a new frame. "

For example, you are late for work, and you have a very strict manager who meets all subordinates at the elevator, defiantly looking at his watch. You are afraid of the prospect of starting the morning with a severe reprimand. To get rid of fear, imagine a photograph of the boss with the most severe expression on his face. Now put it in a white frame. Describe how you feel about the situation depicted? And what if you make the frame orange and put running lights around the edges? Mentally go through several options and feel how your feelings change. Most likely, the portrait of a strict leader will seem funny to you in a frame with pink hearts, rhinestones and feathers. The exercise will help to change the direction of disturbing thoughts and finally put a broken record on "pause". nine0003

Remember why you are here

Much of the bad thinking comes from worrying about how others will judge you. Even at a doctor’s appointment, you think what impression you make on him, whether he will condemn you. And so you lie to present yourself in a more advantageous light. However, it is very important for a doctor to get reliable information from you, otherwise he will not be able to make a correct diagnosis. Maybe that's why, tired of the lies of his patients, Dr. House from the popular series resorts to non-standard methods of searching for the truth (breaks into the patient's apartment, persuades him to undergo diagnostics dangerous to health). nine0003

Trust me, your doctor won't judge you for not eating right or smoking too much. He just wants the facts. Ask yourself why you are in this place. Correct Answer: To heal. As soon as you remember the main purpose of the visit, alarm will recede.

Thinking in images

Uncontrollable anxiety can be stopped with the help of imagination. Close your eyes and imagine that you are taking a broom and sweeping all doubts out of your head. Or you write a list of painful thoughts on the board and wipe it off with a rag. Another good trick is to “fill” the head with a viscous liquid like oil, in which thoughts sink without rising. You can imagine that anxiety is autumn leaves: here they are floating on the water, here they are being whirled by the wind. Do not delay any, do not try to answer the questions that arise, do not show emotions - just contemplate. Evil thoughts will float by. nine0003

Obsessive fantasies

Recently, there was a joke on the Internet: “What do your parents think when your phone is turned off? You are dying - 49%, you have already died - 49%, your battery has run out - 2%.

A clear example that if people lack information, they present the most tragic scenario. Most often, such thoughts are based on internal fears, fears, anxieties.

Unlike situational fantasies, obsessive fantasies have a more intense negative charge and no longer affect a specific situation, but an entire area of ​​life: for example, relationships with relatives and friends. This type of bad thought is much more difficult to deal with, but still possible. nine0003

Here and now

A characteristic feature of fantasies is that they have nothing to do with real facts. We seem to find ourselves in a strange, fictional world. For example, you are worried that you will forget to bring the necessary certificate for obtaining a visa, you will lose your passport... You immediately imagine that you will have to reissue documents, you will not have time to get permission to enter the country, you will not be able to have a good vacation, after two weeks you will go to work tired and dissatisfied. Imagination obligingly offers you pictures, one more terrible than the other. nine0003

To get back to reality, do an exercise that will help you feel your body and become aware of the here and now situation. Say: “I am sitting in a comfortable home armchair, the room is warm, I am dressed in comfortable clothes. All the documents for the visa are in that blue folder, I checked them several times. I am planning a vacation in Europe. This is reality. Everything else is fantasy, there is no reason for alarm.”

Find the truth

The biggest mistake you can make is to ignore negative thoughts. After all, they are only signals of deeper psychological processes. They should be treated the way they treat symptoms, for example, of a cold: describe, investigate, understand the cause of the occurrence. A bad thought is like the tip of an iceberg. And in the depths, under water, fear can be hidden, a hidden desire for something. nine0003

Find the meaning of the most frequently disturbing symptoms. Think about the message they contain. If you start to worry every time you can't get through to your loved one, ask yourself a few questions. Is everything good in our relationship? Do I feel happy? Are you confident in your partner? For example, behind the fear of losing a loved one, you may be hiding your insecurity, the feeling that there are girls that are better, sexier than you.

Or perhaps your anxiety arises from hidden conflicts in a couple that remain unresolved for a long time. Hence, there is a desire to control a partner, there is anxiety every time he does not answer the call. Instead of driving yourself into a corner with terrible thoughts, talk to your loved one, confess your feelings to him. nine0003

Get distracted

In situations that provoke anxious thoughts, use a technique that allows you not to think about the bad. For example, mom is going on a trip, and you are worried that she might be deceived, robbed. After all, she is so simple and naive! To switch your attention, do a simple exercise: copy a sentence from the first book that comes across with your left hand (if you are left-handed, with your right hand), while pronouncing each word aloud.

If you have successfully completed the task, proceed to the next phrase. Write like this for 10-15 minutes, and then stop and check if the thought that tormented you has disappeared. The brain, busy with the performance of an unusual (and therefore difficult) task, cannot produce any thoughts at all. Over time, exercises will not be needed - you will learn to switch automatically. nine0003

Total negativity

This is a group of disturbing thoughts that most intensively affect our lives. First of all, personal. They capture completely and for a long time, generalizing a negative idea of ​​themselves and the world around them.

Thoughts like “I am a failure”, “I will always be alone”, “Life is hard and joyless” can be a signal that you are depressed. If this is the case, we recommend that you contact a psychologist who will help you regain a taste for life. The techniques we have proposed, most likely, will not solve the problem, but will help to realize that it exists. nine0003

Refute

Admit it, there are few things in the world that cannot be questioned. Once people were convinced that the Earth is flat and rests on three turtles. Most likely, your ideas about yourself can be refuted.

Write down the tormenting thoughts-generalizations on a piece of paper, try to find counterarguments for them. This will help you reconsider your position and go beyond prejudice. For example, if you consider yourself unlucky, formulate the questions: “What is luck? What are its criteria? Even if you can’t find a suitable job for a long time, is it reasonable to get depressed and think that you will never be offered an interesting job? The total belief "I'm a loser" can turn into "Yes, I'm really unlucky right now." And from here a new wording will appear: “There are areas in which I am successful.” nine0003

By answering these questions, you will create new judgments about yourself that will no longer be so categorical.

Explore the source of negativity

In most cases, erroneous ideas about yourself are laid in childhood. Once upon a time, they helped to find a common language with parents. For example, my mother said: “You are bad, I don’t love you.” And you tried to earn love by behaving well.

So used to this strategy of behavior that, as an adult, you continue to adhere to it. However, it limits, because each person, depending on the circumstances, can choose different roles. You only show one side of your character. And when people around her don’t accept it, you immediately conclude: “I’m not good enough, I’m bad.” nine0003

Try to understand what your false self-image is based on. As soon as you realize at what moment it arose for the first time, many perspectives immediately open before you. You are a versatile person and have the right to show others your “real self”, and not just a fictional “ideal” person that is convenient for others.

Get rid of hidden benefits

Sometimes we can't get rid of negative attitudes because they give certain bonuses. Paradoxically, a person who believes that he is fat or stupid gets the opportunity to feel sorry for himself, blackmail loved ones, causing them a sense of guilt (you are fine!) in order to get more attention. It’s hard to admit it, but such a position allows you to do nothing, go with the flow and remain unhappy. nine0003

For example, you are sure that a young man will not like you until you lose weight. You go on a diet, but periodically you “break down”, get upset because of failure and “seize” stress. This is because you intuitively strive to remain the same. Yes, you will be alone. But I'm already used to it. And if a man does appear and you don’t have a relationship (for reasons that have nothing to do with waist size), it will be much more painful.

In this way, the subconscious mind seeks to protect you from more stress. There is only one way out - to find the strength in yourself to admit the reason why you do not want to change. Only then will you be able to start a more complex, but conscious and interesting life. nine0003

Photos East News (1)

symptoms, signs, causes and how to get rid of them One of the questions I work with is how to deal with panic attacks.

I want to help those who have experienced this condition. I will tell you how to relieve symptoms and make sure that panic attacks do not return as long as possible. At the same time, I will give recommendations on how to behave if a loved one has an attack. nine0003

An important point

The examples described in the article are fictitious. The real stories of my former patients are published with their consent. Do not self-medicate: only the attending physician can make an accurate diagnosis and select help. Take care of yourself and take care of your mental health.

What are panic attacks

From 4 to 25% of the world's population suffer from anxiety disorders. This data is for the beginning of 2020. Over the past year, people began to contact me more often with complaints of uncontrollable fear and panic. In many cases, this is due to the situation around the coronavirus. Many sick people with COVID-19There are complications in the form of panic attacks.

Systematic review of surveys of the prevalence of anxiety disorders in the adult population - article by Olivia Remens

Covid and panic attacks: panic attacks as a complication of covid - article by the Korsakov Medical Center

Official statistics on how the number of people with panic thoughts increased after the announcement coronavirus pandemic, no. But my colleagues and I already see this relationship in our practice.

Before we know how to deal with a panic attack, we need to figure out what we are going to deal with. A panic attack is a state of intense fear that is accompanied by unpleasant physiological manifestations, such as nausea and dizziness.

This is a psychological disorder, it does not directly relate to diseases of the body. But when emotions overwhelm us, we cannot resolve a life conflict, then a failure occurs - and emotions begin to manifest through our body, the autonomic nervous system. nine0003

For example, a person has problems at work: bosses press, there is no time to rest, sleep is disturbed. There is no one to cry, everything grows like a snowball. As a result, an attack of a strong heartbeat and shortness of breath occurs.

Another was greatly frightened by doctors in childhood. Now, with a certain medical manipulation, panic arises: it darkens sharply in the eyes and nausea rolls over.

Someone has recently lost a loved one and is also experiencing panic attacks. They are manifested by the fear of death, a semi-conscious state, and agoraphobia has also developed - the fear of open spaces. nine0003

I want to say right away: panic attacks are not life threatening, you will not die or go crazy. It is simply a very strong reaction to stress, strong emotions and anxiety associated with internal or external events.

One of the main signs that a panic attack has happened to you is that it seems that something bad is about to happen to you. You will feel sick, you will faint, your heart will stop and so on. This feeling usually occurs during a panic attack. A person tries to interpret it logically and connects it with some physical problems, considers it a sign of illness. nine0003

/psy-stories/

“I realized that there are no unsolvable problems”: 7 stories about how psychotherapy changed lives

I don’t know of such cases when during a panic attack a person actually vomited or fainted . These are always very unpleasant sensations - dizziness, nausea or obvious nausea, palpitations - but what you are afraid of does not happen.

This is a reaction of the body, in which there is no damage to the internal organs. If a person really vomited, then this indicates that there is some kind of illness, you need to check the stomach. The psychotherapist makes the final diagnosis, for this he collects an anamnesis: he talks with the patient, finds out how the attack goes. nine0003

Why panic attacks occur

Panic disorder, or episodic paroxysmal anxiety, is classified as a disease in the International Classification of Diseases - F41.0 ICD-10 and 6B01 ICD-11. In the new edition of the ICD, which is recommended for use in Russia from January 1, 2022, a separate symptomatic code is allocated for a panic attack - MB23.H.

International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision

For a person who has a panic attack, his intrapersonal conflict is very important, otherwise the attack would not have happened. This means that some situation is internally difficult for him. He cannot resolve it on his own, so the psyche tries to isolate him from this situation with the help of a symptom. nine0003

This condition can manifest itself in neurosis and in somatic diseases. Competent treatment can be selected only by establishing the cause.

Neurosis is psychological difficulties, what relates to psychiatry and personality problems, the internal organization of a person. Under neurosis there is never a physiological background, as is the case with ordinary somatic diseases.

A somatic disease always refers to some kind of damage to an organ or organ system. It is as if a serious breakdown of the mechanism has occurred in the engine of a car, which can be diagnosed and corrected. For example, a piston has gone. So it is with a person: it is a breakdown at the level of physiology, tissues. This is a problem that can be identified on an MRI, confirmed by tests, and operated on. For example, a brain tumor, coronary heart disease, or hyperthyroidism. nine0003

When there are health problems, it is enough to cure them, and the symptom - a panic attack - will pass. If the cause of panic is neurosis, this condition also needs to be treated. There are several reasons for this.

Neurosis tends to expand symptoms. If you do not take care of your condition in time, other symptoms may join the neurosis. For example, obsessive thoughts, discomfort in the body and depression.

/trevoga/

How I Treated Generalized Anxiety Disorder under CHI

Panic attacks reduce the quality of life and prevent you from developing. Neurosis is built on internal contradictions and on an inadequate request to the world or to oneself. You need to figure this out, otherwise the symptom will not recede. Pills, a trip to the sea or walks in the forest will only help for a while, but then the condition will worsen.

Panic attacks strain the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems. Recurring panic attacks for a long time do not cause disturbances in the work of internal organs. But they deplete the body. Sooner or later, this can lead to illness. nine0003

Reactivation of dormant tumor cells with modified lipids derived from stress-activated neutrophils - Science article

How panic attacks can manifest

Panic attacks manifest themselves in different ways. Shortness of breath, palpitations, faintness and nausea are just some of the symptoms.

Panic disorder - NHS article

Anxiety, fear and panic - NHS article

The manifestations of a panic attack may occur individually or together. Seizures last from a few minutes to half an hour. The main thing is to remember that no matter how strong they are, you will not faint, you will not go crazy and you will not die.

Track the situations in which you have a panic attack, how it manifests itself. Usually, the symptoms go away with panic attacks. It is better to deal with these manifestations than to get used to living with them.

Manifestations of panic attacks: what to be prepared for

Symptom	How it manifests itself
Feeling of suffocation	It seems to a person that there is not enough air and he can suffocate
Feeling of unreality of what is happening	It seems to a person that he looks at the world as if through a haze
High blood pressure	Panic builds up - pressure rises, panic subsides - pressure returns to normal
Gaze defocus	Difficult to keep eyes on one object
Fear of death and fear of going crazy	It seems to a person that he is losing control over himself and his body, can harm himself or loved ones
Permanent alarm	Any, even the most insignificant event, can lead to disturbing thoughts
Sleep disorder	A person falls asleep badly, sleeps little, wakes up abruptly. No feeling that I slept well
Fear of swallowing food	There is a feeling that during swallowing air disappears and you can suffocate
Agoraphobia	A person is afraid to leave the house, he is afraid to go to the store, to meet friends
Trembling	Shaking with fine or coarse shaking
Chest pain
Chills or fever	Some people get chills or have a fever
Numbness or tingling	Numb limbs

Symptom

How it manifests itself

Feeling of suffocation

It seems to a person that there is not enough air and he can suffocate

0003

It seems to a person that he is looking at the world as if through a haze

High blood pressure

Panic builds up - pressure rises, panic subsides - pressure returns to normal

Defocusing of gaze

that he loses control over himself and his body, can harm himself or loved ones

Constant anxiety

Any, even the most insignificant event, can lead to disturbing thoughts

Sleep disturbance

A person falls asleep badly, sleeps little, wakes up abruptly. No feeling that you had enough sleep

Fear of swallowing food

There is a feeling that during swallowing air disappears and you can suffocate

Agoraphobia

A person is afraid to leave the house, he is afraid to go to the store, to meet friends

Trembling

big shivers

Chest pain

Chest pain and feeling like a heart attack

Chills or fever

Some people feel chills or have a fever

Numbness or tingling

What to do in case of a panic attack

There are many ways to deal with panic attacks on your own. But I must warn you: in this way you will only remove the symptom, and the neurosis or disease that provoked the attack will not go anywhere. You will not feel relief, there will be internal tension and pain. nine0003

Here are some techniques to help you deal with panic.

Call an ambulance. If you have not yet been diagnosed with panic attacks, it makes sense to call an ambulance in case of a severe attack. So you exclude a somatic disease. For example, a heart attack, an allergy attack or bronchial asthma have similar symptoms. Better to be safe.

I had cases when the ambulance team after the ECG said that everything was fine with health and assumed that it was panic attacks. After the visit of doctors, the person turned to a psychotherapist. nine0003

Don't fight the attack, embrace it. Instead of resisting, accept what is happening, then the attack will end faster. This will not work right away: repeat to yourself that everything will be fine and your body is just trying to protect you from imaginary danger.

Breathe. Inhale for four seconds, then hold your breath for seven seconds, exhale for eight seconds. Repeat one or two times. A simple breathing practice will help the autonomic nervous system switch from a sympathetic, sensitive state to a parasympathetic, calm state. nine0003

Correlation and differences between brain and body vibrations - article in Neuroscience Letters

The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the tone, for escaping from danger. In ancient times, it turned on when a predator approached a person. It is the activating part of the nervous system.

The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for calming and relaxing. It slows down the pulse, normalizes breathing and makes it more even. The parasympathetic nervous system turns on the cerebral cortex, which helps us realize that we are in a safe place and nothing terrible is happening. nine0003

Method 5-4-3-2-1. This is one of the "grounding techniques" variations. It works like this: look around and mark five items. Select four sounds. Touch three things. Catch two smells and then one taste.

For example, you are standing on the street. Select five items: house, stairs, railing, curb, hatch. Note four sounds: a car drove by, a door slammed, a dove flew up, someone coughed. Touch three things: a button on a coat, a wall of a house, a lamppost. Catch two smells: the cafe smells of fresh croissants and coffee. Feel the taste: put chewing gum in your mouth. nine0003

The method works by bringing the person back to reality. During PA, consciousness is narrow, tunnel-like. A person focuses on feelings, listens to the body and anxiety, and this accelerates him even more. When he starts to switch to reality - pays attention to smells or touches something - he returns to the here and now. The tone of the sympathetic nervous system begins to decrease, the parasympathetic nervous system turns on, the person calms down.

In a panic attack, we are fixated on frightening thoughts in our heads. The 5-4-3-2-1 method helps to switch from disturbing thoughts and start thinking about something else: about smell, objects, and so on. nine0003

Consciously intensify the panic attack. Don't tell yourself to "relax" or "calm down", on the contrary, create panic. The opposite method works well, but it should not be used by a person who has experienced a panic attack for the first time. It is suitable for experienced people who know that PAs are not dangerous, they don’t die and go crazy with them, that this is just a reaction of the nervous system to an internal conflict.

The method of consciously intensifying a panic attack will help to cope with an attack more quickly. When we stop resisting, the attack passes faster. Resistance can increase anxiety. nine0003

There is also a popular “breathe into the bag” technique. Do not abuse it, and if you resort to it, control your condition. If you feel that it is becoming stuffy or your head hurts, then the carbon dioxide rate has been exceeded, take a break.

/list/meditation-apps/

Deep Inhale and Long Exhale: 5 Meditation Apps

The best defense is offense. Do not run away from a panic attack, live it, so it will recede sooner. And then still contact a psychotherapist to deal with the cause. nine0003

What to do in case of a panic attack

This plan is best for preventing seizures from returning for as long as possible. To begin with, it is worth checking if you have any pathologies that can cause panic attacks.

The illnesses that sometimes underlie panic attacks can have serious health consequences. That is why, in order to exclude diseases of the body, I always first refer my patients to a therapist. With panic attacks, you can first go to the clinic, then the therapist will issue directions for the necessary tests. nine0003

I do not want to scare anyone, but this advice can help a person realize that it is worth going and being examined, and then the process of moving towards treatment will begin. During the examination, the doctor may say that there is nothing at the level of physiology, the help of a psychotherapist is needed.

One patient came to me with high levels of anxiety, restlessness, panic attacks and sleep disturbance. I sent him to a general practitioner, the doctor suspected thyroid disease based on symptoms and referred the patient to an endocrinologist. The analysis revealed hyperthyroidism. nine0003

This diagnosis explained that there was nothing wrong with the person and why there were problems. The hormones were balanced, the patient's condition improved, my help was not needed.

/somatic-symptom-disorder/

What is hypochondria and how much does it cost to cure

Panic attacks are treated by a psychotherapist. He does this using special psychotherapeutic techniques. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has proven to be effective. It helps a person to understand that if you want to change your state, then you need to change the reasons that led to it. I myself practice this method. We analyze situations that are alarming for the patient, and the person learns to choose not the worst scenario, but the logical and optimal behavior. nine0003

5 books on cognitive psychology - an article by Maria Falikman

Find a doctor with whom you feel comfortable talking and connecting. Describe what is bothering you. So he will be able to understand how urgently you need to make an appointment. This is how my patient's initial appeal looked like:

How is the treatment with a psychotherapist for panic attacks

The number of sessions with a psychotherapist individually. But get ready for the fact that this is not fast, usually working with a doctor lasts several months. With my patient, whose story is given in the article, we worked for six months. Meetings stop as soon as the doctor understands that the patient has come to a calm state, found the cause of anxiety and learned to cope with it. nine0003

The class usually lasts an hour. For people who still find it difficult to leave the house, it is convenient to call on Skype. No need to go to an unfamiliar place and get used to a new environment. It is easier to talk about your problem in a familiar and safe atmosphere.

11 types of psychotherapy that work

In the sessions, we analyze the internal problems that led to panic attacks. In addition, I give my patients various techniques to help smooth out anxiety and consolidate a calm state. nine0003

Do Jacobson exercises. They are perfect for unloading during the working day. I advise you to perform them in a secluded place.

Jacobson's method directly for a panic attack is not as effective. But it helps reduce overall levels of anxiety and tension and reduces the risk of future attacks.

Under the supervision of a psychotherapist, catch thoughts about what causes anxiety. So you will know what makes you uncomfortable. Over time, learn to limit communication with people you don’t like, to avoid stressful situations.

Examples of anxious thoughts are: "I'm a failure", "I'm not going to succeed", "I'm ugly". Sometimes the people with whom we are in contact contribute to the emergence and intensification of disturbing thoughts. They can impose problems, convince a person that he is helpless. nine0003

Anxious thoughts, a person can speak so automatically that he does not notice them. A conflict situation arises, a thought flashes through the head, say, “I won’t succeed,” but the person does not catch it. That's why it's automatic. Then behavior follows: for example, a person does not start learning a new course, does not move towards his values. He stops developing, and this worries him.

/psychotherapy/

How psychotherapy works

Such beliefs are most often formed in childhood. A person gets along with them so much that until he consciously reveals, sometimes he does not even know that they exist. Everything seems to be fine, but for some reason he does not do what is important to him. When automatic thought is detected, it becomes clear why. The person works out the automatic persuasion and the anxiety goes down.

Under the guidance of your therapist, try to identify automatic anxious thoughts. This will help you figure out how you really feel about yourself. nine0003

Exercise for nervousness. A simple meditation that does not require the study of spiritual practices will help.

Let's talk about panic attacks. Workbook with exercises and tests - David Carbonell

You can do breathing exercises. For example, stay in a calm position for 5-10 minutes and concentrate only on your breathing, try to let go of thoughts. Imagine your thoughts as leaves floating away from you down a stream, or clouds running across the sky. Get back to breathing. nine0003

What medications are used to treat panic attacks

Your doctor may prescribe medication to treat a panic attack. It is important to understand the following here: tablets most often help temporarily, at the time of taking the drug, and after their cancellation there is a high risk of symptom resumption.

With neurosis, the nervous system is gradually depleted, the nervous system becomes very sensitive. There is an imbalance of neurotransmitters, that is, transmitters of physiologically active substances in the nerve cell. For example, dopamine or serotonin. Changes after taking the drugs occur, but they are temporary. nine0003

Borderline mental disorders - article by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, psychiatrist A. B. Smulevich

Pills work while a person takes them, while the internal conflict that worries remains unresolved. After discontinuation of the drug, the symptoms return, and often new, more severe ones join them. This leads to a deepening of the neurosis. That is why psychotherapy is needed for neurosis.

How to help a loved one if he has a panic attack

If you are not sure that a loved one is having a panic attack, and the attack is severe, call an ambulance. Do not leave a person alone, try to find out what is happening to him. If he can't talk, try switching his attention: show a neutral or positive video, offer to listen to a song, or tell a funny story. Do together the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise I described earlier.

In no case do not scold your loved one and do not devalue his experiences. During a panic attack, a person experiences fear of death, it seems to him that he can go crazy. Try to be understanding about this. nine0003

Bad: “You are pretending! You can't be that bad!"

Better: “I will be there for as long as it takes. Everything will be fine".

A simple technique will help to calm the person - offer to drink water. Due to the swallowing reflex, the autonomic nervous system calms down. The fact is that the vagus nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, is involved in the act of swallowing. The sympathetic nervous system reflexively switches to the parasympathetic, the person calms down. nine0003

Human Anatomy - a textbook edited by M. G. Prives

After the attack has passed, advise you to consult a doctor.

The cost of panic attack treatment

For the treatment of panic attacks, you can go to a neuropsychiatric dispensary or polyclinic that has a specialist, or to a psychotherapist in private practice. Antidepressants are usually prescribed in clinics, their prices depend on how modern the medicine is. The course of admission is from six months, at least six packs are needed. But, as I said earlier, pills without therapy give a temporary effect, after they are canceled, the symptoms return. nine0003

Treatment by a psychotherapist takes an average of six months. In the first three months, sessions are held weekly, then once every two weeks or once a month as supportive sessions.

/psychotherapy-search/

How to choose a psychotherapist

In the table I have given the average prices in Moscow. I took as a basis the scenario for the treatment of panic attacks without complications.

I note that the videos and exercises recommended to the patient by his psychotherapist are freely available and free - a person spends only his time working on them. nine0003

The cost of treating a panic attack is from 600 R with antidepressants and from 34,800 R with a psychotherapist

Antidepressants

100-10 000 R per pack

Session with a psychotherapist

From 2000 R per session

Consultation with a therapist

Exercises

Free

Looking at the table, you can conclude that it is more profitable to treat panic attacks with antidepressants than go to psychotherapy. But let me remind you that the pills give a temporary effect, after their cancellation, the symptoms return and sometimes become stronger. As a result, it is more profitable to immediately go to a psychotherapist and learn how to cope with the cause of a panic state. nine0003

Remember

1. Panic attacks are not life threatening, a person in this state will not die, go crazy, lose consciousness, or vomit.
2. If something did happen - for example, a person fainted - it is worth contacting a doctor as soon as possible for an accurate diagnosis.
3. In any case, it will not be superfluous to consult a doctor and undergo an examination to rule out a serious somatic disease that provokes panic attacks.
4. You can stop a panic attack on your own, but that's only half the battle. A psychotherapist will help to deal with its cause. nine0606
5. Before starting psychotherapy, it is important to undergo a medical examination in order to exclude neurotic, neurological and somatic diseases that can lead to panic attacks.

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