I'm a sucker for anxiety articles. They are mostly fluffy and repeat what's easily found on the internet, but this one was different (expected nothing less from you, of course). It's amazing how much a panic attack convinces someone they are dying. I used to get them at the start of perimenopause (back then I had no tips as it was all new to me), but now I know better and your tips are spot on.
Thanks so much Shelby - I'm glad to hear it resonated with you. Yes, anxiety spikes were one of the early perimenopausal changes that showed up for me (unexpectedly after many years of doing my own therapy work). Mid-life women need this knowledge 😊
So practical! Thank you for laying these out in more digestible pieces. Sending to clients who need this! I loved David Trelevan's book "Trauma-Informed Mindfulness." It helped me understand why meditation and mindfulness practices need to be suggested and used with care.
This was such a great article on such an under discussed part of the mindfulness-adjacent industrial complex. I think it is very helpful for some people, but for individuals experiencing panic it just creates hyper aware feedback loops of bodily sensations and breath fixation. Very confusing when most places on the Internet direct you toward this cure all solution when you search "anxiety remedy."
I really liked your panic relief options, and some of those are definitely in my toolbox. But it seems to me that a lot of these are for someone in the throes of a panic attack, while you left longer term work to "consult a therapist." Would you mind sharing what some of the longer term work might look like for some of the major contributors to panic - trauma or life circumstances? If it is different than mindfullness, how so?
Thanks for your comment. The longer term work might look like psychotherapy, EMDR, or other kinds of trauma therapy. Generally it begins with a phase of resourcing, where you might build some somatic tools for navigating intense emotion, and then it might move into processing trauma, attachment wounding, or other painful life experiences that sit at the heart of the symptoms that present on the surface. That's another article for another day... or perhaps several, as it's deep and complex work and can vary a lot from one individual to the next.
The timing on this post is perfect. Thankfully I'm not navigating debilitating anxiety but the elevation of our cortisol, both individually and collectively, is huge so we can all use tools for nervous system regulation. Thanks Vicki.
Your advice totally lines up with my understanding. And I know from firsthand experience, even Zen masters couldn’t sit with all that anxiety either, and one of them even told me so. I so much appreciated her honesty and her encouragement to seek out more movement based practices when I was in a period of a lot of anxiety.
Very useful. I have a staff member who suffers from panic attacks. Do you happen to have any tips on how I can support another person through, without being too advice giving "well I read this substack article and it says this..." ?
Great question Sophie. I think the single most useful thing you can do when you're around someone who's panicking is to try to become as calm and steady in yourself as you can, so you might become an anchor for them and their nervous system. I often emphasise my own exhale, which tends to invite the other person to do the same.
Such beautiful, useful, and accessible guidance, Vicki. Even though I’ve meditated daily for many years, I still find that I need to move my body first - usually with a short, gentle yoga practice. I think that, in most cases, just sitting down without doing that would make me more anxious, not less.
And I love that you mention nature, too. Walking in the woods or along the beach while following my breath is truly magic. Without fail, my energy and mind are in a completely different place by the end of it.
I really need to remember that five senses practice - I rarely do it, but it always helps me get out of the story loops in my head when I do.
Also, I find myself calmer just having read your post! 😊❤️
Thanks Dana. Yes, the yogi's knew best - asana first to move the tension and restlessness out of the body, then breathwork and meditation. It's a brilliant formula 😊 I often forget the 5 senses part too, but I recently heard Elizabeth Gilbert talk and she regulated the entire Auckland Town Hall by guiding us through this simple practice!
Taking non-stop hormonal birth control (no placebo pills) radically transformed my anxiety. The flip side is I was a disaster before and after pregnancy. (I was fine during, my body loved all the estrogen.)
That's interesting to hear Joy. Thanks for sharing your experience. I have heard my doctor say that progesterone acts like valium in the body, which is why anxiety can spike in perimenopause when progesterone steeply declines.
How interesting, I did exactly the same as you when I started experiencing panic attacks in my twenties - went to the Buddhist centre for a lunchtime class and proceeded to hyperventilate on the meditation cushion! Seated meditation practice in a group then became a trigger for panic attacks, although I was doggedly trying to persist in the pursuit of 'curing' myself!
I eventually started jogging in the mornings, decidedly unfit and in pitch black frosty mornings in the middle of winter, but that helped so much more.
Now there seems to be so much more awareness of the nervous system and panic attacks I would hope people experiencing them for the first time could find more useful information about how to allow the body to process and work through what's there. But maybe it's just that I understand it all much better, although the general message is still 'try mindfulness'?!
I'm glad to hear I wasn't alone in that! I wonder how many of us have hyperventilated on our cushions thinking there must be something wrong with us, cos it's not 'working'?! Thanks for sharing your experience May 😊
Yes indeed. I was going to put a note about medication, but decided not to, as prescribing is not in my scope of practice as a psychologist. But my perspective is that medication can be helpful if we are really unable to function in daily life, but it essentially masks symptoms rather than getting to the root of them or empowering us to make change. And as you say, when you take away the meds, the underlying problems still remain.
Oops! As I allude to in the article - I think meditation can be useful once you have built the muscle and can sit through intense sensation in your body, witnessing the process. But for many of us, and especially beginners to meditation, it is too overwhelming, and I think other approaches can be more useful for 'first aid' in the moment.
Yes true! I do recommend trying the cold pack though, if you have access to something from your fridge or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel. I'm glad to hear it was helpful.
Absolute life savers, I have about five in different shapes and styles, some in the fridge, some in the freezer. Depending on headache severity! And they look so GOOD too 😂.
I'm a sucker for anxiety articles. They are mostly fluffy and repeat what's easily found on the internet, but this one was different (expected nothing less from you, of course). It's amazing how much a panic attack convinces someone they are dying. I used to get them at the start of perimenopause (back then I had no tips as it was all new to me), but now I know better and your tips are spot on.
Thanks so much Shelby - I'm glad to hear it resonated with you. Yes, anxiety spikes were one of the early perimenopausal changes that showed up for me (unexpectedly after many years of doing my own therapy work). Mid-life women need this knowledge 😊
Great advice, Vicki - and I love the tone of voice here as well.
Thanks so much Adina. That’s good to hear. I was hoping the ‘dos and don’ts’ wouldn’t sound preachy as it’s definitely all meant to be held lightly!
This is really helpful ! I’m so grateful 💜.
I’m so glad to hear it was helpful, thanks Nday 😊
So practical! Thank you for laying these out in more digestible pieces. Sending to clients who need this! I loved David Trelevan's book "Trauma-Informed Mindfulness." It helped me understand why meditation and mindfulness practices need to be suggested and used with care.
Oh I haven't read that book, but sounds useful. Thanks for your comments Lindsey, and for sharing the post 😊
This was such a great article on such an under discussed part of the mindfulness-adjacent industrial complex. I think it is very helpful for some people, but for individuals experiencing panic it just creates hyper aware feedback loops of bodily sensations and breath fixation. Very confusing when most places on the Internet direct you toward this cure all solution when you search "anxiety remedy."
I really liked your panic relief options, and some of those are definitely in my toolbox. But it seems to me that a lot of these are for someone in the throes of a panic attack, while you left longer term work to "consult a therapist." Would you mind sharing what some of the longer term work might look like for some of the major contributors to panic - trauma or life circumstances? If it is different than mindfullness, how so?
Thanks for your comment. The longer term work might look like psychotherapy, EMDR, or other kinds of trauma therapy. Generally it begins with a phase of resourcing, where you might build some somatic tools for navigating intense emotion, and then it might move into processing trauma, attachment wounding, or other painful life experiences that sit at the heart of the symptoms that present on the surface. That's another article for another day... or perhaps several, as it's deep and complex work and can vary a lot from one individual to the next.
The timing on this post is perfect. Thankfully I'm not navigating debilitating anxiety but the elevation of our cortisol, both individually and collectively, is huge so we can all use tools for nervous system regulation. Thanks Vicki.
Thanks Donna, I’m glad to hear it landed at a good moment!
Your advice totally lines up with my understanding. And I know from firsthand experience, even Zen masters couldn’t sit with all that anxiety either, and one of them even told me so. I so much appreciated her honesty and her encouragement to seek out more movement based practices when I was in a period of a lot of anxiety.
Well that is reassuring to hear, thanks Maia 😃
Not a big fan of using the word “awful.” Uncomfortable, yes.
So good. Thank you.
Thanks so much Kathryn 😊
Very useful. I have a staff member who suffers from panic attacks. Do you happen to have any tips on how I can support another person through, without being too advice giving "well I read this substack article and it says this..." ?
Great question Sophie. I think the single most useful thing you can do when you're around someone who's panicking is to try to become as calm and steady in yourself as you can, so you might become an anchor for them and their nervous system. I often emphasise my own exhale, which tends to invite the other person to do the same.
Such beautiful, useful, and accessible guidance, Vicki. Even though I’ve meditated daily for many years, I still find that I need to move my body first - usually with a short, gentle yoga practice. I think that, in most cases, just sitting down without doing that would make me more anxious, not less.
And I love that you mention nature, too. Walking in the woods or along the beach while following my breath is truly magic. Without fail, my energy and mind are in a completely different place by the end of it.
I really need to remember that five senses practice - I rarely do it, but it always helps me get out of the story loops in my head when I do.
Also, I find myself calmer just having read your post! 😊❤️
Thanks Dana. Yes, the yogi's knew best - asana first to move the tension and restlessness out of the body, then breathwork and meditation. It's a brilliant formula 😊 I often forget the 5 senses part too, but I recently heard Elizabeth Gilbert talk and she regulated the entire Auckland Town Hall by guiding us through this simple practice!
Taking non-stop hormonal birth control (no placebo pills) radically transformed my anxiety. The flip side is I was a disaster before and after pregnancy. (I was fine during, my body loved all the estrogen.)
That's interesting to hear Joy. Thanks for sharing your experience. I have heard my doctor say that progesterone acts like valium in the body, which is why anxiety can spike in perimenopause when progesterone steeply declines.
How interesting, I did exactly the same as you when I started experiencing panic attacks in my twenties - went to the Buddhist centre for a lunchtime class and proceeded to hyperventilate on the meditation cushion! Seated meditation practice in a group then became a trigger for panic attacks, although I was doggedly trying to persist in the pursuit of 'curing' myself!
I eventually started jogging in the mornings, decidedly unfit and in pitch black frosty mornings in the middle of winter, but that helped so much more.
Now there seems to be so much more awareness of the nervous system and panic attacks I would hope people experiencing them for the first time could find more useful information about how to allow the body to process and work through what's there. But maybe it's just that I understand it all much better, although the general message is still 'try mindfulness'?!
I'm glad to hear I wasn't alone in that! I wonder how many of us have hyperventilated on our cushions thinking there must be something wrong with us, cos it's not 'working'?! Thanks for sharing your experience May 😊
What about meditation ? It can be a resource, but the causes of your anxiety can still be lurking in the shadows when one is through.
Yes indeed. I was going to put a note about medication, but decided not to, as prescribing is not in my scope of practice as a psychologist. But my perspective is that medication can be helpful if we are really unable to function in daily life, but it essentially masks symptoms rather than getting to the root of them or empowering us to make change. And as you say, when you take away the meds, the underlying problems still remain.
Oh, I just re-read your note and realise you wrote meditation, not medication - so perhaps I am answering the wrong question?!
Yep !!
Oops! As I allude to in the article - I think meditation can be useful once you have built the muscle and can sit through intense sensation in your body, witnessing the process. But for many of us, and especially beginners to meditation, it is too overwhelming, and I think other approaches can be more useful for 'first aid' in the moment.
This is really helpful thank you. I get the worst attacks at night which makes it tricky to scamper about much!
Yes true! I do recommend trying the cold pack though, if you have access to something from your fridge or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel. I'm glad to hear it was helpful.
I do, always have migraine hats ready chilled, thanks I will remember this.
I have not come across migraine hats.... interesting!
Absolute life savers, I have about five in different shapes and styles, some in the fridge, some in the freezer. Depending on headache severity! And they look so GOOD too 😂.
Brilliant 😂 What a great invention!
Yes - choose your own vocabulary that fits 😊