Anxiety can help create conditions which may cause
premature labor, reduced weight of baby, slow labor and delivery, and
possible contribute to complications for the labor and birth.
Practicing stress management, and possibly temperature
training biofeedback, as early in the pregnancy as possible, will help to
minimize the negative impact of stress and anxiety on the pregnancy and
labor/delivery. Consider the following suggestions on controlling the effects of
panic and anxiety.
Symptoms of panic and anxiety can be confused with life
threatening physical disorders! Please consult your physician to determine the
source of your symptoms.
These devastating occurrences of panic or anxiety can
negatively affect your day to day quality of life. But this is not news for
anyone suffering from this terrible disorder. Millions of people live in fear of
these "attacks." Major transitions, trauma, and stress can lead to feelings of
little or no control over one's life! This can affect people in major ways.
A scary symptom which can develop is called Panic (or Panic
Attack.) A panic episode can come on suddenly or can awaken you from your sleep
with a nasty feeling of apprehension. Some people believe that they are having a
heart attack because often there is chest pain, a shortness of breath, neck or
arm pain, major stomach upset, an adrenaline rush, lightheadedness, dizziness,
and other unpleasant feelings of fear and apprehension. These feelings can be
triggered by specific events such as: driving (getting stuck in traffic),
shopping, waiting in lines at stores, banks, post offices, etc, feeling trapped
in church/movies/classes, traveling distances from home (especially flying,
etc.), making a presentation in front of a group of people (drawing attention
toward yourself), doing new or unfamiliar activities, meeting new people,
basically, doing anything new or seemingly stressful where you may fear "LOSING
CONTROL."
Loss of control is the main feature that makes this so
frightening for the people who suffer from panic and anxiety. We may not know a
panic sufferer by looking at him or her because they can maintain such good
control that unless we were to look very carefully we might not notice the
nervousness below the surface.
Heart problems, chest pain, and respiratory
difficulties(hyperventilation and dizziness are common symptoms of panic/anxiety
attacks) should be carefully examined by your physician! If no heart related
problem exists, but you are still in great fear of these occurrences of panic
then the following behavioral program, with practice, will greatly aid you in
preventing or at least minimizing the episodes of panic. Also, remember that
exciting/positive actions or events can raise your heartrate. This excitement is
not bad or life threatening, but you fear of the physical symptoms of excitement
can really hamper your enjoyment of life!
The keys to controlling panic and anxiety are:
1. Breathe slowly/diaphragmatically
2. Remain in the present... in your body, in a positive way
3. Positive self-talk... not negative ruminations
4. Avoid caffeine and stimulants
5. Regular aerobic exercise
6. Regular deep relaxation with Biofeedback Temperature monitoring... Learn to
warm your hands and feet
7. Use relaxation tapes/CD's regularly!
8. Get support in confronting and then desensitizing yourself to fears/phobias
9. Taper your anti-anxiety medication after you have mastered the
relaxation-biofeedback
1. Learn to breathe diaphragmatically
A) Place a hand over your upper abdomen 1. Push it OUT as you
inhale 2. Let in move IN as you exhale
B) Let your chest, shoulder, neck, and back relax as you
breathe Only on a very deep breath should these parts move in the breath. This
may be the most important Panic Control Technique you can learn!
2. Use any of the Stress Management tapes/CD's, especially,
#205 Stress Management for Controlling Panic and Anxiety or the #201 Stress
Management for Prenatal Care from the Stress Education Center’s Health Series,
1-3 times per day for 8-12 weeks. Or make your own tape from the exercises in
this book. (You may wish to order a copy of any of the tapes available from the
Stress Education Center, if so, check the order form in the back of the book or
on the tape page of this website (the #205 is strongly recommended for
panic/anxiety control).) If you do not have an audio tape or CD for relaxation
yet, then the general indirect relaxation which is discussed in a separate
article Relaxation is recommended or use any other deep relaxation from the
book, Guide to Stress Reduction, or any other deeply relaxing tape/CD or
exercise that you may have available.
After achieving a level of controlled deep relaxation, repeat
suggestions of "control," especially control of slow, regular breathing and slow
regular heart rate. Suggestions of "letting go" to help achieve hand and foot
warming, along with any visualizations that can encourage this increase of
peripheral blood flow, would be very useful, as well. Use some sort of
temperature training biofeedback device on your hands to learn how to warm your
hands with relaxation. When you can consistently get above 90 degrees Fahrenheit
(93-95 degrees is ideal) then you can begin to master warming your feet to 90
degrees. See the article on temperature training at the Stress Education
Center’s website. When you can "let go" by relaxing and warming your hands and
feet, you will be able to control if not prevent your panic episodes. Then you
must develop the confidence in your control so the fear of panic will not
control your life.
3. Regular exercise will help you to work off the effects of
life's stresses. If you are pregnant, you may want to get some professional
assistance building an appropriate exercise program. 3-5 times per week of
regular exercise that can elevate your heart rate for 15-45 minutes would be
best. Check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program if you have
been inactive for a long while. Even though elevating your heart rate can be a
little scary, the release of tensions and the strengthening of your
cardiovascular system will have great benefits.
4. Eat regular meals. Low fat and complex carbohydrates are
better than fast foods with lots of sugar. AVOID CAFFEINE and other stimulants.
Caffeine is found in coffee, black teas, cola drinks, chocolate, some
over-the-counter pain medications, and other foods/drugs. Read labels. Eating as
closely as you can to natural foods (lots of: fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
etc.) will benefit any one.
5. Practice positive self-talk. Do not let your fears
escalate into you losing control of your body and your mind. By breathing slowly
and staying in your body, in present time, you avoid falling into the negative
pattern of fear and panic.
6. Get support from your friends, doctor, and a therapist if
necessary. Check your area for panic/anxiety support or treatment groups!
Regular use of anti-anxiety medications may be better than just taking your
prescription only after the panic has begun. Reduce your medication in a
supervised way after you have mastered the relaxation/biofeedback control
techniques.
Remember you can get back in control of your body and your
life! You must make this a priority so you can avoid being a victim to this set
of scary symptoms.
Panic/anxiety is not always your enemy. This reaction is
designed to protect you and may teach you something about the stresses and
transitions you are going through. Denial of these challenges only creates a
more stubborn set of symptoms that can be more debilitating.
Other good books that can help you learn more about panic or
anxiety:
David Barlow, Ph.D. and Jerome Cerny, Psychological Treatment
of Panic, Guilford Press, New York. 1988.
Susan Lark, MD, Anxiety & Stress: A Self-Help Program,
Westchester Publishing Company, Los Altos, CA. 1993
L. John Mason, Ph.D. is the author of the best selling "Guide to Stress
Reduction." Since 1977, he has offered Executive Coaching and Training.
If you are looking to promote your training or coaching career, please
investigate the Professional Stress Management Training
and Certification Program for a secondary source of income or as
career path.
