About panic attacks and bears

Imagine that you are running away from a bear. You run without making out the road, your heart is pounding, literally jumping out of your chest, you can even hear it pounding in your ears. The pressure rises, the pupils are dilated with horror, and although breathing is frequent, it seems that there is still not enough air. But will it bother you at this moment?

Of course no. You will only think about saving yourself, running to safety. You won’t measure your pulse and blood pressure, you won’t control your breathing or call an ambulance with the words “you know, I’m running away from a bear and something doesn’t feel right, I’m somehow feeling worse, I’m afraid I’m having a stroke or heart attack.” , come urgently.” You will simply run wherever your eyes are looking (or maybe not even looking).

So during a panic attack the same thing happens, except that there is no bear. Actually, the absence of a bear is the main problem in this state, in the sense that the brain begins to frantically search for this very bear, trying to determine the source of the threat. And then anything can become a “bear”: a high pulse, high blood pressure, a feeling of lack of air, distorted vision due to dilated pupils, and much more.

But all these “bears” are not bears at all, it’s just how you run away from the bear, but not the bear itself. And it is important to understand and realize this difference so as not to fall into the trap of your own thoughts, your anxiety and neurosis.