How Meditation Helped Me Relieve My Panic Attacks

Shortness of breath, intense pressure in my chest, upset stomach, agoraphobia and a distorted view of reality – all while scratching my face in desperation – were the symptoms of panic attacks I experienced when I entered the hospital emergency room while was in trouble. living in Germany.

The doctor smiled kindly as he announced my diagnosis: “You had a panic attack. You’ll be fine. A psychiatrist is on the way.”

“Panic attacks, as in extreme anxiety?” I asked the doctor.

“Yes. Could you please tell me what problems you have been having lately?

I had no idea. “I have no problems, doctor.”

Panic attacks

It can be difficult for anyone who hasn’t had a panic attack to understand what it feels like, but the name is quite accurate in describing the symptoms associated with it. During a panic attack, your entire body goes into panic mode for no logical or apparent reason. Your body acts like you’re being chased by Jason Voorhees, the masked killer from Friday the 13th.

Friends and family members who have never experienced the frightening symptoms of a panic attack may respond with less-than-helpful statements such as, “No one is chasing you” or “It’s all in your head.” They don’t understand that the fear is so intense that it attacks you again and again, weakening you and destroying your self-confidence as you go from living and thriving to merely surviving.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way. It is possible to say goodbye to fear.

Fear is an alarm designed to warn you of impending danger and prepare you to run from the threat; it’s where we get the ‘fight or flight’ response, and sometimes it’s an important element of human survival.

For some individuals, fear goes beyond warning of a real threat to warning of perceived threats that are not necessarily real. In some cases, the perceived threat arises from an individual’s everyday environment, an environment that is generally safe. That’s when fear becomes a debilitating force of self-destruction and something that must be overcome.

The anatomy of fear

Fear is part of our emotional wiring and is present in every individual. It appears to be encoded in a small, almond-shaped part of the brain called the amygdala – the area of ​​the brain associated with emotions. And it is this region that from time to time becomes overloaded and hypervigilant. It’s like you’re not aware that you’re jamming your car’s accelerator all the way to the floor until it loses its resistance and goes flat. As a result of a constant and unnecessary state of vigilance, everything seems to be a threat and fear takes over.

Say goodbye to fear

Recent research has shown that meditation can help improve emotional regulation by reducing amygdala activation. Certain types of meditation can help “reboot the brain.” The Harvard School of Medicine has reported that meditation can provide many physical and psychological benefits that likely start with changes in brain connectivity. By “rebooting the brain,” meditation can be a serious antidote to anxiety.

What’s stopping us from becoming a fearless generation? Probably just one thing: fear itself. If you want help relieving anxiety, learn to meditate. Here are a few resources that can help:

As for me, I have been free from panic and anxiety since I started my regular meditation routine over four years ago, without the help of medications. I am living proof that it is not only possible to live free of fear, but also to overcome fear.