3 GREAT WAYS TOSTOP

A PANIC ATTACKColleen M. Crary, M.A. (Forensic Psychology)

Founder & Executive Director,Presented by

Fearless Nation PTSD Support (RL Services and Programming)

Acorn2Oak PTSD Recovery CommunityVirtual world recovery program & research

A 501c3 Nonprofit OrganizationEstablished June, 2009

PLEASE hold comments and questions

until the Q&A part of this presentation

PANIC ATTACKS & PTSD

When someone with PsyT is triggered by an reminder of trauma:• Anxiety escalates quickly into crippling

panic.• This is INVOLUNTARY and SUDDEN.• It can happen ANYWHERE, at ANY TIME.• It can create problems in business, work,

and social situations where “calm behavior” is expected and your reputation and career can be at stake.

How can we cut a panic attack off at the pass?

3 Strategies to Halt Panic

• Breathe Like The Ocean: Good when alone, or in a private place in social situations.

• Thought Stopping :Great anywhere.

• “Fake It Till You Make It”Social, public, professional situations.

These techniques REQUIRE PRACTICE:

You MUST work hard to take back controlover runaway panic and anxiety!

Breathe Like The OceanPosture: “suck, tuck &

LIFT”

Breathe Like The Ocean

Breathe Like The Ocean

Thought Stopping

Thought Stopping

Thought Stopping

Stop.

Thought Stopping

Stop.

Brain PlasticityThe Brains Adapts to PRACTICE.

--if it was easy we wouldn’t be here, right? Practice, practice, PRACTICE!

“Fake It Till You Make It”CAUTION: An emergency technique only—use rarely and only in a jam: Do not make this a daily habit or a method of delving into avoidance and dissociation!!!“Method act” your way through a social /public

situation:•If I act confident, I will become confident.•Never let them see you sweat. Lies, white lies: “I feel GREAT today!”•Smile. Firm Handshake or positive greeting. Up the energy.•Sit apart from yourself and “puppeteer” yourself.•Dissociation, when your reputation or job is at stake can be used as a positive technique when you get panicked in a work/social/public setting.•Later, at home, in private: Decompress. Cry. Rage. Shake it out.

PLEASE do NOT make this a habit—or it will roadblock your PTSD recovery!

“Fake It Till You Make It”“Method act” your way through a social /public

situation:

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

QUESTIONS?Thank you for your time today!

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