PANIC ATTACKS
from The Blue Mountains Gazette
Have you ever lost your wallet or car keys? Remember that surge of adrenaline as your fight or flight mechanism “clicks in’? It’s a terrible feeling and annoyingly takes time to settle down even when you discover that you had the “missing” object in your hand all the time! Well, multiply that moment of panic ten, twenty or more times and you’ll have some idea of how devastating a full blown panic attack is to a sufferer of this syndrome.
One of the main things you will notice about minor “normal” panicky moments is the way your breathing gets out o f control. In ” full blown” panic attacks the level of hyperventilation is so great that the ensuing “wash out” of carbon dioxide from the blood gas mix causes the oxygen supply to the brain to be cut by up to 50%. This means that “master control” is in “red alert” mode. Symptoms suffered during a panic attack include- severe breathlessness, terror, dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, nausea, visual disturbances, numbness, profuse sweating, feelings of loss of mental control and feelings of approaching death. Certainly there are often psychological factors that may lead to panic attacks. These factors lead to a chronic level of tension, which, in turn, results in chronic stress/anxiety levels, which in turn, “promote” chronic hyperventilation. It is a vicious cycle. The SOLUTION to this problem cycle is to learn to breathe both appropriately and remedially. At Buteyko Breath Easy all instruction is individually tailored to suit the specific needs of each client. Whether you are suffering from a lifestyle limiting condition or are a singer, dancer or athlete good breathing means good performance in every aspect of life. Jennifer Harris B.I.B.H. phone 0414 833 857 for help with your breathing. Check out my website http://www.pnc.com.au/~breatheasy.