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Today I had a hard time deciding how I would go into Neuroplasticity’s role in dealing with the various types of anxiety disorders. I went from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which is a form of psychotherapy that treats problems by focusing on solutions, encouraging clients to challenge their distorted cognitions and changing the client’s destructive patterns of behavior, to Meditation where you are training the mind to be free of scattered thoughts & Mindfulness which is the ability to be fully present while being aware of where you are and what you are doing while not over reacting to what is going on around you. There is music therapy, neuroplasticity exercises, and self-directed neuroplasticity techniques. Others look to yoga, positive affirmations, focused breathing, etc.
in fact, reframe your world and rewire your brain
so that you are more objective.
You have the power to see things as they are
so that you can respond thoughtfully, deliberately,
and effectively to everything you experience.
-Elizabeth Thornton
It was a bit overwhelming, because I generally like to do an overall introduction, before going into each technique. So here I was, trying to figure out a way to start, and after hours of researching, I was literally nowhere. I started to think, “Oh no, I’m getting overwhelmed and I feel stressed!” I thought, “Wait a minute. This is the very thing I shouldn’t be doing. I’m not practicing what I am trying to teach!" So I decided to take a step back and took a deep breath to center myself. I calmly did some more research and came upon an article that I really liked.
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So in deference to my dilemma, I decided to feature this article, because it actually did a really good job of simply talking about anxiety and the Amygdala, which is an ancient organ (referred to as the Dinosaur), whose job it is to affect how the individual feels emotions, especially fear and pleasure. The key word here is FEAR! It is a ganglion of the limbic system adjoining the temporal lobe of the brain.
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I found this article called, ”How can you deal with panic attacks and social anxiety?” by Dr. Harry Barry (https://www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/healthy-town/how-can-you-deal-with-panic-attacks-and-social-anxiety) where he stated that hundreds of thousands of people in Ireland suffer from panic attacks and countless others suffer from social anxiety. He also stated that there were those with phobias, general anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder sufferers, and hundreds of thousands having to live in a world of anxiety and panic. He was most concerned about the increasing rise of all types and forms of anxiety in the adolescent population where there seems to be a correlation to the self-harm epidemic in the school population he sees today.
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Dr. Harry Barry wrote a book called ”Flagging Anxiety and Panic” where he wrote about some new insights into these anxiety related disorders. The first insight he wrote about, “is that anxiety pathways in our brain can be reshaped by our mind – a process called neuroplasticity. This is best done with the harnessed use of our mind. Targeted CBT exercises can reshape our anxious mind and, in turn, the very anxiety pathways creating the problem.”
and disorders are products of our plasticity.”
-Norman Doidge
His second insight “is that anxiety is not only a cognitive condition, where we worry and catastrophize all the time, but also a strongly physical condition triggered by our emotional brain activating our internal stress system.” This is the amygdala which is the ancient organ I mentioned above. He refers to the amygdala as the “gunslinger” which he feels is not smart, has a long memory, and does not respond to talk therapies. So this insight is powerful because Dr. Harry Barry feels that we have to disempower the amygdala.
Dr. Barry’s third insight, “is that the worrying side of anxiety comes from the left prefrontal cortex part of our brain and the catastrophizing comes from the right prefrontal cortex.” Here he focuses on two main anxieties: panic attacks and social anxiety. For this article I will only go into panic attacks.
Panic Attacks, which we went over in a previous article, hits out of nowhere where the individual becomes short of breath, has a rapid heart rate, shaking, sweating, and a feeling that they are going to die, plus a whole lot of other horrific symptoms. These people literally live in a state of fear that another might strike at any time. Dr. Barry explains, “To understand a panic attack, we need to realize that the physical symptoms experienced by the person are created by an adrenaline rush. This occurs when our stress system is activated by the amygdala, or gunslinger, firing inadvertently and seemingly without warning.” Dr. Barry said, “once the person understands what is going on and how the amygdala works – and learns to accept the discomfort that challenging the gunslinger will induce – panic attacks rapidly become a thing of the past.
In another article about Dr. Barry, “Dr. Harry Barry: How to get a grip on crippling panic attacks” regarding panic attack approaches, he said that some people try breathing exercises in the middle of a panic attack but this will only make the individual more panicky. What he teaches clients is a technique called ”flooding” which he describes as a technique where the person having the attack learns to accept the symptoms. He said, “Imagine that you were stuck to the ground, allowing the waves of physical sensations to just wash over you and move on. If you do this, the panic symptoms will be gone in 10 minutes or less. If you try to stop them, they may last for hours.”
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“"Some panic attacks can go on for hours, but if you let the adrenaline rush happen, it will pass more quickly. At first, this is unpleasant, but finally, the memory in the amygdala changes. You weaken it, so patients start to lose their fear of panic attacks and then they stop happening completely. It's about retraining the brain. I get them to do a panic exercise where I try to get them to bring on a panic attack and when they can't, they realize that I'm putting them back in charge of their bodies. It's very rewarding.”
is a "microsurgeon of the mind" who helps patients
make needed alterations in neuronal networks.”
-Norman Doidge
The reason I thought this was a very good article is because Dr. Barry uses the concept of neuroplasticity where he feels that we can reshape our brain using our own mind. If, during a panic attack, we allow the adrenaline rush to just happen, instead of trying to tap it down or do deep breathing, the attack will last only 10 minutes or less. Trying to fight it might lead to a longer attack and more repeat attacks. And as he stated, if you allow the rush, the memory in the amygdala will change which is key to decreasing panic attacks.
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In conclusion, I was glad that I changed the initial focus of my article because if I didn’t, I would not have come across this wonderful post about Dr. Harry Barry who’s concept of ”flooding technique” is something that I actually think would have helped me in my early days of panic attack. I remember the fear and agony of trying to stay calm during a panic attack but couldn’t stop it. I didn’t realize that my panic was making my amygdala to form stronger neural connections that would trigger more future attacks. It would have saved me countless years of fear and misery.
and disorders are products of our plasticity.”
-Norman Doidge
I hope this discovery will help others who may one day have a similar situations. These advances in neuroplasticity discoveries are giving a lot of hope to those who are now suffering with all sorts of anxieties. Life is meant to be able to live fully and happily. That is my goal in researching all these areas of mental and physical disorders.
I hope you will continue this journey with me. Thank-you for reading my article on Neuroplasticity: How to deal with Anxiety Disorders Like Panic Attacks. If you would like to follow me, please check HERE.
This is my previous article on Neuroplasticity & Anxiety if you are interested in reading it:
Neuroplasticity: Hope For People With Anxiety?
https://steemit.com/steemiteducation/@cabbagepatch/neuroplasticity-hope-for-people-with-anxiety
Thanks for writing about anxiety. I have small bouts with it and have lost the ability to drive on a highway and not certain that i'll ever get on a plane again. It is far too easy for those that aren't challenged by anxiety to laugh it off or tell you to "Get over it"
Dear @wakeupsheeps, I know what you have been going through. When I had my first panic attack while driving, which was decades ago, I literally had such terror that I probably fed more into my panic. I also wasn't able to drive on the freeway and it got worse to where just being behind the wheel was challenging. I ended up in the emergency room twice. Those were some of the worst days of my life. Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and just know that eventually you will slowly recover. I am back to driving on the highway and haven't has another attack for a very long time.
With this new journey into Neuroplasticity, I feel there is hope for sufferers of panic disorder and other anxieties. As for those who are not sensitive to your situation, just know that unfortunately, as long as they never experience it, they will never know the true sheer terror of it. Maybe you should tell them to read actual articles of what people go through.
I appreciate your comments and hope this series of articles will help you and others. My mission is to educate because knowledge is so powerful. Take care @wakeupsheeps! :D
@cabbagepatch, I honestly didn't know what fear was until I went skydiving, like the gyroscope in my head was thrown off line after that event. It slowly got worse, to the point that coworkers drove me home from work one day because I couldn't face the drive by myself.
I've made do using secondary roads and occasionally steeling myself enough to get on the highway, but I can't hold 60mph in a car, 50 is about all I can muster. I will read through the rest of your articles. Thanks for writing them.
@wakeupsheeps it is so unbelievable how after skydiving your trouble began. I guess fear must have been great enough to trigger that response. They say that it takes something big to trigger that threshold that sets panic in motion. But don't give up. They are trying new ways to get people better. We somehow have to put fear in its place.
Again, @wakeupsheeps, I am so touched by your willingness to share. It is such a wonderful feeling of friendship. Please take care and again, thank-you for sharing and supporting!!! :D
A great series and very interesting to read as I deal with anxiety in my line of work as well as suffering from it in the past.
Personally for me yoga, reiki and mindfulness worked a treat and although I do get the odd bout of mild anxiety its under control. I do understand some people I work with this approach does not work in the slightest. A lot of my time is spent finding the right solution as everyone is different. Sometimes finding the source of the anxiety is key sometime not.
I guess its about, taking time to understand the individual case and developing a solution with that person for their anxiety. Or tailoring a few solutions together to create their own solution. In other situations helping them to develop their own solutions :)
@vibeof100monkeys you are right in that everyone has things that work and for others it doesn't. That is why with more awareness of what is available, I'm hoping to at least present what little I know to help them. I have been so happy that many have replied with their own techniques and stories. Maybe this will help all those out there who need some guidance and knowledge. Appreicate your support and feedback. Have a great upcoming Friday! :D
Yes at an OT I am loving the ideas. I am always looking for new ideas and new approaches. The bigger the list you have the quicker you can find an option. A fantastic subject and great writing. Brilliant work :)
Much appreciation for your wonderful words!!! :D
CBD Oil puts a wall between you and a panic attack.
The fear just can not get through.
I can say this from my own experience.
I felt it happen after taking 3 drops under my tong within 15 minutes.
You can buy it online or make it yourself.
It has been a medicine for hundreds of years of over the planet
until Big Pharma took i t over.
After having a phobia for 15 years and lots of therapy I am now 99.99% free of phobia fear.
Build your positive experiences and the fear will fade ...
@openheart, I really appreciate the comment and especially about CBD Oil. Good to know. If it is alright I may use this information from you with credit to you about CBD Oil in a future article. I really want to educate those who need the help or awareness of what a true sufferer of anxiety goes through.
When I had my first panic attack, which was decades ago, there was very little information out there. I didn't have internet so I was literally going to the library or looking in bookstores to learn what was happening to me. Even my doctor didn't know what was wrong because all of my tests came back normal. It was the worst time of my life not knowing.
That is why I am on this mission to educate those who need help. So I truly appreciate your support and information. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart! Have a great day!!! :D
Sure cabbagepatch, use it :)
You have a great day too and a hug :)
Thank-you! :D
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"Some panic attacks can go on for hours, but if you let the adrenaline rush happen, it will pass more quickly." <-- so true!
Another technique I use and sometimes work is to acknowledge where I am and to pin point 3 things from my surroundings.
I just wonder if I will ever get rid from this fear cycle.
You will get better in time. The main goal is to try to lessen the attacks. The longer you go without an attack your threshold will go higher and before long you will not have another attack. I haven't had one for about 20 years now. Time will make you better! Just don't focus on panic, fear, stress. It takes time but it is worth the effort!
Keep the research on going, these articles are very informative!
Thank-you @celestal for your kind comment and support. I'm trying to educate people about anxiety and its horrible effects on people's lives. The more education, the more awareness, the more help to those who suffer from it. When I had my attack so long ago, even my doctor didn't know what was going on with me. I literally had to do my own research back then. And I didn't have the internet!!!
Now I want to help those who may be going through pain disorder with education and knowledge. I really appreciate your comment! Thank-you so much!!! :D
Aah no problem :D I know the feeling, I've also had a panic attack one time in my life already 5-6 years ago tho, so I'm good now. But man, it was a complete break down and the lowest point in my life. It happened at school but luckily the support was immediate from it.
I'm glad it was only once. It is such a horrible experience that even one time is enough though. Thank-you for your comments and here's to a better future with happiness! :D
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