If you struggle with panic attacks or panic disorder, you may be gripped by a very common fear. You may be afraid that one day you will have a panic attack so big, so intense, so severe, that there is permanent impact. The most common variations on this theme revolve around panic or high anxiety that simply never ends, or that trigger a psychotic break or slide into insanity.
This is the “ultimate” panic attack. Do you fear this ultimate panic attack? Are you afraid that you will wind up in a state of insanity of permanent torture?
So many members of our community harbor this fear. So many live each day in a state of hyper vigilance, always scanning the horizon for the approaching threat. Bracing. Holding on. Knowing that surrender and acceptance is the way, but unable to bring themselves to truly let go for fear that they will be overtaken once and for all by the ultimate panic attack.
Let me give you some good news. No such panic attack exists. It never has. There is no such thing as permanent panic, and no direct path from a panic attack to a state of insanity or psychosis. I am aware that at its peak, panic will often have you believing that you are mere nanoseconds from “snapping” and completely losing control of your mind and/or body. I know how that feels. It is quite terrifying, however that fear does not have any connection to any real potential outcome.
“Ultimate” panic that never ends or drives one to insanity simply does not exist, no matter how much you fear that it does or feel that you are inches away from it.
I can tell you this 1000 times over the next four days. You may believe me and feel relieved temporarily, but as it is so often said in this community, “When the panic hits, everything I know goes out the window.” The minute you sense signs or signals of rising anxiety, you will forget what I told you and your fear will return.
So how can you finally believe once and for all that your fear of the “ultimate” panic attack is unfounded?
Sadly, you will believe this once you let ultimate panic come and get you, then experience repeated outcomes where it does not. Let go. Allow the worst outcome. Then it never happens. Repeat. Over time you will finally believe that there is no such thing as the ultimate panic attack and you will lose the belief and fear of permanent torture or insanity.
Right about now you’re probably cursing me under your breath.
“I KNEW he was going to say that!”
Of course I was. But that is always the way.
I’m guessing that the next question in your head is,
“OK Drew, but HOW do I let go, surrender, and accept the worst outcome?”
That is what The Anxious Morning is all about. As we go down this path together there will be many lessons on many different topics that ultimately all converge at “How?”
“How?” is a short question with a very long answer. Long enough and complex enough that we’ll do our best to answer it with at least 259 more short tips, lessons, essays, thoughts, and questions for us to read and ponder together in 2022.
Tomorrow we’ll look at why the morning is full of power and promise, regardless of what your anxiety is telling you.
Every Tuesday I’ll let you know what I’m currently reading. I read quite a bit on psychology and philosophy, but really you never know what I’ll have in my Kindle or Audible libraries! If you’re on Goodreads and into books, you can follow/friend me over there. Here’s a link to my “currently reading” shelf. I’d love to see what you’re reading and what you recommend.
I’m currently listening to Steal Like An Artist, Show Your Work, and Keep Going by Austin Kleon. I love creativity and creative people so these easy, entertaining books by a super creative guy are really awesome. Check em out if you’re into that sort of thing. :-)
2. Does The "Ultimate" Panic Attack Exist?