If any of us could have watched today’s pandemic news 3 years ago, we would have thought it was some dark futuristic plot. Today, the need for a special health pass and the divide between the haves, have-nots and wavers is a reality. No psyche is ready to adapt and accept such processes as normal so quickly. Life in constant threat to health, changing demands that become more and more imperative and without alternative. An everyday life in which, in addition to the catastrophic information, there is also the threat of social isolation and deprivation of freedoms… All this consciously and subconsciously creates hitherto unknown pressure on our psyche. And she has to react. Often this reaction is expressed in defensive functions such as the increasingly common panic attacks. This is also the reason for the campaign “Beautiful Mind” of a chain of gyms “Next Level” to be so successful – because it gives answers to the questions that we all secretly ask ourselves and which, however, greatly worry our body and psyche. On the campaign’s platform, created specifically to support mental health during a pandemic, everyone can check which physical activity will best affect their condition at the moment.
This month the theme of the campaign is panic attacks. That is why the psychologist and consultant of the “Beautiful Mind” campaign Ani Vladimirova tells what they actually are and how we can master them.
What causes panic attacks?
“Today, in order to be able to function with a relatively satisfactory social activity, a person needs to fulfill certain conditions: examinations, vaccination, green certificate… And this is where the additional stress begins. Many people report that they do not feel comfortable getting vaccinated. They lack convincing and reassuring information. Others have focused on their subjective sense of loss of freedom and accumulated anger and anxiety. Still others fight for “Pro” and “Against” causes, looking for the true solution for themselves. Too many people share that it is as if their lives and decisions are not theirs! They can’t see the future!”, explains Vladimirova.
What happens to the body during a panic attack?
All this leads to the unlocking of the stress axis intensively and for a long time. The hypothalamus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands are harnessed to produce the stress biochemistry that is supposed to help us cope with danger. However, the dangers do not go away. They are around us, in us, in the other person, in frustrating circumstances, in the news… When this axis starts to “burn out”, we become hyper-emotional and anxious. Our thoughts can say: “It’s okay, it won’t happen!”, but every organ, every system has taken in more doses of adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol and start giving signals, the psychologist continues.
The autonomic nervous system is the first physical alarm signaling that the situation is out of control. Psychosomatics appears in everyone, according to the “weak place”. In more emotional and reactive people, variations in blood pressure begin that seem scary. They tie the victim to the blood pressure machine and take away the trust from his body. Numbness of the limbs as reactions also of the peripheral nervous system follows. In more vulnerable and sensitive people comes gastrointestinal discomfort and insomnia. They create a belief of unworthiness and hopelessness. More balanced types of neurophysiology are also not immune. They accumulate fatigue, seizures, headaches, insomnia, which creates a general uncertainty, both here and now, and about the future.
As the most powerful manifestation of stress and powerlessness in a changing and uncertain environment, panic states come. They harness the whole body in the alarm system. From high doses of stress biochemistry, the activity of the cardiovascular system rises sharply and intensively, manifested in palpitations and fear. Their biological function is to prepare the body for fight or flight, but no one can escape the pandemic conditions. Then comes spasms in the vessels of the lung – not because something fatal is happening, but because fear leads to a blockage. In combination with the acceleration of breathing, the frightening feeling of lack of air is reached. The gastrointestinal tract, which is richly innervated, has taken the tension for a long time and therefore “rolls up into a ball”. The bladder also reacts violently to stress. Peripheral nerve endings in turn also give signals with tingling and tingling. The skin, as the largest organ that can detoxify, will begin to release stress through “cold sweat”. The body’s reactions are so strong, the brain is so gripped by fear and survival instinct that the rational part shuts down. Then many people think: “I’m going to die! I am going crazy!”. But none of that will happen, Vladimirova reassures us.
It turns out that our otherwise perfect regulatory system has overheated and is giving us a signal that it’s time to find a better and more caring option for our lives, even in the face of strict requirements, restrictions, pandemic exhaustion and uncertainty.
How to deal with panic attacks?
Many people ask us: “How can I turn the situation around?! Feeling all this, I dare not do anything!”. Ani Vladimirova claims that she has a clear program in several steps:
- The first step is not to allow yourself to become isolated from activities and people. Panic attacks and psychosomatic complaints create a constant anxiety that gives up everything for reinsurance. The sharpened instinct for self-preservation is associated with distrust in one’s own capabilities, and a person begins to believe that he is lost. All that remains is the consciousness of sickness and anxious anticipation. So don’t give up meeting friends, going out and being social, going for walks, moving and making plans.
- The next step is to show your brain that it can trust your body again. It is not a traitor, but rather a caring informant of stress overload. So start with walking on a trail, yoga and stretching. This will energize, begin to restore fitness and clear accumulated adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol. By increasing blood flow and activating the function of the lymphatic system, you will literally feel lighter. The stress that many people are experiencing alongside the demands of the pandemic is like a poison that needs to be flushed out, and the best way to do that is through sports. The halls of the Next Level fitness chain offer a wide variety of equipment and training, which you can view on their website: https://www.nextlevelclub.bg
- In the next step comes the time to think about group sports without looking for great achievements. It can be dancing and other aerobic activities. The idea that you can always stop for a break but not leave is important. Blending in with others in the hall, acting in sync, will show your brain that you are like others, in perfectly normal functioning.
- After that, you can now work with moderate weights. To do exercises in series with a certain number and calm intensity. In this way the mind is settled and calmed. It is not by chance that at the height of a panic attack a person may count, perform an activity with the hands to direct the mind to reality and to simple, non-frightening thoughts. Of course, it is good to work with an instructor. He gives the feedback and so the joy of achievements becomes tangible and real: “Who would have thought that I, who could not breathe from panic, can now do so many repetitions of a strength exercise! Here is the reality I have to believe.
There are several important points that should be taken into account by people who deal with panic states and psychosomatics through sports. “Learn to distinguish the sensations that come with sports from those you experienced with panic!” Panic is a highly emotional experience, and any sensation in your body that reminds you of the bad emotion can make you worry! Sport is the path to healing and long-term coping with psychosomatics and panic states,” Vladimirova is convinced.
Therefore, shortness of breath is logical during physical exertion. You control it in sports and do not make associations with panic. More intensive breathing equals better clearance of stress biochemistry. Heart palpitations from any exercise are expected to occur. It is an indication that our body is expelling stress in a healthy way. Exercise strengthens the endothelium, which is a condition for a healthy heart that will withstand the stress of the pandemic, measures, changed conditions and green certificates;
“Sometimes, because of the fear of how the movement will affect me, I can get ringing in my ears.” Sports do not cause such symptoms, but fear and tension! You might feel dizzy from the load! This is an indication that you need to exercise your body more regularly, not that you are having a panic-like experience. The same goes for the “softening of the feet and hands
The best helper to overcome stress and its consequences is our own body. It is the perfect machine that requires movement and smart routing. The training room has all the conditions for this. Feel free to use them.
