Kinesiology and panic attacks
Have you ever had a panic attack? Or have you ever seen anyone get one? It can be a very scary thing for a person to experience. You can become completely overwhelmed by a feeling that seems to be outside of your control. The most rational person in the world simply cannot calm themselves down.
What is happening when I get panic attacks?
Scientists are not yet clear why panic attacks occur. It is clear however, that during a panic attack an imbalance occurs in the flight or fight response. Under stress or perceived stress, survival behaviours kick in to make you either run for your life, fight for your life or be as quiet as you can. Your heart rate increases, breathing become faster and shallow, adrenaline gets pumped through the body and extra blood goes from the brain the major muscles. All this happens to prepare you in the face of danger.
Why would this happen, it makes no sense?
These reactions make perfect sense in terms of dealing with a predator – like a lion. In fact this is the reason that these responses are there in the first place. But why would they occur when there is no real threat to your life?
Several factors may contribute to this. Many panic attack sufferers develop the symptoms as a result of a traumatic incident. A reminder of the same incident can set off fear which fires the “fight or flight” response leading to an attack. This can be part of post traumatic stress.
Studies have also shown that overly passive people – those that find it hard to stand up for themselves, are more likely to be sufferers. If you can’t stand up for yourself, then there are more things to be afraid of and more reasons to be on the alert.
Similarly, if you were brought up with an overly cautious view of the world, you are more likely to be a sufferer too. You may have subconsciously learned that “Everything is scary”.
In both these cases you have not learned normal coping skills to deal with everyday challenges. This can leave you feeling constantly vulnerable. If you add in regular life stress to the mix – you become totally overwhelmed and your rational takes a back seat to your fear. This is why panic attacks typically occur in early adulthood. Life becomes too much to deal with.
How does kinesiology help with my panic attacks?
Kinesiology allows you to see what underlying causes are firing your panic attack. Acupressure formatting – unique to kinesiology, can then be used to target where in the brain the malfunction is occurring. Usually with panic attacks the Medulla Oblongata (breathing control center) and the Amygdala (flight & fight center) are out of balance. We access these areas, find the imbalances and bring them back to normal levels. It’s a safe and non-invasive process and the result is long lasting.
