Page 37 - Advance Copy: Todd Kaufman, Author

HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY & END PANIC ATTACKS
I moved in close to Becky and took her hands. I made eye contact with her, squeezed her hands and told her with as much authority as I could muswter (which is pretty substantial in these situations!) the first key to stepping out of the panic attack: “Becky, you are having a panic attack. Panic attacks are incredibly uncomfortable. Panic attacks are not dangerous.”
I confidently held her hands, looked into her eyes, and repeated again: “Becky, you are having a panic attack. Panic attacks are incredibly uncomfortable. Panic attacks are not dangerous.”
I could tell Becky’s brain began to process this fact.
I said, “Have you had these before?”
She nodded. She was not yet able to catch her breath. “And they always end, don’t they?”
Becky again nodded and she relaxed her grip.
“Have you ever woken up dead from one of these panic attacks?”
She tilted her head as part of her brain continued to panic, and another part tried to devote resources to a question that seemed pretty ridiculous. She smiled a bit.
“Well Becky,” I continued, “You just managed to nail the mother lode of all panic attacks tonight!” I laughed gently and Becky chuckled. (Laugher is clinically proven to lower cortisol levels!) “Good thing we are on the tail end of this one!” I confirmed for her vigilant brain.
I had just shared with Becky a second key to ending panic attacks: Panic attacks always come to an end.
Panic attacks always come to an end.
She became more present. She was feeling a little more grounded and began to settle. I encouraged her to smile and to even laugh. Her amygdala finally decided the world was a
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