Page 81 - Advance Copy: Todd Kaufman, Author

HOW TO MANAGE ANXIETY & END PANIC ATTACKS
“All looks safe to me, but let me tell you what: Let me work with you here, Homer, and keep an eye out in case anything dangerous crops up. In this moment everything seems pretty safe, but I will keep a watch out with you.”
You have now satisfied the two key things Homer wants:
1. You have clearly given him your attention
2. You have supported him in doing a security and safety check of your environment to keep you both safe.
So What if Homer Continues to Release Cortisol?
You can’t win them all! And after all, Homer is pretty experi- enced in flooding you with cortisol. But remember:
1. Panic Attacks are uncomfortable NOT dangerous
2. Never Fight a Panic Attack
3. Panic Attacks always come to an end
Remember the time your child, or someone else’s child had a public meltdown? In a last ditch attempt to get their way that kid threw themselves on the floor, kicking screaming, as hundreds of passerby’s watched? We all cringed! If you weren’t the parent you likely smiled, nodded, and kept going, thanking the universe that kid was not yours! And if it was your kid, you know the only option was to stand by, make sure they did not hurt themselves and let them burn it out. Fighting with them, like fighting with Homer, would only escalate the drama.
So, if after acknowledging Homer and telling him you would help keep him safe, he still decides he need to release
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