Techniques for calming oneself during panic, PTSD and anxiety attacks:
By: TYRA LEESMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Grounding is really just another word for centering oneself and relaxing as a way to get one’s Amygdala to calm down, according to Dr. Vicki Ritts, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology. The Amygdala is the part of the brain that deals with emotion. When someone is experiencing an anxiety attack, panic attack, PTSD attack, or are simply feeling emotionally unbalanced, some doctors recommend practicing grounding techniques to help one control their feelings and actions when it might feel otherwise impossible.
“I had my first panic attack when I was 19. I was under a ton of stress and I was driving and just had to pull over, I got so freaked out about everything in my life. I was physically hyperventilating, and I thought maybe I was having a heart attack, but it was just all that worry finally catching up to me. The doctor at the hospital said I could try counting or naming the people in my family or describing my favorite place. The next time it happened, I did that out loud and it helped me remember that I was actually okay, and then I could deal with the stressors,” said Amelia Long, a Meramec student with diagnosed Anxiety.
According to Ritts, Anxiety should be professionally treated when it interferes with your daily life and functioning causing much distress, and though grounding might be used in that treatment, it isn’t the whole solution. Individuals often have issues of anxiety that do not interfere with their everyday function, and do not cause them high levels of distress. This is when grounding might be most beneficial.
“There are several (techniques) and they are very individualized–meaning what works for one person might not work for another. Some techniques include focusing on a particular object, perhaps a favorite stone, breathing 5 senses technique–focus your mind on each of your senses individually, work on keeping yourself in the present, meditation, yoga, list 5 positive things in your life, or exercise,” said Ritts.
According to Long, people can be creative with their techniques, since they are based in common sense. “I saw a Netflix show where the main character had PTSD and whenever she was feeling overwhelmed, she looked really sick and terrified. But that’s when she started naming the streets where she grew up. If you can remember the streets by your childhood home, I think that would be a pretty good technique for grounding,” said Long.
According to Ritts, “The problem is when we are anxious, our anxiety takes over all our thoughts. Always remember that when your anxiety is causing you distress and dysfunction in your daily life it is best to seek treatment.”
