Dealing With Panic Attacks - The Critical Moment of Decision

A little story about having a panic attack while out on a bike ride and how each of us faces a moment of decision when that happens. What will you do? How will you handle it? What is your plan?
The decision we make at that moment is impactful in so many ways both short and long term so I took 15 minutes to talk about it. I hope it’s helpful in some way.
Comments and questions always welcomed!
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[@tomklahn6107]

Dude. You’re so inspirational. I feel like you’re speaking to my soul.

[@swagkidm10]

I wish i was at 136 bpm when anxiety kicks in, thats what it goes up to just standing if im anxious. 170 plus during a panic attack smh i am 30 but its so debilitating . Going to keep trying

[@jp2726]

This could be the most important panic video on youtube. It is the Rosetta Stone

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Those are VERY kind words. Thank you so much. I might not take it that far, but I do appreciate that you found it helpful! :-)

[@j_si97]

Great video and explanation! Thank you sir, this is exactly what I need right now.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Glad it was helpful! 🙂

[@KevinMurphy01]

Just discovered you. I have pure Obsessional OCD/Bipolar II/GAD and it's great to hear I'm not the only one with these symptoms. Thanks for doing what you do, man.

[@mayda2060]

I have PTSD .. I'm hyper vigilant..and got anticipatory anxiety... 😢

[@swagkidm10]

Thank you fir this, currently in my lowest state mentally and have been suffering lately from bad panic attacks. I will get better 🙏

[@Olivia-lx3qm]

Thanks drew love these thanks so much for making this and i hope you can make some more videos really soon 😊

[@lauramuglia6578]

Perfect. Thanx

[@afifahabdulrahman177]

I can relate to your point about the lingering feeling of hopelessness after doing the safety behaviour and felt as if I was saved by it.And ironically later I prayed I wish to get another attack so that I can try to not to do my safety behaviour and see if I can stay and stand whatever the panic brings..it’s a constant battle!Sorry for the broken English I hope you understand

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Your English was just fine. I totally understood! I love your willingness to experience panic again so you can practice. That's great! :-)

[@mayda2060]

I had a PA today in a taxi..i had to sit down..have water .. i was courageous enough to think a bit rationally.. I was able to calm down..this happens to me because of a brutal exposure.. I had to talk with my fiance.. I felt drained and burnt out...but I'm brave ❤

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

You did it! That is absolutely brave. Do not minimize the brave part with words like "brutal" or the clinging to the idea that the water or talking to your fiancé should get the credit for getting to the other side. You did that. Well done!

[@doomgrave1]

Thank you

[@bekkp]

Thank you so much … I used to watch your videos like 15 years ago but then I got better and thought I would never need it again. I guess I’ve unconsciously fallen back into avoidance behaviours and thinking over the years and now it seems to be threatening to come back in full force and I’m losing confidence in myself to do certain things. I’ll muster up the strength to take the leaps of faith again but MAN this is hard.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Recognizing the return to avoidance is a big deal! Its a level of insight that gives you a leg up this time, so well done on that! I hate that this is hard work, but you are correct. It really is.

[@tracystandish1846]

Hi Drew. Love your videos. I think I watched all of you and Billy's video. Suffer from all this crap to. Everyday!! Ps. I'm from up state N. Y.

[@vancewhittall2810]

Thank you for posting this....had a similar 'episode' today, working in the heat (30C 86F) when I had a quick break and then climbed a set of steps to bring a refrigerator down......whoa! ...all the sensations that you mention, a kind of flash panic attack, thought that I was past these as well....fortunately didn't last too long, but knocks one back a bit.......but what did Dr Claire say ? "accept the setbacks"......so....

[@swagkidm10]

Definitely re Watching it one year later, helped once why not again

[@panthersprung5161]

I remember when I was on the subway in Rome, Italy. I had to drive about 10 stations and panic began to creep in at the second and steadily built up. With each station there were more people getting in and I considered telling my girlfriend and her friend that we would just get out at the next station or else I am going to have the worst panic attack of my life and I am going to die. But of course I didn't want to make a scene and tried to power through just long enough until we made it to the our station. When I was about to not take it anymore, two big loud talking families got in and completely blocked us with their luggage and I would have to make the biggest operational effort to tell my girlfriend, get the attention of the families, make it past them and their luggage and get out. I just said ok no, fuck it, this is literally impossible, so I will just have to have the panic. The panic reached a high point after like 2 seconds when I was trapped like that and then literally went to ZERO in 5 seconds and gave way to a pleasant feeling of being at absolute ease that stayed with me the whole day. I could have kissed everybody on the train. Years later the panic is back due to a health scare but deep down I know I just have to live my life and when panic comes I just have to accept to feel it.

[@COLOFIDUTI]

i have heart anxiety and my fear revolve around any change in my heart rate,so my exposure is through exercise and it is tough man! definitely the hardest thing i had to do in my life

[@swagkidm10]

Youre doing better then me man, cardio phobia sucks i was working out daily but in bed for 2 days now too damn scared smh

[@bumbumbumbum1000]

I pedal slowly around London.I've been known to burst into tears at traffic lights.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

One day I would enjoy pedaling a bit around London too!

[@steveevans7046]

I'm loving all of the time you've put into doing all of this help you give all of us . And the new beard is very cool .

[@steveevans7046]

Thank you.....

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

You're welcome Steve. Glad I'm helping in some way. :-)

[@steveevans7046]

Everything you say makes perfect sense . But my biggest problem is being able to quiet the mind and not fighting it . I've bought a bike also but it only goes with me to the coast to ride along the seafront . Must make more of an effort which I've been saying for a long time now . Lol

[@steveevans7046]

Makes perfect sense at the moment but all seems to go the wrong way and don't make that right decision.

[@steveevans7046]

I'm not sure if you've heard this explanation I once had from a therapist. She told me that fighting anxiety is like trying to push an inflatable ball under water . The more you try and push the harder it will come back so just let it float past.

[@briangonzalez5360]

My heart rate is 195 when I work out and that scares the shit out of me

[@AlbaLynxQueen]

My heart rate is 130 when I stand up. Every time. And that's on bets blockers. It's called POTS. It's always normal if I lie fown.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

POTS is a real physiological condition that does have to be medically managed. No doubt about that. Some folks do have this issue. I'm really sorry you have to deal with that. It can be quite disruptive for sure. xx

[@swagkidm10]

Same here but the said it was afib upon standing then orthostatic hypotension so il confused and has made my cardiophobia much worse smh

[@evertbjorklund9750]

Hi do you have any medicin for you panicattaks and what? I have panicattaks and not i have to get help but im so scard!!

[@PremiumFuelOnly]

I wonder why it seems to happen after you stop the activity?

[@oohellosaweenaoo]

❤❤ I do this all the time! I feel like I just escape death or watever it was…. I thought I got saved cuz i made it home or run to the car.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

That's the part where your running gets credit that it doesn't deserve for saving you. Because you never actually needed saving from how you felt (even when its really scary) and you are the one that handles it all the time even when that looks kinda ugly and not the way you want it to look. Take the credit. You're doing that! xx

[@casiemoore9959]

Do you think that being occupied by the task of riding the bike eased up the panic, made it more tolerable? I am noticing that when I am productive in some way when my panic attacks hit they reside much more quickly. I feel like it is related somehow to my ADHD.

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Good question! Riding the bike added to the panic because ... heart beat and sweating and breathing hard! It added to my sense of danger and agitation, but when I decided to continue riding I did so because I knew that I could not retreat from that fear. I chose to keep riding, but had I experienced panic while driving, or reading, or being in a conversation, or whatever else, I could have chosen to continue doing those things too. And yes, when you re-engage with life even when afraid, things tend to calm down much more quickly even though initially it feels like such a bad idea. ;-)

[@Waves353]

I can somewhat float/surrender when walking away from the home, but driving this is terrifying and feels really unsafe Do you think if I could handle panic walking/the store (agoraphobia) that driving is the same? I’m even have extreme anxiety just at home and can’t watch tv as it’s too triggering. Wasted nearly 3 years of my life messing myself up more with meds which has just exacerbated the original panic x1000

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

People often think that they have to overcome 1000 different fears but really, your fear is the panic/anxiety itself, not the walking or the store or the driving or the TV. You fear how you feel. So yes, at a basic level exposures that use walking or going to the store - when used as a way to intentionally trigger the discomfort and practice tolerating and moving through it - do translate to other exposures. Walking exposures won't suddenly make you happy to drive and excited to do it but learning how to handle panic in one context makes the other contexts more approachable, even through your brain will insist otherwise and will still produce anticipatory anxiety before the other challenges because "they're harder".

[@santsu8392]

Drew, how do you feel about looking back at this video now? Have you experienced any near panic attack like this recently?

[@AlbaLynxQueen]

Of course. He has panic attacks from time to time. He hasn't really recovered. He just learned to live with it and not make it worse by ruminating and adding more fear

[@santsu8392]

@@AlbaLynxQueen thanks mate

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

See that's where you don't get to define "recovered" for me. I am FULLY recovered because if it doesn't matter if I have a panic attack or not today, how is it in any way impacting my life? You define your life your way but with all due respect, please be careful about declaring what mine is. I have not just "learned to live with it". That's a gross misrepresentation. Anxiety is never taken into account in my life the way it used to be. Its a non-issue. That's far more than "learned to live with it".

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Why does that matter? I am quite open about the fact that I might have a panic attack maybe a few times a year. There is ZERO impact on my life if it does happen. Other than a scary couple of minutes and an uncomfortable 15-30 minutes, its a non-event. Looking back at this video isn't terribly impactful for me because I have no reaction to the thought of panic any longer. That's a really important point.

[@santsu8392]

@@TheAnxiousTruth so it's "okay" to be scared during the time we are experiencing the panic or dizziness. But not hold on to it for rest of the day retrospecting about why and how's.

[@mattbishop7796]

Did you ever think.....if only I had a mint! Lol

[@mattbishop7796]

You did lol. 8:47

[@mattbishop7796]

This is recovery in a nutshell. Great vid 👍🏻

[@TheAnxiousTruth]

Oh man. Mints and cold water were my jam back in the day!