# Panic, it's a good thing.....right?



## ValleyGirl (Nov 10, 2017)

So I had a lot of panic attacks in the beginning of dp because of the dp itself. The entire experience terrified me and it took about 8 months for me to "get used to'" the feeling of having dp. After that my panic attacks stopped completely for a year. I felt so disconnected and numb that it felt like my fears didn't apply to me hecause they were unreal. I could easily detach from them and numb out. I recovered to like 95% and had about 10 minutes where I reconnected with reality and around that time the panic attacks came back full force. I have been having them in waves for the past year. I've noticed a distinct pattern, as I start to feel more connected with reality, the panic starts. Then my dr will get a little worse and the panic will stop. I went to Disneyland about a month ago and had a great time. It was so great that my dr started going away. I could feel it, like any second it was going to comoletely disapoear and not 20 minutes later the panic attacks started. Same with the past few days. Two days ago I had a great day. I sat on my deck and I started reconnecting with reality. My vision went to normal for a minute. Then yesterday and today, panic attacks from hell.

Obviously this really sucks but I'm wondering if the panic is a good thing. When my dp was bad, I had no panic because I was so detached and numb. On the days my dr feels worse I have no panic. So doesn't that mean that the no panic mode is my brain detaching and numbing out, while the clearer headed panic mode is my brain trying to process everything without the protective cover of dp? Like a light switch that turns on and off, my brain is repeatedly trying to turn back on and function without the dp. It's trying to take over dealing with my anxieties instead of detaching. That's positive progress right? That's good right?

I'd really love to hear from anyone who's been through this with recovery. Encouragement, wisdom, opinion. Thanks.


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## broken3309 (Oct 23, 2012)

Yes, someone posted a video the other day about how trauma works and in order to get back to being completely relaxed you have to go over a peak of panic first. Welcome them. I am trying to do that myself


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## flipwilson (Aug 19, 2006)

Fearless said:


> You really think panic is good? seriously, the amount of self-deluding people torture themselves on this site is hilarious.


Panic is good Fearless, if you're looking at trauma through the eyes of Peter Levine PhD, Laurence Heller PhD, and loveandtrauma.com. Panic at the very least does indicate the body is no longer in a freeze/immobility mode which is a great thing. Panic is almost like the middle ground, either a patient can go back down into numb or they can clear the mountain top and fall back down into a natural calm state. When I felt better for 2 years that is exactly what happened to me. I had a panic attack on Jan 1st 2012, I rode it out without fear, fell asleep and 2012 turned out to be my best year since in a decade. Panic is showing Valley Girl that her system is not in shutdown any longer.

As much as you are correct with disorganized attachment style and abuse that only answers the psychological component. The physiological aspects can't be ignored and panic could be her body processing trauma, not her brain.

@valleygirl watch the mapping video at loveandtrauma.com


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## Guest (May 9, 2013)

I recommend you read this: http://nothingworks.weebly.com/

It can help you learn to better handle your panic attacks and hopefully keep them from pulling you back under.


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## chazhe (Nov 12, 2012)

It can be a good thing. It means that your nervous system wants to release negative energy. But it is scary, because there is just so much energy! and we can't handle it. That's why we get scared. I agree both with Flipwilson and fearless. But, It would be good to find a therapist to work with. Whatever that works for you, do it.


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## flipwilson (Aug 19, 2006)

Fearless said:


> I know Levine's work, I get what you're saying, but panic is exactly the blocking of the energy release of the nervous system. Panic is getting scared of the release, and keeping yourself stuck. It is the misinterpretation of the natural release.
> 
> Panic without fear is not panic in my terminology, but I get you, and I agree.


In that sense you are correct and I think the 'word' panic doesn't fit exactly what I was talking about. I guess it would be better phrased as just fight or flight response. But we're on the same page nonetheless.

@valleygirl.....stick with those feelings. Who knows, you could actually be on your way to a full lasting recovery. peace.


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## ValleyGirl (Nov 10, 2017)

flipwilson said:


> Panic is good Fearless, if you're looking at trauma through the eyes of Peter Levine PhD, Laurence Heller PhD, and loveandtrauma.com. Panic at the very least does indicate the body is no longer in a freeze/immobility mode which is a great thing. Panic is almost like the middle ground, either a patient can go back down into numb or they can clear the mountain top and fall back down into a natural calm state. When I felt better for 2 years that is exactly what happened to me. I had a panic attack on Jan 1st 2012, I rode it out without fear, fell asleep and 2012 turned out to be my best year since in a decade. Panic is showing Valley Girl that her system is not in shutdown any longer.
> 
> As much as you are correct with disorganized attachment style and abuse that only answers the psychological component. The physiological aspects can't be ignored and panic could be her body processing trauma, not her brain.
> 
> @valleygirl watch the mapping video at loveandtrauma.com


Thank you for this! It helps me so much to see that this is, indeed, positive progress. I will look into the links you provided. Btw, did you relapse? I thought I saw you post that you were recovered a while back.


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