Can meditation help with panic attacks? No. And yes.

April 5, 2011   |   12 Comments

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I received this from a reader the other day:
Q: “I was wondering if the meditation practice can help with panic attacks at all? Or if you know anyone who has suffered from panic attacks and been able to overcome them through meditation?”

A: I know someone who has suffered from panic attacks. Me. I still suffer from them, although far less frequently.

I don’t have a simple answer, like: “yes, meditation helps with panic attacks,” or, “no, it will not help at all.” The truth, for me, is that it has been extremely helpful on some levels and utterly unhelpful on others.

First, the unhelpful: When I began experiencing panic attacks (about 8 years ago), everyone I know told me to “just meditate.” Like they were surprised that a meditator could panic. Well believe me, I tried. When I could feel a panic attack begin, I would try to meditate through it–i.e. just start meditating, which means opening to and allowing the feelings, no matter how dreadful and debilitating. This totally did not work–it made the panic worse. Panic attacks are extremely claustrophobic, at least for me. In fact, claustrophobia is the reason for my panic attacks. Meditation felt like a further tightening up, not a letting go. So that didn’t work.

Next, I tried to “meditate” on something that, if it were to happen in reality, would ease my claustrophobia. The plane door opening (after landing). Imagining myself in a huge, open, sunny field. Etc, etc. These also made it worse because I only realized how far I was from such relief.

Throughout all of this I noticed that no matter what my tactic, my own mind would rear up and attack me with further desperate thoughts about how what I feared most was actually unpreventable. Every “reasonable” thought I could come up with was immediately defeated by 500 stronger (unreasonable) thoughts. I was no match for my own mind. I realized that what was being triggered was the part of my brain that was immune to reason altogether–my “lizard brain” or limbic system or most animalistic center. Trying to reason with it would be like trying to explain to my cats why they don’t have to be afraid of the vacuum cleaner. So I gave up trying to use my grown-up meditation instructor voice with myself and just took clonipin (a sedative)when I had to do stuff like fly on an airplane. This was actually very helpful because at that point, I could actually meditate. Seriously. I’m not suggesting that anyone medicate to meditate as it were, but when I took some kind of sedative, because I was so ridiculously hopped up on adrenalin, I was still very alert. It was like I could observe my experience from a safe distance, whereupon I saw the hopelessness of trying to talk myself out of panic and could instead sympathize with the part of me that, no matter how unreasonably, thought it was trapped against its will and about to be suffocated. I basically stopped feeling ashamed or chagrined about my panic attacks, which turned out to be a step in the right direction.

Second, the helpful: Meditation proved to be an invaluable tool in taking a broader view of my panic attacks. I knew that no matter how solid and real they seemed, they were not and if I could just introduce a little space (from clonipin or otherwise), I could work with the attacks. Not to cut them or stop them, but to relate to them as deeply wounded friends. Not easy, I know. When you’re hyperventilating and crying and sweating and shaking and basically desperate, all you want to do is get away. At least, I did. But through my practice, I found a way to soften a tiny bit toward my own experience and this enabled me to take the step that turned out to be most helpful of all: to request the kindness of others. On countless airplanes, elevators, and buses, I’ve asked actual human strangers if they would talk to me because I was claustrophobic and just a few moments of conversation would calm me down. In each and every case, the stranger agreed. They would smile at me and help me and, beyond any and everything–meditation, clonipin, visualizing open space–this stopped my panic from arising beyond my control. So, a long-winded answer, but there you have it.

And PS, I haven’t taken clonipin to fly in several years. I even took the subway a few months ago, something I thought I might never do again in my life. OK, I had to get off every few stops, but still. Step by step, each step with more gentleness toward yourself and your panic.

Wishing you all best, Susan

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12 Comments

  • Posted by:  Amy

    Oh Susan thank you! This is so similar to my own experience (except my helper of choice was Xanax). When I have needed the Xanax to help in high adrenaline situations, I try to look at it as my doorway to grace. Thanks to that grace I can spend the time I would have been hyperventilating towards meditation, or as I did recently, helping someone else that was having a panic attack.

  • Posted by:  Susan

    I love that view, Amy. We each have to figure out what works for us… And how lovely that you were there to help someone else.

  • Yes, there is a lot of evidence out there that suggest sitting with our minds is the LAST thing someone with anxiety, etc. needs. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. asserts that the most efficacious approaches are movement based — martial arts, dance, etc. Panic/anxiety happens because we have learned not to ACT from our bodies and then that becomes habitual. To release these patterns, we must literally MOVE them out of ourselves. 🙂

  • Posted by:  Susan

    Helpful. Thanks, Christine.

  • Posted by:  Ruth

    Further to Christine’s comment I was told that it is impossible to have a panic attack and try to juggle two or three balls at the same time, because the effort to juggle engages both the right and left sides of the brain. I’ve yet to be in a situation where I can try this out!

  • Posted by:  Jacob Morris

    Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory offers a good explanation for why enlisting the comforting presence of others helps during anxiety. I, too, will just turn to a stranger, tell them I’m having a panic attack, and ask if s/he will talk to me for a moment.

    • Posted by:  susan

      Interesting, thanks for the tip. And glad you’ve also discovered the presence of others as a source of relief!

  • Posted by:  Carla

    This is similar to my own expereinces with panic attacks. Although a bit disheartening to read. I try to ‘stay with them’, as people often tell me to do, but often the anxiety is often so overwhelming that I just can’ and I end up running away. I’m still hoping that meditation will help me somehow though. At the moment I don’t leave the house very much and if meditation can’t help me then I don’t know what can at this point!

    • Posted by:  susan

      I hope it will be helpful, Carla. Although it’s not a cure, it’s definitely a powerful support.

    • Posted by:  Ghada

      Also, this is similar to my case. I never go out of home unless I am accompanied with someone. And to go shopping I have a friend who goes out with me and distract my mind so I am safe with her. My sister got over panic attacks 7 years ago through TM, and has advised me to do it but I never thought I have panic attack until recently. My dr. didn’t diagnose it either. But now, I am going to make it a point to do meditation, it is easy and requires no medication.

      • Posted by:  susan

        I truly wish you the best…

  • Posted by:  Goezera

    In my experience meditation didn’t help with my anxiety actually it got worst….

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