Panic And Rage

That moment that happens in your day.  That second when you go from complete stillness to all our panic and rage.  That moment where you feel that you are losing control and you become so angry with yourself that you can't modulate life better.

If that describes you in any way, just know that you're not alone.  I've worked for years on this issue and while I've made progress, there are still moments that panic and rage happen before I can even think about what is happening.  Some moments in life are worse than others and some are better than others.

There are certain triggers like the thumping of a bass sound from a car stereo that will drive me absolutely crazy.  There are triggers like being in a store with the isles having several people or shopping carts in them leaving me feeling trapped.


When we've been abused or when we experience the continual daily buildup of stress, which has over-reached its limits, then we often feel numb and dead in life.  Moments of panic and rage become preferable to shutting down and becoming dead to this world according to Dr Bessel van der Kolk.

Activating the flight or fight response becomes energizing.  Activities such as dangerous moments in life feel more fully alive to people who have become numb.  Attending safer events such as get-togethers with family or friends often bring about a numbness.

If you think about it and identify with this, you can most likely see how it applies to your own life.  When the nervous system has been overloaded and it continues for a long time, the brain changes it chemistry to the point where panic and rage become moments of breathing to the individual.

It takes time to turn off the panic and rage mode.  Identifying those things can help, but all of these things happen in a visceral level.  They happen within the brain, mind, and body.  They happen within the cells.  In order to turn off panic and rage, one needs to interact at the cellular level with their body.

It is more than breathing or the mind body connection.  It is more than biofeedback or other alternative healing modalities.  It is more than a counseling session.

All of these things can be helpful, but in the end, you need to find the right person who is safe and has walked through the fires of their own life.  You need to find that person that can help you engage the mind body connection with the physical and cellular sensations that arise when panic and rage are activated.

Working on one aspect without the other will only do half of what you need to do.  Working on all parts is what will bring you more joy and peace in your life.  You need the brain-body connection in order to fully heal the panic and rage.

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Blog Post And Images (c) 3/29/15 by Don Shetterly

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