Great Expectations

When my oldest son was 10, I remember picking him up from a two-week camping trip. He was excited to be home, and as I learned later, he imaged running into the house and collapsing on his favorite chair in our living room. He was in for a surprise, for while he was away, my husband and I rearranged the furniture.

He was shocked when he ran in ready to leap. Instead of what he expected, the chair wasn’t there He became disoriented by the change and very upset. Having a predictable environment disappear in two short weeks threatened his security, making him lash out at his parents.

The way my son reacted is not at all uncommon. I had a similar experience when I was twelve and arrived home after school to find my bedroom bureau askew. My grandfather was hidden behind fixing an electrical outlet. The shock I felt from my bureau being out of place flooded through my body. I was hot and tense and began shouting at my mother. By the time my grandfather stood up to see what the commotion was about, I calmed down. But I was embarrassed and felt like hiding. How did such a violent emotional reaction occur so fast?

Today, I realize that my son and I experienced a fight-or-flight response to what we perceived as a stressful situation. A surge of adrenaline made us more sensitive to our environment giving us an automatic physiological reaction to an event we perceived as frightening. Autonomic or involuntary nervous systems are difficult to control.

I mention these stories because many triggers today are making us react to perceived threats where there are none. We panic at hearing a car backfire, assuming it is a gun going off, are afraid of walking on the same side of the street as a tattooed person with piercings and chains, and fearful that someone in the car next to us is in the midst of road rage. I recently read of a woman who will not leave her apartment because she is afraid of the radiation from a nuclear weapon. 

We panic in the presence of immigrants, those of color, and people with different cultural, sexual, or religious beliefs. We have nightmares about becoming homeless. New to the list are those with a different political view. Children are afraid of being shot in school and being bullied online. Any of these fears can trigger a panic attack and bring on a flight-or-fight response.

The flight-or-flight response was useful when our ancestors lived among dangerous predators. Imagine what would happen if a hungry bear came wandering into your cave. In that situation, responding quickly with added strength given by a surge of adrenaline and cortisol would increase your chances of surviving.

People used to think that body and brain were separate entities, but today we know that they are connected. It’s just that it is easier to understand voluntary nervous responses. You hit a brick wall and feel the pain. Bingo, you got it!

The involuntary or less conscious part of our nervous system baffles us. It can cause havoc during panic attacks that occur without the presence of danger. Borrowing from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1933 inaugural speech when talking about the Great Depression, “. . .the only thing we have fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

The response triggers of panic are:

• Increased heart rate
• rapid breathing
• increased blood flow to muscles creating tension
• dilation of pupils
• hearing loss
• tunnel vision that focuses on the danger at hand
• sweating to cool your body’s response to the heat generated as your body prepares to confront danger.

These bodily changes enable fast reactions that usually dissipate in twenty minutes. But what happens when a response is triggered when there is no danger? It often produces prolonged stress that leads to ulcers or heart disease. Studies show that over the past ten years, anxiety and panic attacks have increased among both genders and all education groups, most especially among those with some college. It is greater among adults who have never been married, young adults, and those with the lowest income. They often start after a serious illness or accident, the death of someone close, separation from family, or the birth of a baby. 

Pandemics, gun violence, police brutality, fears around global warming, high expectations, parental disapproval, and peer pressure are factors that contribute to rising anxiety among the population at large. Learning of a school shooting or online bullying can set off reactions that send people to the hospital. 

Those who experience panic attacks need professional help. Talk and drug therapy are among the arsenals used by most counselors. Deep breathing, relaxation practices like visualization and meditation, physical activity, eye desensitization, and social support from family and friends help people cope in moments of acute stress.

The stormy day a 150-foot tree landed on our roof is one I will always remember. Our house shook so much that I was sure we were having an earthquake. The sound of window glass shattering and of rain pelting the floor through the skylight turned my legs to jelly—at first. An instant later my heart started racing, my head spun, and my muscles tensed. As a practiced meditator, I told myself to take deep calming breaths before leaping into action. In a matter of seconds, I was energized and focused on making my response efficient.

My advice is not to wait until an event triggers panic. Prepare your mind and body in advance, so you can control your emotions and react with equanimity when a situation arises.

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I look forward to your thoughts. Please share them below.

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References:

Ankrom, S. MS, LCPC (2019) Flight of Flight Theory of Panic Disorder. Verywell mind. retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/the-fight-or-flight-theory-of-panic-disorder-2583916  

Richmond,C. (2021) Panic Disorder and Panic Attacks. WebMD. retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/mental-health-panic-disorder 

National Library of Medicine website. Trends in anxiety among adult in the United States, 2008-2018; Rapid increases among young adults. retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7441973/

Puirse, M. (2021)Techniques to Tame the  Flight and Fight Response.VeryWell Mind. retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/taming-the-fight-or-flight-response-378676

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