1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: Hi, everyone. From October to two, fourteen, my Saturday Select 2 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 1: pick for the week. That's how panic attacks work. This 3 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: is very sad and serious stuff. Everybody. Panic attacks are terrifying. 4 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: They are a real deal stuff. I've never had one. 5 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: I've had friends and family members that have had them, 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: and uh, it's tough stuff. So if you suffer from 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: them or have friends or family that do, why don't 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: you give it a listen? And maybe this will help 9 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: out or at least bring a better understanding about how 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: panic attacks work. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a 11 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:45,159 Speaker 1: production of My Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hey, and 12 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. There's Child's w 13 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: Chuck Bryant, and Jerry. So it's stuff you should know. Yep, 14 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: why it's spread panic? Yeah? Did you see that video? No? 15 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: Which one? There was a dude. This is just like 16 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: two days ago went up on stage and attacked the band. 17 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: Oh no, I didn't see that. Yeah, and they've got 18 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: the whole thing. And it was during one of the 19 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: really repetitive droning parts of a song. And uh, I 20 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: haven't seen an explanation but that there was. I went 21 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: to the widespread Panic Facebook thing because it was a 22 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: big thread about people talking about it and I just said, 23 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:26,640 Speaker 1: herod people gang violing me, going hero that's hilarious. I 24 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: thought it was pretty funny. He attacked the members of 25 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: the band, yeah, like physically, and I couldn't quite attack 26 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: the drummer and he was upset and I don't know 27 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: if that part of the song made him snap, but 28 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 1: it was definitely one of those repetitive thank thank over. 29 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: He's like stop. But he was at the show, so 30 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 1: that'd be weird unless he went there to attack them. Yeah, 31 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:55,440 Speaker 1: it was probably the Bath Salts maybe, so, so we're 32 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: not talking about that kind of panic. That's more a 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: psychotic break And this is not widespread at all. It's 34 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: very individualized panic, it is, but it turns out people 35 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: suffering from this is kind of widespread. How about that? 36 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,639 Speaker 1: So it fits a little bit sure. Instead, um, we're 37 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: talking about panic attacks and the combination of panic attacks 38 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: or the culmination of panic attacks that can lead to 39 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: something called panic disorder, and it is a sucky mental 40 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: condition that about two point eight percent of Americans, which 41 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: is a pretty significant amount of people. Yeah, that's that's 42 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: more than bipolar which we've covered in schizophrenia, yeah, and 43 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: O c D, which we well, we've covered all three 44 00:02:40,919 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: of those. Um, so that's a pretty significant amount of 45 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: people who suffer from panic disorder, right, But that's different 46 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: than just plain old panic attacks. Even though to have 47 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: panic disorder you have to have panic attacks, but if 48 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: you have panic attacks, you don't necessarily have panic disorder exactly. 49 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: And I've had two experiences which I'll talk about at 50 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:04,920 Speaker 1: some point through the show, not personally, but Emily had 51 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:08,359 Speaker 1: a panic attack once and uh Frien in college had 52 00:03:08,360 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: a panic attack a roommate and neither one of them 53 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: have panic disorders. It was just an isolated incident. Yeah, 54 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: so apparently that's I don't know if commons the right word, 55 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: but people do have panic attacks and they but they 56 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:23,400 Speaker 1: they that might be the only one they ever have 57 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: for their entire lives, I hope. So, which makes the 58 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: whole thing kind of mysterious. And we should say, like 59 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: science does not know what exactly is going on here. 60 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: They have some theories, but there's there's no there's no 61 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: way to predict what's happening. They don't even know if 62 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: it's genetic or what environmental. Well, they finally isolated a 63 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: gene last year, Uh, I guess and go and talk 64 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: about that now. In December they isolated the gene and 65 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: you know, genes are always so boring with their names, 66 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: unless it's a Simmons. That's right. The n k r 67 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: T three they think may be responsible, um, because its 68 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: presence appears to cause an overestimation of fear and danger 69 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: in an overactivation of the hippocampus and amygdala. So basically, 70 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: if you have this gene, you're gonna exaggerate your fear overall. Okay, 71 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: but it's not like they're saying they've proved that's the cause. 72 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,840 Speaker 1: But that is a good step in scientifically in the 73 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 1: right direction. That's a huge step, because I mean that 74 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: does sound very much like what a panic attack is. 75 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: A panic attack is where you experience a very pronounced 76 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: sense of fear and basically your fight or flight symptoms 77 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: response and really, from what I can understand, your flight response. Yeah, 78 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: like you're not in a position to fight or freeze, 79 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: because you know now these days it's fight, flight or freeze. 80 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: Really yeah, I don't think I knew that. Yeah there's 81 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: a third option now, um like kind of yeah, oh 82 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: no way, those aren't options that's a sequence, right, This 83 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: is these are a when you're confronted with danger. Nick 84 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: Thune or Buddy the comedian, dude, have you seen his 85 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: hand of fit ads? Yeah? Those are awesome. Yeah. I 86 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: was like, that's Nick Thune and he's on like Miss America. Yeah. 87 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: The first thing I always think about is good for 88 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: you cash those checks? Baby? Uh yeah. He has that 89 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: funny bit on stop dropping rolling, like they they needed 90 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 1: to continue that, like keep rolling. He's like, that's kind 91 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: of key. You don't stop dropping roll because you'll be 92 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: consumed by fire. You need to keep rolling right until 93 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: you get to a door. Yeah, it's very funny stuff. 94 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: So this is a little different fight flight or freeze. 95 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 1: Yeah what what's so? How does freeze factor in? Like 96 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: you just freeze up and toasts. Yeah, that at least 97 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: beneficial of all of the these adaptations to danger. But basically, 98 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 1: when you're when you're confronted with danger, you can either fight, fly, 99 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: or freeze. That makes total sense. I don't know why 100 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: freeze was never in there to begin with, because so 101 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:58,039 Speaker 1: many people freeze. They just added on the last couple 102 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 1: of years. I think I'm a liar or a freezer 103 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: for sure. It depends. I don't know if do you 104 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: think there's a personality type. Oh boy, I don't know. Um, 105 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: you know, don't you think it's possibly like just what 106 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: your body chemistry happens to be doing? Right then? No? 107 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: I think some people are more inclined to fight for sure. Okay, Well, 108 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: with panic attacks, you're flying like that's your only that's 109 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: your jam right there. Um, And you're experiencing it in 110 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: the exact same way that somebody's coming to mug you 111 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: or has pulled a knife on you and you're running away, 112 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: or there's a lion chasing you. Accept and this is 113 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: the key to panic attack. There is no lion, there 114 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 1: is no mugger, there's no knife, there's no discernible reason 115 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 1: for you to be experiencing this sudden onset of crippling fear. Um. 116 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: But you're experiencing it nonetheless, that's right. No, no tangible 117 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:54,560 Speaker 1: thing happening right in that moment. Right. So when you 118 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: come out of it, and these things can they peak 119 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: within about ten minutes, but these the symptoms can last 120 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:05,039 Speaker 1: for an hour more. Um. When you come out of it, 121 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: you're like, I don't ever want that to happen again. 122 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: The place that this just happened to, say, the park 123 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: I'm never going back to because now I associated with this. 124 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:17,440 Speaker 1: Because what you're doing when you experience fear, you're learning 125 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: to stay away from something. Yeah, So, whether you want 126 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: to or not, you've just been conditioned to fear the 127 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: place that you just were because you had a panic attack. Um. 128 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: And then lastly, you think possibly you're crazy, yeah, or 129 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: having a heart attack. Yeah, that's uh. Both both of 130 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: the my wife and my friend both thought they were 131 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: having heart attacks, which is super scary. And we'll get 132 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:42,960 Speaker 1: the difference later on. But um, I guess we should 133 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: talk about just some of the initial symptoms of a 134 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: panic attack. The old d s M Diagnostic and Statistical 135 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: Manual Mental Disorders lists, Uh, it looks like about ten 136 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: symptoms and if you have at least four of these, 137 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: you may be having a panic attack, which is heart pounding, shaking, dizziness, sweating, choking, 138 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:08,440 Speaker 1: feeling nausea, shallow or short breath, chest pain, numbness or tingling, chills, 139 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: and hot flashes, feeling of unreality, feeling like you're going crazy, 140 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: or feeling like you're about to die. You got four 141 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 1: of those, you're having a panic attack. Yes, um, and 142 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:24,640 Speaker 1: if you have four panic attacks within four weeks, or 143 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 1: you have one panic attack and then fear having another 144 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 1: panic attack for about a month or so, then you 145 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 1: can be diagnosed with what's called panic disorder. So, uh, 146 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: if you listen to our fear podcast, which was a 147 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: really good one, UM, it's kind of the same as 148 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: a panic attack. Um, we covered your Your autonomic nervous 149 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: system is what maintains all the functions in your body, 150 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,040 Speaker 1: the involuntary functions in your body, that is, and it's 151 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: gonna take signals from your central nervous system. It's gonna 152 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: regulate your organs. That's why you don't have to tell 153 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: your heart beat or your kid needs to work. It's 154 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 1: all your pancreas to secrete stuff. That's right. It's your 155 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: autonomic nervous system. And it has two parts, the sympathetic 156 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: and parasympathetic. And your parasympathetic controls like I said, your 157 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 1: your heartbeat and stuff like that. The normal aspect, Yeah, 158 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: it's just like stasis, right, Yeah, that balance that we 159 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: all seek that we don't know we're seeking. And then 160 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: the sympathetic is if you have that fight or flight, 161 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,199 Speaker 1: if you become excited. Uh, in any way, really, that's 162 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:33,920 Speaker 1: when that's going to kick in. Yeah, it's like normal 163 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 1: gear and then high gear. Yeah. But it's not always fear, 164 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: you know, just any kind of excitement. Right, you could 165 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: be super happy, it could be sexual arousal. That's all 166 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: your sympathetic nervous system, right, and those two components make 167 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:48,199 Speaker 1: up the autonomic nervous system, which it kind of switches 168 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: from one to the other depending on your state of arousal. Right, 169 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: that's right. Um, But when fear has aroused you, um, 170 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: your sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear. Um, and 171 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: adrenaline is released, which is a huge factor in causing 172 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: the symptoms of a panic attack. Like you start breathing 173 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: very heavily and shallowly. Um, your pupils dilate you. Uh. 174 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: We always used to say if you're digesting food, you 175 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: stop doing that. Basically, all of your energy is transferred 176 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: over to either fighting or flying, and in the case 177 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,559 Speaker 1: of a panic attack, is transferred over to get you 178 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: to be able to run away as fast as possible. Yeah, 179 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: which can be a little scary, but in a real 180 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: fear situation, if you're in danger, your parasympathetic nervous system 181 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: is going to kick in and calm you down. But 182 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: that is not what happens, uh in the case of 183 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: a panic attack, which is really perplexing. So let's recap this. 184 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: A panic attack is when you experience this incredibly intense fear, 185 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,600 Speaker 1: so much so that you run away, but there's nothing 186 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: there to be afraid of. And then and then, to 187 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 1: make everything a million times worse, your parasympathetic nervous system 188 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: doesn't kick in and calm you down like it would 189 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 1: under normal circumstances, so you get to experience this horrible 190 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: thing even longer. That's right, all right. So, like I 191 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 1: said before, breaking news from December of last year, they 192 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: think they've isolated a gene. Previous to that, they've some 193 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: research has said it could be genetic because identical twins 194 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: experience it more than fraternal twins, but it's always been 195 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: sort of up in the air. They's been contradictions as 196 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: well of the genetic basis. They think it's also possibly 197 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:58,040 Speaker 1: epigenetic or environmental like um. Apparently, one study found that 198 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,440 Speaker 1: a lot of people who have Pannick disorder had some 199 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: sort of traumatic incident happened in their childhood. My friend 200 00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: from college did, Is that right? So they're thinking like 201 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: possibly it had some sort of effect and set up 202 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,320 Speaker 1: like a time bomb for later on in life. Yeah, 203 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: the stored uh feelings that maybe you've never dealt with 204 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,200 Speaker 1: about some traumatic event are gonna they're gonna rear their 205 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: head at some point in your life in some way. Yeah. 206 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: Or it just rearranged the neural output in your brain 207 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:30,560 Speaker 1: so that one day you're just set up when everything 208 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: is just right, that chemistry is flooding your brain in 209 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,240 Speaker 1: a certain way, and then bam, it comes out of 210 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: nowhere you have a panic attack. Yeah. Another theory is 211 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: that they think if you have an over active fear system, 212 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,439 Speaker 1: like you've basically have been scared too much in life, 213 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: or you're a scared person, then it's just gonna make 214 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: it a hair trigger for something to set it off, 215 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: which makes a lot of sense. I think it could 216 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:01,800 Speaker 1: be a combo of a lot of things, yeah, as usual. Yeah. 217 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 1: I wonder though what what it will end up being though, 218 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: if we'll find that there is one thing that that 219 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:11,440 Speaker 1: leads to this predictably like built up, but then there's 220 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: the actual trigger and that's another thing too. So they 221 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: don't know what triggers these things. They do know that 222 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:21,320 Speaker 1: a panic attack, being worried about having a panic attack 223 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: can actually trigger a panic attack. I feel so bad 224 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: for people with panic disorder. This is like a terrible 225 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: affliction because you do become very much afraid that you're 226 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,680 Speaker 1: going to have another panic attack. So that can set 227 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:38,400 Speaker 1: off a panic attack, but it also can set off 228 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: a co morbidity called agoraphobia, where you are afraid to 229 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,680 Speaker 1: leave your house, but you're also afraid to be alone. 230 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,000 Speaker 1: And I read this, um this article that was from 231 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:55,319 Speaker 1: the eighties seven, and they were saying, like the the Freudists, 232 00:13:56,120 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: the Freudists followers of Sigmund Freud. We're saying, um, oh, well, clearly, 233 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,280 Speaker 1: if you're in a gooraphobic you don't want to go 234 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: outside because that's where sexual desire is, and you don't 235 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: want to be alone because you're worried that you will 236 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 1: like abuse yourself. So agoraphobia. And everybody went boom, sit 237 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: down and shut up. Yeah and um, So nowadays they 238 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: have realized that agoraphobia is almost almost exclusively the result 239 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: of panic disorder. Yeah, and it's because you you fear 240 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: the place that you had a panic attack, so you 241 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,880 Speaker 1: don't want to go there again. And then maybe it 242 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 1: happened again at the grocery store, so you don't want 243 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: to go there, and it happened, but you don't want 244 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: to be alone, but you don't want to be around strangers, 245 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,160 Speaker 1: so you clean to your family members. And now all 246 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: of a sudden, you're not living your life anymore. You're 247 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: developing phobias because of your panic attacks in your association 248 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:54,000 Speaker 1: with them. Like if you're on an elevator and you 249 00:14:54,040 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: have a panic attack, you're not getting on an elevator again. 250 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: You've just developed a phobia for elevators. And so all 251 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:02,440 Speaker 1: of a sudden, you're not going to be working at 252 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: a place where you might normally work because you have 253 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:07,240 Speaker 1: to take the elevator to to get there. Or you 254 00:15:07,280 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: develop a love of stairs, right, but then what if 255 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: you're you don't like confined spaces at all, like a 256 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: stairwell either. Yeah, have you ever been locked in the 257 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: stairwell you're at the building? Yeah, I mean you just 258 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: walked down however many flights until you're at the lobby. 259 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: Oh you can get out down there? Yes? Okay, yeah, yeah, 260 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: you're not actually locked in you just have to walk 261 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,120 Speaker 1: all the way down to usually just call you and 262 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: say let me. Another theory is that when you're super tired, 263 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 1: um and overworked, was when a lot of times when 264 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: these are set off, your brain is producing sodium lactate 265 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: or c O two and when those levels increase, your 266 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: brain uh says you know what, I think you're suffocating 267 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: and so I'm going to send a signal to get 268 00:15:51,280 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: you a lot more oxygen. And I found this, uh 269 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:59,440 Speaker 1: really sad case of this woman, a university student who 270 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:05,240 Speaker 1: died from a severe asthma attack like three days ago. Uh. 271 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: And she had had a history of asthma and then 272 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: told the medics that she was going through like final 273 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,560 Speaker 1: exams and she had been having panic attacks uh for 274 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: in the weeks like proceeding. So breathing is a huge 275 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:23,280 Speaker 1: part of panic attacks and as evidenced by her, if 276 00:16:23,280 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: you have asthma, it's can be deadly, which is super 277 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: super scary. And said yeah, Um. Then one other I 278 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: guess there's a neurological basis they believe for people who 279 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: have panic attacks, people who suffer from panic disorder tend 280 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: to have fewer serotonin receptors and apparently also um gabba 281 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,480 Speaker 1: which helps us get to sleep. It's called a gamma 282 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:55,080 Speaker 1: immuno beautyic acid. Let's call it gabba gabba. Um. Those 283 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: two have some sort of role in UM panic disorder. 284 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: You don't have enough serotonin and your body is not 285 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 1: producing enough gabba, you may be prone to panic disorder. Uh. 286 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: They You know, there isn't like a specific type of 287 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 1: person that necessarily gets a panic attack. It can happen 288 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 1: to anyone, but um, usually it happens if in you 289 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: you're in your twenties, although they say kids can get 290 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: it as well. Have a panic attack or a disorder. UM. 291 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: Twice as many women have a panic disorder developed one 292 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 1: as men, which is pretty interesting. Um. And like you said, 293 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: just the fear like having had one before, that fear 294 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: can lead to more. So it's very cyclical. Yes, and 295 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: you know, um that one paper from seven I can't 296 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: tell if it was arguing in favor of panic disorder 297 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: being like an evolutionary adaptation and like possibly beneficial, or 298 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: if they were saying, like some people think this, can 299 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: you believe this? But they were. One of the points 300 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: that this guy made was well, twice as many women 301 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:01,480 Speaker 1: have panic disorders as men. So clearly it's an evolutionary 302 00:18:01,560 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: adaptation because women wouldn't have had to have gone as 303 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:08,960 Speaker 1: far away from camp while they were gathering food as men. 304 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 1: Men couldn't stand to have a panic attack, or they couldn't. 305 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,520 Speaker 1: It wouldn't be an adaptation for men, it would be 306 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 1: for women. Plus, women can't run as fast when they 307 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:20,679 Speaker 1: have kids to carry, so they need to be on 308 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: alert a little more. It's just smelled like bunk yeah, bunk, Yeah, 309 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: that's that was a big year for bunk. Yeah. Um, 310 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 1: if you do have a panic disorder, you may have 311 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:37,359 Speaker 1: a hard time getting your family to understand it. Um. 312 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: Sometimes they overreact and think it's like way more severe 313 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: than it is. Um. Sometimes they underreact and say, uh, 314 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: you know, it's all in your head, like just calm down. Um. 315 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: But either way saying boy, you're nuts or you just 316 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: need to relax, neither one of those is going to 317 00:18:55,160 --> 00:18:58,240 Speaker 1: help out the loved one. Chill out. There's no lion. 318 00:18:58,800 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: It wasn't. One thing I've learned in arguments and fights 319 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: with my wife is and I'm boil. Learning this early 320 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: on is saying telling someone to relax never causes someone 321 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,120 Speaker 1: to relax. No, it's like the worst thing you can 322 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: do if something's heated is to say just relax. It 323 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,640 Speaker 1: is true, that's just gonna ramp it up. So that's 324 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,840 Speaker 1: my advice for couples out there in any relationship. Really, 325 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: it's good advice, Chuck, thank you. Um. There is a 326 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:30,120 Speaker 1: silver lining to all this in that panic disorder is 327 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: actually highly treatables. The treatments that they've come up with 328 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: are pretty successful, and we will talk about those treatments 329 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: right after this. All right, So you mentioned that they 330 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:58,600 Speaker 1: are treatable. They have found success rates through medication and 331 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: therapy which seemed to be about the same as far 332 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:04,359 Speaker 1: as how affective they are, between sixty and nine of 333 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: the time. That's pretty good. Yeah, that's not bad at all. 334 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,480 Speaker 1: So that's the good news. So there's three there's three 335 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: UM typical methods of treatment UM antidepressants, anti anxiety pills, 336 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 1: and therapy. And you might use them, you know, independent 337 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 1: of one another, in conjunction with one another. I also 338 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 1: saw beta blockers. Some people use beta blockers to treat them, 339 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 1: but they're not quite sure what's going on with that. 340 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 1: I've used those before live performances. Those are the ones 341 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: I read about that, Um, you gave me one, and 342 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 1: I was like a useless worm. Yeah, it didn't affect 343 00:20:38,560 --> 00:20:41,200 Speaker 1: me like that. I I was, I just like totally 344 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 1: lost my personality. I wasn't nervous, but I didn't do anything. Well. 345 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: I've gotten used to live performing now, so I don't 346 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,000 Speaker 1: need them anymore. But I got that tip from apparently 347 00:20:51,040 --> 00:20:55,199 Speaker 1: a bunch of musicians, like in symphonies and stuff use 348 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: and I was like, well, if first chair of violinist, 349 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:00,960 Speaker 1: if it's good enough for them to give me some blocks. Yeah, 350 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,479 Speaker 1: but it worked for me. But like I said, overall 351 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: that I enjoy being on stage now. So with SSR eyes, 352 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 1: which is what you moved on too, from beta blockers, right, No, 353 00:21:11,040 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: I'm not on it. So with SSR eyes, Um, those 354 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and they do exactly what 355 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:22,080 Speaker 1: they sound like. You've got a bunch of serotonin receptors 356 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: in your brain. If you have panic disorder, you may 357 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: have fewer serotonin receptors in your brain. Serotonin is a 358 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: neurotransmitter that helps basically stabilize your mood by either causing 359 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 1: a neuron to fire or inhibiting a neuron to fire 360 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: in this really beautiful, perfectly balanced chemical reaction. Right, So 361 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: if you have a few of these receptors the normal 362 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,880 Speaker 1: you're going to be comparatively out of balanced. What an 363 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: SSR I and antidepressant does is it allows the serotonin 364 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:56,159 Speaker 1: to kind of stay in your synaps is a little 365 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 1: longer than as normal, so that you are releasing a 366 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: little more serotonin then you would under normal circumstances. And 367 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 1: it's proven pretty effective for UM, for panic disorder. Yeah. 368 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: I mean they'd work wonders for a lot of people 369 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,000 Speaker 1: for a lot of reasons, UM, but not everyone, and 370 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: they can cause a lot of negative side effects. Uh. 371 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:20,880 Speaker 1: So obviously you know, work with your doctor on a program, 372 00:22:20,920 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: and it takes them a little while, like two to 373 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 1: four weeks to begin working, uh for a panic attack. UM, 374 00:22:26,960 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: an anti anxiety drug like xan x might be a 375 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: little more effective because that is immediately hits you. It 376 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 1: is a tranquilizer benzo diazepine, right yeah, and it's um, 377 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: you know, the zanex is going to help chill you 378 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: out immediately. But you can get hooked on those things 379 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:49,560 Speaker 1: pretty quick. Yeah, and they're dangerous to quit cold turkey 380 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 1: and UM, Yeah, it's it's not the best thing to 381 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 1: go to zanex a lot. Well, yeah, they say that 382 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: you should. Um basically, if you if you under take 383 00:23:00,280 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: an ssr I regimen, you can conceivably stay on it 384 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: for years. If you undertake anti anxiety or benzo diazepine regimen, like, 385 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,120 Speaker 1: it shouldn't last for more than a couple of weeks 386 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:16,880 Speaker 1: or month from what I understand, because of the dependency. 387 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: And again you want to like really do all of 388 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:25,399 Speaker 1: this with like a um, qualified competent doctor's assistants, not 389 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,600 Speaker 1: a doctor's assistant, doctor's assistant. It depends. If it's a 390 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:34,439 Speaker 1: qualified competent doctor's assistant who can write prescriptions. Trust, go 391 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 1: for it, that's true. Uh. And then there's therapy, of course, 392 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: the old CBT cognitive behavioral therapy, which we've talked about 393 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:45,880 Speaker 1: a bunch but um, that is Uh, they're gonna sort 394 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: of the process is going to play out like this. 395 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,639 Speaker 1: They're gonna teach you about your panic disorder, which is 396 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:54,880 Speaker 1: a big step. If you understand something, uh, you can 397 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: overcome it more easily. I think they're going to monitor 398 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: you and you're gonna self monitor and cord your symptoms. 399 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 1: And when they happen, and why they happen, what the 400 00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: circumstance was. Breathing, like we mentioned, is a huge part 401 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:10,720 Speaker 1: of it. Um Anything from meditation to just regular breathing 402 00:24:10,720 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: exercises which will give you some tips on that in 403 00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:15,760 Speaker 1: a minute too, are going to help you out. And 404 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:21,600 Speaker 1: then the old exposure two uh situations. Then this is 405 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 1: once you've rethought, like you're what your approach is going 406 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:26,879 Speaker 1: to be, Like, here's your new outlook, and now here's 407 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:28,920 Speaker 1: a situation that might give you a panic attack. How 408 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 1: do you feel, yeah, Or like if you had a 409 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,359 Speaker 1: panic attack and an elevator, like they may tell you 410 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: to imagine you're in an elevator, your therapy might progress 411 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: until you're actually in an elevator and you're chilling out. 412 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 1: And the hope is that if if you can undergo 413 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,160 Speaker 1: exposure therapy to that degree, it will get you over 414 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: your panic attacks. In general. Another aspect of it, Chuck, 415 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: is rethinking uh, and that is basically accepting the fact 416 00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: that you have panic attacks. Apparently, if you can say 417 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: I'm having a panic attack or I have panic attacks, 418 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: and you acknowledge it to yourself and to other people, 419 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:09,320 Speaker 1: it immediately turns down the volume on the whole thing. Yeah, 420 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: I noticed some similarities in uh, someone guiding through someone 421 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:17,320 Speaker 1: through an LSD trip and guiding someone through a panic attack. 422 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 1: It's interesting. A lot of it is like understanding, like 423 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: I am having an acid trip, I am not having 424 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:25,960 Speaker 1: a good time. It's the same thing as I'm having 425 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,880 Speaker 1: a panic attack, and this is no good And if 426 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:32,080 Speaker 1: I understand that, then I can calm down more easily, 427 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:34,440 Speaker 1: and keeping it in just lead you to freak out 428 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:41,800 Speaker 1: more exactly. Um. So that's CBT, cognitive behavioral therapy. And um, 429 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 1: if you if you undergo therapy and you're still suffering 430 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:49,879 Speaker 1: from panic attacks. The apparently being discouraged as a real 431 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,800 Speaker 1: problem with people with panic disorder because you can still 432 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: suffer them even if you're doing everything right. Um. And 433 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,199 Speaker 1: so a lot of people have learned to cope, and 434 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 1: there's some any common coping techniques for a panic disorder. 435 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: And like you said, the heart of the whole thing 436 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 1: is breathing. Like when you suffer a panic attack, you 437 00:26:09,520 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 1: start breathing shallowly and quickly, and um, you can hyperventilate. 438 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:18,240 Speaker 1: What you want to do is breathe from your diaphragm 439 00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: and that you can actually practice this in the times 440 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: when you're not having a panic attack. Yeah, if you're 441 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,520 Speaker 1: a singer, you know how to breathe with your diaphragm. 442 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,360 Speaker 1: But if you're not, what you can do is lie 443 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,680 Speaker 1: down on your back, put some pillows on your head 444 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: and knees and um, put a hand on your stomach 445 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: and a hand on your chest, and then practice breathing, uh, 446 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: and making your hand on your stomach move without the 447 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 1: hand on your chest moving, and then tap the hand 448 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 1: on your stomach while you make a circle with the 449 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:52,920 Speaker 1: hand on your chest. When you're really advanced, it's pretty impressive. Uh. 450 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: And then another thing you can do is just literally 451 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: like put a weight on your stomach and make sure 452 00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:01,600 Speaker 1: too heavy. No, like a book. Sure, yeah, look a 453 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: nice at something that you can see going up and 454 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 1: down when you're breathing with your diaphragm. That's right. Um, 455 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: And you want to just kind of breathe in the 456 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,040 Speaker 1: good exhale the bad. Yeah, like I'm having a panic attack. 457 00:27:14,119 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 1: This will pass, you know, this will subside. This is 458 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:20,199 Speaker 1: a temporary feeling. That's what you should be saying to yourself. 459 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,080 Speaker 1: And if you're a person who's like out in public 460 00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: and you see somebody having a panic attack, you basically 461 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: want to do the same thing that they're trying to 462 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 1: do for themselves. You want to remain calm. You want 463 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,719 Speaker 1: to tell them that it's going to be over with 464 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:37,400 Speaker 1: pretty soon, that everything's okay, they have nothing to fear. Um. Yeah, 465 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: you don't want to tell them to chill out, though. Uh. 466 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 1: Guiding someone through relaxation is different than saying chill out, 467 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 1: by the way, right, very different. Uh. They do recommend 468 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 1: that you, um, if you have a problem with with 469 00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: attacks in general, or if you have a disorder, you 470 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:58,240 Speaker 1: should exercise a lot. You should practice. Um. They don't 471 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:00,159 Speaker 1: call it meditation, but that's really what it is. Is 472 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:03,880 Speaker 1: is deep breathing and relaxation. It's called mindfulness these days, 473 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:05,959 Speaker 1: isn't it. I don't know. I think that's what they 474 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:10,160 Speaker 1: call it because meditation turns people off probacus. Interesting. Uh 475 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: cut cut out the caffeine and sugar and nicotine. Yeah, 476 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 1: that's not gonna help you at all, uh doing all 477 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: those things. Uh. And you know, if this stuff is 478 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:21,679 Speaker 1: stuff that's building up inside of you, which it often is, 479 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: learn how to express yourself a little more and um 480 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:29,760 Speaker 1: and talk about your issues Um, I know that in 481 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,720 Speaker 1: both of my cases. My buddy in college, it was 482 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: during finals week and I had gone to bed and 483 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,959 Speaker 1: my roommate and another dude had were out in the 484 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: living room staying up, and one of him came and 485 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: woke me up and he's like, dude, he's having a 486 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: heart attack. He's having a heart attack. And um, I 487 00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: didn't know anything about panic attacks. So we took him 488 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: the hospital, of course, and that's all it was. It 489 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:54,000 Speaker 1: was a panic attack. He calmed down. I think, um, 490 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: I think they might have given him something there. I 491 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,120 Speaker 1: met some sort of medication to calm him down. Probably 492 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: Benzo dis Yeah, probably like a good shot in the 493 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 1: arm of that stuff, and he was like, I'm fine. Right. 494 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 1: With Emily's case, she had been under a lot of 495 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: stress and was and driving back from Akron, Ohio to Atlanta. 496 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:16,520 Speaker 1: I think she went to get I think she want 497 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: to get some furniture or something. So she was in 498 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 1: a truck, like a moving truck, had been drinking caffeine 499 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: like crazy like she does, and um, basically, uh started 500 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: to have trouble breathing on the highway, going like eighty 501 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: down the highway and had to pull over. Called me, 502 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: and you know, I calmed her down. I was like, 503 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,720 Speaker 1: all right, now, let's get back on the road. See 504 00:29:37,720 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: how you do. She got back on the highway and 505 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: immediately freaked out again. And uh, I flew to Cincinnati 506 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: and went to a hotel and drove her home. Yeah. 507 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 1: I mean there was really no choice at that point. Uh, 508 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: you know, when it's your wife, you plus, it was 509 00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:55,760 Speaker 1: a good opportunity to get on the white horse, you know, 510 00:29:55,840 --> 00:30:00,040 Speaker 1: and right in and save the day. Oh horse. I 511 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: think everyone loves those opportunities, you know, and it's not 512 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: And I've always also wanted to run to the airport, 513 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:08,160 Speaker 1: say like, give me a one way ticket to somewhere. 514 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: I have time for your body scan. Pretty much That's 515 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:14,760 Speaker 1: how it happened. So she checked herself into a hotel 516 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 1: and I went there and had some nice Cincinnati Skyline chili, 517 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 1: and then the next morning we hit the road. Yeah 518 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 1: that was good. And she hasn't had one since then, 519 00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: despite like, uh, you know, she she has a lot 520 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 1: of anxiety just as a human, but um, no panic attacks. 521 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: So I definitely have seen the things I saw in 522 00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: this article, and both of them, whether it was during finals, 523 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: like the things going on in her life at the time, 524 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:44,120 Speaker 1: we're super stressful. I think the trigger was she doesn't 525 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: like see great at night or in the rain when 526 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,680 Speaker 1: she's driving, And I think all these things compounded, um 527 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: and just played out to where she felt like she 528 00:30:51,880 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: was having a heart attack, and so did my friend. 529 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,040 Speaker 1: But I guess we should mention that there are some 530 00:30:58,080 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 1: tailtale signs of a heart attack. Yeah, that's a big yeah, 531 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:05,280 Speaker 1: that you can recognize the difference, because you don't want 532 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: to actually be having a heart attack and be like, 533 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 1: it's just a panic. Just breathe, just breathe while you're dying. Um. 534 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:16,880 Speaker 1: Here are a few tips from the American Heart Association. 535 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: Pressure in the center of your chest that persists longer 536 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:22,760 Speaker 1: than a couple of minutes or goes away then returns, 537 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,440 Speaker 1: shortness of breath, pain in the arm or upper body, 538 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: you might feel nauseous or faint. And of course, if 539 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: you're ever in doubt, call because, like you said, you 540 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:35,800 Speaker 1: don't want to be having a heart attack thinking it's 541 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,040 Speaker 1: will subside. No, there will be a guy in your face. 542 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,280 Speaker 1: Well to say the least exactly. Uh. If you want 543 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 1: to know more about panic attacks and panic disorder type 544 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,120 Speaker 1: either one of those sets of words into the search 545 00:31:50,160 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: part how stuff works, and it'll bring up this article. 546 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:56,440 Speaker 1: And since I said that it's time for a listener mail, 547 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 1: I'm gonna call this basement fear. Hey, guys, I know 548 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:05,000 Speaker 1: most listeners know your podcast is great for learning and entertainment, 549 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: but I found another purpose distraction from stress induced irrational fears. 550 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 1: That sounds familiar. We were just talking about this kind 551 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: of thing. Oh yeah, And I didn't even realize that 552 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:19,360 Speaker 1: when I picked this out. How about that serendipity. Um. 553 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: I grew up in a house with a creepy, gross 554 00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: basement where we did laundry and it never bothered me. 555 00:32:23,280 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 1: My fiance James, and I recently moved into a house 556 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 1: with a non creepy and non gross basement. But I 557 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,960 Speaker 1: think the stress of planning a wedding is getting to 558 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 1: me because when I need to go down into the 559 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: basement to do laundry, I nearly have a panic attack 560 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,400 Speaker 1: imagining a person lurking in the basement. I've started playing 561 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 1: an episode of Stuff You Should Know on my iPhone 562 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 1: and carrying it in my pocket when I need to 563 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 1: go down to the basement. Stay back Spirit exactly, So 564 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: we literally accompanied her into the basement. I think it's hysterical. 565 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 1: I am busy enough enjoying your humor and information that 566 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: I don't get as overwhelmed by this irrational fear. I 567 00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: think it may even be waning now, so I can 568 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:01,880 Speaker 1: see need to make myself go down into the basement 569 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: and see that my fear is not really based in 570 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: any reality at all. Uh, that's CBT, that's exposure therapy boom. 571 00:33:11,000 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: Also before this weird basement, if you're popped up, I 572 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:15,520 Speaker 1: long called you guys my cleaning crew because I listened 573 00:33:15,520 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 1: to episodes while doing my chores. And that is from 574 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:23,080 Speaker 1: Kelsey in Kansas City, Kansas, not Kansas City, Missouri, Missouri. 575 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: And uh, Kelsey, good luck with that. And um, just 576 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:30,959 Speaker 1: don't look behind that door over near the washing machine. 577 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 1: That's very helpful. Just kidding, Kelsey, there's nothing down there, 578 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: and just take us with you. Well, we will protect 579 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:41,560 Speaker 1: you because spirits don't like us. No, the podcast is 580 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 1: coming from inside the house. If you want to get 581 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:47,640 Speaker 1: in touch with Chuck or me, you can tweet to 582 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,080 Speaker 1: us at s Y s K podcast. You can join 583 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: us on Facebook dot com slash stuff you should know. 584 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:55,800 Speaker 1: You can send us an email to stuff podcast at 585 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 1: how Stuff forks dot com and has always joined us 586 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:00,760 Speaker 1: at our home on the web, Stuff you Should Know 587 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: dot Com. Stuff you Should Know is a production of 588 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more podcasts for my 589 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 590 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows. H