Questions: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I wasn’t planning on writing this blog entry.  That’s why I know it was meant to be. Very often important things will just show up; and it is up to us to recognize them and follow them where they take us.

Panic Attack?

Something happened to me last night while I was getting ready to go out to a meeting with some dear friends of mine.  All of a sudden, I started feeling ill. My first reaction was that these symptoms were just the ordinary, run-of-the-mill feelings I get whenever I go out, so I tried my best to calm down and ignore them.  They did not stop.  They got worse.

Crossroads

When this happens, it is the most crucial time that I face.  This is the time when I need to ask myself the right questions, the answers to which will tell me what’s going on.  If I mess this up, I will have a panic attack even if the symptoms are of something else. This is very difficult because so many everyday symptoms are the same ones a person can feel when spiraling into an attack.

So, what are we supposed to do? Our job is to calm down as much as possible, sort out all the questions racing through your head, and toss out all the “bad” ones. We ask ourselves the “good” questions, answer them, and then deal only with the facts at hand, the reality of the situation – not made-up fears that are swarming upon us.

Good Questions

Here are some examples of good things to ask yourself:

1. What are my physical symptoms?

2. Is there a logical reason I am feeling this way? (Am I ill? Did I eat something that made me sick?)

3. What do I need to do to remedy the situation? (Take medicine, see a doctor, lie down and rest, etc.)

Bad Questions

Here are examples of bad things to ask yourself:

1. Why am I panicking?

2. Why does this happen to me?

3. What if I go out and get sick someplace?

Ugly Questions

Here are some examples of “ugly” questions.  Toss these away immediately!

1. When is this ever going to stop?

2. Are bad things going to happen to me?

3. Will anybody ever like me if I am like this?

Keys

The key here is to separate fact from fiction, real from imagined.  Then you must convince yourself that dealing with your situation can only lead to positive outcome. You will not lose friends because you got ill or missed an appointment. This is only one event, and it will not spiral into a domino effect of negativity.

As it turns out, all of my physical symptoms were real – not imagined – and they had nothing to do with fear, anxiety, or panic attacks. I had a migraine attack, something that I deal with on a regular basis.  These are real and usually pass in from one to three days.

I had to stay home, take medicine, and rest up.  I missed my meeting yesterday and today.  But did I lose friends?  No.  Did my life change?  No. Nothing changed but my activities for a couple of days. Life goes on, and it will be beautiful.

Release

I release all the bad feelings of this migraine attack. I have dealt with it. I will feel better, and I will move on. And I will use it as a learning tool for myself and for others.  I will remind myself that I am strong enough to survive this and get on with my life – and you can, too!

Stay well – stay strong – and never give up!