Tapping (eft)

[aurum]

Who here has experience with Tapping and emotional freedom techniques? Here is a link for anyone not familiar. My therapist has recommended it to me as a way to help release trauma energy from panic attacks. Personally I've noticed a small improvement in my emotions when I try it but I can't say it's definitely a permanent solution.

[Allinthemind]

My personal view on it is a method of distraction (placebo, see Wikipedia). This can be a good thing when you want to focus away from something negative like a panic attack, rather than being overwhelmed by your symptoms.

I consider breathing techniques/mindfulness, visualisation, identifying core conflicting beliefs and desensitisation as more effective ways of dealing with panic attacks.

What's causing your panic attacks?

[charlie2dogs]

On 7/21/2016 at 7:26 AM, Allinthemind said:

My personal view on it is a method of distraction (placebo, see Wikipedia). This can be a good thing when you want to focus away from something negative like a panic attack, rather than being overwhelmed by your symptoms.

I consider breathing techniques/mindfulness, visualisation, identifying core conflicting beliefs and desensitisation as more effective ways of dealing with panic attacks.

What's causing your panic attacks?

good answer

[aurum]

On 7/21/2016 at 7:26 AM, Allinthemind said:

My personal view on it is a method of distraction (placebo, see Wikipedia). This can be a good thing when you want to focus away from something negative like a panic attack, rather than being overwhelmed by your symptoms.

I consider breathing techniques/mindfulness, visualisation, identifying core conflicting beliefs and desensitisation as more effective ways of dealing with panic attacks.

What's causing your panic attacks?

You may be right, it could definitely just be placebo. I've wondered the same thing.

At the moment we're unsure of what is causing them. They are a new development for me. He thinks it may have something to do with abandonment issues from my father because they seem to be trigger by me being alone. But it's just a working hypothesis.

[Allinthemind]

Are you anxious about being alone?

Can you identify any other thoughts that precede your panic?

What do you think will happen to you when or after you panic?

[aurum]

17 hours ago, Allinthemind said:

Are you anxious about being alone?

Can you identify any other thoughts that precede your panic?

What do you think will happen to you when or after you panic?

I definitely don't like the idea of being alone for a long period of time. I want to be at least around people.

Both times it happened I felt stressed out first for a while before the actual panic attack happened. But as far as I can tell, the thoughts were very different. Only the emotions seemed the same

During the panic attack, I usually feel a sense of fear. My heart rate increases and I get very cold. Start to feel depressed and like everything I'm doing is pointless. Literally feels like my mind is sick.

Start to feel normal again usually when I either do some meditation, take and shower and maybe hangout with some friends. Or do some other activity to take my mind off of it.

Thanks for asking

 

 

[Allinthemind]

What were you stressed out about before the panic attacks happened?

"Everything is pointless" - Do you mean that at that moment, life is pointless?

You have had enough panic attacks to come through them (distressing though they are). Do you believe that you will always get through them?

Your panic attacks are recent. Have you had periods of being alone before without having panic attacks? Or without being depressed?

[Lynnel]

I've tried it once and it did not work for me.

I just can't understand how it's supposed to work in the first place, seems like a really uneffective method compared to other emotional techniques.

[aurum]

On 7/24/2016 at 6:44 AM, Allinthemind said:

What were you stressed out about before the panic attacks happened?

"Everything is pointless" - Do you mean that at that moment, life is pointless?

You have had enough panic attacks to come through them (distressing though they are). Do you believe that you will always get through them?

Your panic attacks are recent. Have you had periods of being alone before without having panic attacks? Or without being depressed?

-Before the panic attacks, it was usually money or just a general sense of being overwhelmed with things I have to get done.

-Yes it feels like at the moment every thing is pointless. Very surreal, it's not a state I find myself in often

-Yes I do. Although it can definitely be tough when it's actually happening

-Yes. I lived for almost a whole year by myself. I've also done backpacking trips alone

[Allinthemind]

@aurum Having lived for a year by yourself, it doesn't sound like abandonment issues are the main source of your panic attacks.

How financially tight is your situation now?

Have you always worried about money?

[aurum]

4 hours ago, Allinthemind said:

@aurum Having lived for a year by yourself, it doesn't sound like abandonment issues are the main source of your panic attacks.

How financially tight is your situation now?

Have you always worried about money?

I run a business and a blog, both which are relatively new. Neither is making enough money at the moment to pay the bills so I'm hustling pretty hard. I have some savings and a part time job but it's certainly not ideal.

I don't always worry about money but I definitely have in the past. For instance, when I went to graduate school I used to stress that I wouldn't have enough money for school. But then I managed to get a position in the department that paid for the whole thing. So that helped

[Allinthemind]

I think your financial situation is a major cause of your anxiety/panic right now. The part time job needs to cover the essentials.

Have there been any changes in relationships recently?

Do you trust getting close to people? Fear being let down?

[Fabio]

I have experience with it.. 

It is like Acupuncture because it works with your meridian system. When you think of something that causes a panic attack, it warns your nervous system (which can be accessed by the meridian points)that there is danger. This is what brings uncomfortable feelings. When you tap, you send a signal to your nervous system that everything is okay. 

For tapping to work effectively, it's best not to put as much attention to your mind as to the feeling in your body. It can help to sit for at least a minute meditating on just feeling your body without judgement. Then when your tapping and saying the phrases, imagine tapping the feeling and allowing it to be as it is. This is the key to making it work.

Also, start with smaller issues first and build this feeling of allowing so called negative feelings to be in your awareness without resistance so in future you'll have the "allowing" muscles to take on bigger issues. Also, when a panic attack comes up, of course use it. Those techniques that Allinthemind recommended work too but it's best to stick one or two methods for a while so you can get the skill down well. But deep breathing is an easy one to learn and rely on as a quick fix.

Hope that clear things up. Let me know if you need more help with EFT. 

All the best

Edited October 13, 2016 by Fabio

[Fabio]

I thought id put another post because my first one might've been confusing. You mentioned that you aren't sure if EFT will be a permanent solution.

To be honest, I'm not sure anything is like a permanent solution in the sense of you do a method for a certain amount of time and now you're cured of anxiety and panic attacks for the rest of your life or something like that. Quite often through practicing mindfulness, meditation, EFT, Sedona Method all the types of things that are similar in their approach is that when you experience these heavy, uncomfortable emotions is that you become more conscious of a awareness of it and a sense of distance and a comfort and security in dealing with it. 

Instead of trying to cope with feelings by distracting yourself with whatever (not saying you do this, but many people do) is drink,sex,drugs,tv,movies whatever as a means of distracting. If you become aware enough, you can see yourself feel the need to distract yourself as soon as an uncomfortable feeling comes up and then you may start getting thoughts like .. "Im tired, or I can't do this" or whatever. 

This is usually a sign that you feel a block or resistance to what is happening in the moment usually caused by a memory from the past.

So with EFT you'd probably go to a room alone when you feel this impulsive feeling, sit down and give your undivided attention to the feeling without judgement as much as possible and just let it speak. Listen to what it has to say. That's what the EFT scripts are teaching you to do, is giving you a bit of a structure to use at first but after you get the hang of it, it'll feel natural to just speak what is inside and accept it for what it is.

 The beauty of when you listen to what it has to say is that you aren't being the voice. Your seeing it objectively as a witness of something else. That is where the feeling of distance comes from it. The comfort of knowing okay this feeling is here, but its not who I am. You're the witnessing. Same with all sensory experience, sound, the feelings in your body, with years and years of practice it gets stronger and your awareness grows. All it takes is remembering once or twice during the day at first and eventually it'll become more and more connected. I know Im ranting a lot so ill end it there. 

Best of luck