A lemon, a song or an ice cube. Just enough to calm anyone feeling stress and panic
If one finds oneself in a stressful situation (and there are a lot of them lately!), there are two basic solutions. While the old wives' advice recommends breathing deeply or counting to ten, those who rely on the pharmaceutical industry can't afford various "prescription tranquilizers." In the former case, however, at the very least a very strong will is needed to calm down (those who don't have it are more likely to choke and count themselves to collapse number two) and in the latter case there are side effects, of which tranquilizers have countless. Not to mention that they are not freely available. And that's exactly why there are classic calming techniques, which are based on what one is realistically capable of in a stressful situation (counting to 10 it's definitely not), and possibly working with what's basically at everyone's fingertips.
Ground yourself!
Chronic stress is to blame. Adversity, shock. And then come the panic attacks - that is, moments of acute fear that set in as unexpectedly and quickly as they subside. Absolutely typical symptoms are heart palpitations, hot flashes, extreme sweating, tremors, dry mouth and dizziness. Of course, any state of psychological discomfort cannot be said to be a panic attack. But if we move away from a purely clinical diagnosis, which undoubtedly requires professional help, minor attacks can be dealt with quite effectively thanks to practical tips that are also used when dealing with PTSD. And these include, among other things, chewing lemon, pepper or chilly. Although it may sound crazy and incredibly banal, this recommendation is also backed by many years of proven practice...
Although it is not known exactly who invented the so-called grounding method, it is a practice that is common in e.g. Buddhism - however, the practice only penetrated Western clinical psychology quite recently, around the 1970s. But it only gained popularity a decade later, when psychologist Marsha Linehan developed so-called dialectical behaviour therapy, which built on the ability to "be in the present moment". And while this definition may sound quite elusive, according to psychotherapist Tiffany Young, the best thing about the grounding method is its simplicity. "The use of this method can be everyday, it doesn't necessarily have to be used as a one-off healing tool," she says.
3-2-1-chew!
It wasn't long ago that social media went viral with information about how beneficial a simple lemon can be to your health - especially your mental health. YouTube already has videos of people furiously munching on citrus (which gets rid of that rage...), while TikTok users have gone one step further and are biting furiously on pepper, chillies or pouring hot sauces into their mouths. Although viral content like this is often a bit of a head scratcher (think for example of the challenge "eat corn impaled on a rotating drill"...), the truth is that this time internet users hit the proverbial nail on the head.
Zdroj: Giphy
Indeed, the main goal in dealing with an acute panic attack is to actually try to focus on the present moment. And this can be achieved by using all five senses - and therefore also taste.
Sensory grounding
Specifically, grounding is a particular type of coping strategy to connect a person to the present moment. But according to experts, it is also a very effective way to distract oneself, to get rid of unpleasant thoughts, lingering memories or disturbing feelings. Basically, then, everything stands and falls on the evocation of such sensations that are difficult to ignore. So it is not surprising that the senses - hearing, touch, smell, sight and taste - are used for this purpose.
Taste - as already hinted at, extreme tastes are what work brilliantly in the case of grounding. You don't necessarily have to just chew on a lemon or lime, any other extreme taste sensations can be used. Pepper. Hot salsa. Something very bitter...There's no limit to creativity here. According to research, anxiety can override any intense taste sensation - it simply "shocks" a person into focusing on what's going on in their mouth instead of the panic itself.
Sight - count chairs, cupboards, start playing a game on your mobile phone, do a puzzle, read... Everything that occupies the eyes counts.
Smell - although you can smell anything, the best thing to have on hand is peppermint, which in itself can calm a person down. But you can also use scented candles, essential oils, for example. You can sniff clean laundry or even candy...
Touch - an ice cube, which you let melt freely in your hand, works very well in case of touch. But not everyone carries ice around outside. So washing your hands under running water can help, but so can a hot or cold shower. You can also use different structures and concentrate on them. And even a pet can help - so pet the dog, the cat...the parrot...
Hearing - psychologists recommend, for example, turning up the radio or playing a favourite song. Another option is to start talking out loud about what you see, hear. You can also use the phone and call someone close to you. The point is to find an immediate sound distraction that can pull the person out of their undesirable state.
At the same time, it must be said that grounding is a very personal process - what works for one person may not for another. So it is appropriate to proceed by trial and error. It is also possible to combine the various procedures. So feel free to scratch your dog, suck on a sour candy and sing what your throat and the candy in your mouth will allow...
