09/01/2023
Real talk…. Last night I had an anxiety attack. I woke up in the middle of the night and had an allergic reaction to something and it scared me. The back story is that I used to have very severe allergic reactions and it felt like the exact same thing was happening all over again. I immediately started catastrophizing the situation and ruminating on negative thoughts. What came immediately after? Chest pain - Tight and uncomfortable. Somatic symptoms that my clients often describe to me in session. The reality for me is that anxiety has never presented itself in this way before which scared me even more. I did square breathing in that moment. Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4 and hold for 4. I did this for 5-6 minutes until my chest pain dissipated. So why do I share all of this? To normalize this very human experience. For you to know that your therapists also struggle at times and also use the strategies we might recommend for you. ✌🏻