Dr. Rasmussen Talks about the Symptoms and Causes of Anxiety

Dr. Rasmussen discusses the cause and symptoms of anxiety and what you can do to overcome it. If you have more questions you would like him to address post a comment below or email him at admin@intralifeperformance.com.

A Woman's Story: Finding Help for Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Woman who found help for anxiety and panic attacks.

"About two years ago my life completely changed unexpectedly and took me down a path I would have never expected. I had been preparing to leave for a service mission in Guatemala that would last 18 months. Prior to my departure date I had spent months getting ready to leave. I could not wait to go.

November 18th finally rolled around and I was off to what I thought was going to be my greatest adventure of my life. The first week was wonderful. I loved everything that I was learning and I also enjoyed the people around me. I remember thinking nothing could get better than this. Then the second week rolled around and everything changed. I woke up one morning and remember feeling different than usual but I did not think too much about it. Another few days went by and I noticed that I was having a difficult time sleeping. Then another few days passed and I began to feel dazed and overwhelmed. Almost anything brought me to tears. I also noticed by appetite was drastically decreasing. I could not help but to question if I was dying. I knew something was wrong.

I went to my program director and told him what was happening. He recommended I see a counselor. The counselor said to come back in a week and see how things go. In my heart I was really hoping that things would get better and it was just a bad couple of weeks; I was not ready to go home, I had just left. That week went by and things just got worse. My body was achy, my chest felt like it was going to explode, I started to lose weight, and my head was spinning. Four weeks after my "adventure of a life time" I was home.

I couldn't understand why this was happening to me. I literally had fallen apart in less then three weeks. I felt so out of control and confused.

In my search for relief I came to learn that I was experiencing an extreme anxiety/ panic attack with mild depression. Everything that I read recommended doing medication. I was fearful of doing that because I was in such bad shape that I thought if the medication given to me made things worse (because some do that) I would not be able to handle the pain of the anxiety and depression anymore. I had heard about neurofeedback through a neighbor so I thought I would try it before I did  medication.

During my training I went twice a week consistently for four months then I came in for maintenance here and there. The first month was rough. My symptoms continued to persist; however, overall the intensity of the anxiety was less. The second month became more manageable. I had so many symptoms going on that even when the neurofeedback would eliminate one symptom the others would become more apparent and I would struggle with those. Within the middle of the second month my depression was completely gone. The third month I was much more capable of controlling the anxiety instead of it controlling me. This allowed me to do things with friends and get out of the house a little more without the anxiety getting to me. Also by this point the majority of my symptoms were gone. By the end of the fourth month most everything was back to normal. Every once in awhile I would have a hard day or two but I was able to take control of them and break the cycle relatively fast.

Neurofeedback was not a quick fix. It took effort and time which made some days difficult. However, I feel it was the best treatment option for me. I did not want a band aid such as Zoloft, I wanted something that I believed really changed my brain. Through the neurofeedback process I learned so much about myself and how to control what my brain does. I believe the training will last me a lifetime and will prevent me from future panic attacks. It has now been almost two years since my experience and I still feel great!"

-Testimonial from 23 year old female

How Gray Elephants Can Help Your Anxiety

Pink Elephant

What do you do when I say, "Don't think of a pink elephant?" You think of a pink elephant... right?  Now what would you do when I say, "Think of a gray elephant, not a pink one." This time you may have first thought of a gray elephant but as soon as I said "not a pink one" you thought of a pink elephant. This is called the "pink elephant phenomenon."

I like to relate pink elephants to anxiety symptoms such as overwhelming emotions, racing thoughts, and fatigue. You try not to think of them but its impossible not to. They are awful. They stink up your life.  They make a mess in your living room. You try to put them in your closet but they always get out and cause additional problems.

When we try to ignore our anxieties, or pink elephants, we give them energy which is why we often feel that ten seconds after deciding we are going to ignore how we are feeling everything becomes intensified. For example, think of when you get upset. You first start out by feeling a little irritated. Then you think to yourself, "Gees, I'm so bugged." Then you start thinking about why you are so bugged and how life is not fair. Before you know it you are ready to blow up and let the whole world know that you are raging fire. 

So how do we get rid of our pink elephants, or anxiety symptoms, in our lives? Easy, replace our pink elephants with gray elephants which represent positive behaviors and thinking patterns. There are three steps to this process.

1. You must accept that you have pink elephants. No more shoving them in your closet or pretending they are not there. Aloud say "I accept that I have ______ (fill in the blank with what ever your pink elephant is)."

2. Next, envision your pink elephant walking out your front door. Be sure to lock and dead bolt the door behind him. Tell him that you no longer need him and that he is not welcome in your space anymore.

3. The last step is to welcome in gray elephants. Say to yourself, "Now that my ______ (whatever your pink elephant is) is gone, I'm going to choose to take three deep breaths and relax (or something else that is a positive behavior)."

These three steps will allow you to say "Good bye pink elephants!" and hello to a happier you. You can take control instead of life taking control of you. After trying the pink elephant exercise post a comment below and let others know how it helped you.