NoPanic

Author: Wayne Senior

  • Anxiety: Friend or Foe

    By Brian Robinson, helpline volunteer.

    Many of us see anxiety as this terrible enemy or bully who we have to stand up against and fight. Who would blame us for that? However, the problem with this view of things is we risk ending up at war with ourselves.

    Fight or flight is in fact a system which exists in all of us and its only purpose is to keep us safe. It is part of who we are. It is not our enemy: and therefore it should be seen more as a misguided friend.

    When anxiety strikes we brace ourselves, plant our feet, clench or fists ready for the fight. This is the worst thing we could do. This only produces physical tension and sends a ‘danger present’ signal to our nervous system. Yes, it is the most natural reaction to resist: but passive resistance is the best way to encourage things to settle.

    When panic comes knocking, allow it in, don’t push it away, talk to it, reassure it that everything is okay and we are not in danger. Meet it with patience and understanding.

    I’m not going to pretend it’s the best friend in the world; or that it won’t test our patience to the limits; but it is a friendship that needs to be worked on: slamming the door in its face won’t make it go away.

  • How should employers deal with workplace stress?

    By Jessica Rowson, Director and Head of Psychiatric Injury at Oakwood Solicitors.

    We see a very complex relationship between environmental factors at work, stress at work and overall health of employees, but often this either just isn’t seen or understood by businesses or is simply ignored.

    Reports constantly show that at least 25 percent of all workers in the UK feel stress either some, or all of the time whilst at work, and a similar percentage of workers tend to admit that stress in the workplace negatively affects their health.

    Psychosocial activities – violence and harassment, work-life unbalance, tight or impossible deadlines, high intensity of work and monotonous tasks contribute to work related stress.

    It is difficult to put the whole of the blame for workplace stress on employers. We believe that practical support is needed to bring about real change, businesses need support to help them understand stress, recognise when it’s present or likely to be present, and how to manage employees who are showing signs of stress.

    If we accept that the most common causes of stress at work are:

    • The demands made on employees
    • The level of control workers have over how they carry out their duties
    • The support staff receive from their managers
    • The clarity of an employee’s role in their organisation and
    • The nature of relationships at work.

    … it then becomes obvious that the following will reduce stress:

    • Ensure employees are valued and feel valued
    • Management needs an open line of communications with all employees
    • Ensure jobs are flexible and well designed to ensure understanding and interest in the work
    • Consult employees with any changes to working conditions or job roles
    • Deal with sickness and absenteeism sensitively and ensure a robust ‘back to work’ procedure is in place
    • Develop an employee assistance programme (i.e. confidential counselling or help)
    • Promote a healthy lifestyle and work-life balance
    • Develop a truly supportive culture

    Only when employers tick all these boxes can they be more confident that they are protecting their employees from stress. Less time off work equates to a more productive and happier workforce.

    From a legal perspective, employers have a duty of care to their employees to protect them from an injury to their health attributable to stress at work. There is a risk therefore that if employers fail to recognise and address such issues and deal with stress, subsequently they fail in their duty of care, and could be exposed to claims for compensation.

    In such situations where an employer has failed in their duty of care to deal with stress, those suffering with work related stress may be able to claim compensation for the impact matters have had on their health, the cost of any necessary treatment on a private-paying basis, and lost earnings from their employer.

    The legal position for those who have suffered or who are suffering with stress at work is complex. It is always advisable to consult a legal expert when dealing with such matters.

  • “Psychoeducation”: is there such a thing as too much…

    By Craig, No Panic volunteer

    This is the third in our series looking at the importance of psychoeducation in any anxiety recovery journey. We’ve already had a look at the benefits of understanding more about the anxiety state and the different sources available to help you do that. In this blog, we want to look at balancing a healthy drive to understand, against an anxiety triggered need to find cures and reassurance.

    When it comes to psychoeducation, you may find two different schools of thought out there. Some people may tell you to stop pouring over all the details, let it be and move on. However, for most of us, trying to live with the daily symptoms and challenges without understanding what’s going on, can leave us even more perplexed and frightened. That’s why a growing body of professionals and individuals will recommend the value of understanding what is going on with your heightened anxiety state.

    As I started to build my own understanding of anxiety disorder, I found real comfort in understanding that I wasn’t really losing my mind, or that I wasn’t in any related danger of suddenly dying. However, whenever my anxiety lasted for any period, I started to fall into the trap of assuming I must have failed to learn all I needed to and that was why the anxiety was still there. It’s so common for your anxious reaction to trigger a ‘need to fix it’ or to ‘need to find the magic answers’, but by now, I am pretty sure you’ll have been seeing that there is no magic solution out there – if there were, we’d all be using it.

    The truth with anxiety is that it usually takes patience, courage, and perseverance. Psychoeducation’s role there is not to eliminate the anxiety, but to help with the patience and perseverance. In understanding how anxiety works, you can learn that there is a natural process going on and with the right perseverance using relaxation, exercise, diet, and other good lifestyle habits, you will see your anxiety drop over time, we’ve seen this so many times. 

    But how do you know whether you are using psychoeducation as a useful tool to help you understand and be patient, or whether you are furiously seeking out that magic bullet? Well, in my experience I am afraid it is a fine line, but there are usually a couple of tell-tale signs, ask yourself:

    • ‘Am I reading/listening to things I already know?’ Sometimes you will read variations of the same thing in hope that this time it will ‘go in’ or you’ll get it right. This is a classic sign of ‘reassurance’. Reassurance is when you have to be told something you already know because you don’t trust yourself..
    • ‘Am I hoping that this article will tell me how to fix it?’ There is lots of good advice out there and lots of techniques and practices that are really good for you, but if you sense you are looking for a magic fix, stop.. think… ask yourself if you are really going to find that when 20% of the global population has an anxiety condition… wouldn’t they already be rolling that magic out?

    Psychoeducation is such a powerful tool on your recovery path, but it is always important to check your motivations and challenge yourself if you notice you are becoming obsessed with reassurance seeking and magic fix finding.

    Hopefully this short series on psychoeducation has given you something to think about and hopefully a few new resources to consider that you might try using. A reminder that the no panic website is a great source for learning more about Anxiety and ways to help improve your current situation… head to our Resources section for lots of pages on different specific anxiety conditions and topics.

  • “Psychoeducation”: where to get it…

    By Craig, No Panic volunteer

    In our recent blog on psychoeducation, we spoke about the value of understanding what is happening biologically when you are anxious. Doing so can help you understand that whilst symptoms are real and scary, they can also be easily explained and cannot truly harm you.

    Once you’ve decided that you want to learn more, the challenge is where to go. In today’s blog I wanted to talk about some of the sources that I have found useful:

    Books

    It seems hard to believe, but back in the early 2000’s when I first experienced those bewildering feelings of anxiety, the internet wasn’t a big thing. When I wanted to understand more about anxiety, I turned to books! That first time, I picked up books at my local library, so self help doesn’t always cost.

    Books may not feel like the immediate or magic cure you are seeking, but I have found a great deal of wisdom and help in books on anxiety disorder. Although it does take quite a bite of effort to get a book to the shop shelves, I still always recommend checking out authors and their titles to see how well respected they are.

    A particular author I would like to bring to your attention is Dr Claire Weekes. Whilst she died back in 1990 at the ripe old age of 87, she had already led the field in recommending techniques that are common today and in doing so got herself books and TV slots. Her title ‘Self Help for your nerves’ explains some of the basics behind what’s going on when you become nervously unwell, she explains individual symptoms and their biological mechanics before she goes on to discuss ways to help yourself recover.

    If you’ve got any books you’ve found really helpful, do add them to the comments for others to read.

    Websites

    As the 2000’s rolled on, you may have noticed that the internet took off. It’s fair to say it has left us with a rich array of websites specialising in anxiety disorders. There are different types of websites each coming from a slightly different angle:

    • Official guidance from public health bodies, e.g. here’s the UK NHS page on Generalised Anxiety Disorder (https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/overview/)
    • Supportive guidance from anxiety related health charities, e.g. our own NoPanic resource library (https://nopanic.org.uk/resources/)
    • Independent websites from qualified medical professionals, e.g. The Anxiety Coach is a website run by Dr Dave Carbonell as us based clinical psychologist with some following as a therapist, author and teacher (https://www.anxietycoach.com/)
    • Independent websites from interested individuals/groups, e.g. Anxiety No More is a website run by Paul David, a British blogger who suffered severe anxiety for over 10 years, who shares his experiences and also managed to get his story published (https://anxietynomore.co.uk/)
    • Corporate websites from organisations looking to sell anxiety related services

    A couple of challenges with internet sites are a) the fact that just about anybody can put a site out there and b) the sheer volume of choice. For this reason, I think it’s always important to be that bit more discerning. My general rule of thumb is that if a website is promising a quick fix for anxiety, it can generally be left well alone. Another red flag for me is if there is any kind of significant charge for their information. If you had information that would help people suffering from anxiety, would you restrict it to those paying? You’ll find plenty of websites where people are willing to share their information and provide paid service alongside for extra support, but are completely optional.

    Although it can seem daunting or challenging, I do think it’s worthwhile as there are some powerful resources out there as I’ve listed above.

    Podcasts

    One of the more recent innovations has been every growing world of Podcasts. These are audio recordings of individuals or groups sharing discussion and information. They are accessible through a variety of platforms (e.g., Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts). If your anxiety leaves you finding it difficult to focus on tasks like reading, these can be helpful alternatives.

    As I recommend with websites, I also recommend a bit of digging on podcast authors. What can you find out about their podcasts, people’s views on them and the topics they are covering. Some platforms do enable podcasts to be rated, some allow comments to be left and then there are websites that will actively review podcasts to help you source one that works for you.

    Then there is the fun side of this, with a podcast it’s always far more valuable if you find somebody that really resonates with you, be that the way they explain their stories, their voice or the format they share them in, so I really recommend exploring and finding something that’s right for you.

    A couple of podcasts I have found great interest in are…

    • The Panic Pod, by Joshua Fletcher (a Manchester, UK based psychotherapist and published author) https://schoolofanxiety.com/the-panic-pod/
    • The Anxious Truth, by Drew Linsalata (a New York, US based past anxiety sufferer, published author and in training psychotherapist) https://theanxioustruth.com/subscribe-to-podcast/

    There really is so much information out there that is of value. I know it can be overwhelming when there is so much choice, but think about how you usually prefer to learn, find a source you trust, then give it a go. In the next blog on psychoeducation, I’ll try and balance all the above and the volume of material available by considering if there is such a thing as too much??

    (note: this article refers to sources that the author has found beneficial. It is important you make your own choices with the use of the information available to you)

  • How can employers be more inclusive with social events?

    By Ruth Cooper-Dickson, No Panic Patron

    Over 4 years ago I stopped drinking alcohol when I started taking my SSRIs for panic disorder, as having a glass of wine made me physically unwell, let alone the mental side-effects.  My body had such a strong reaction to it.  When I finally stopped taking my medication, I realised for me alcohol did not help my anxiety at all, so I made the decision to stay sober and have been ever since as it works for me.  I use LinkedIn a lot for work and I have posted several times about mindful drinking in the workplace. That there are many reasons people do not want to drink alcohol, that the alcohol-free options are usually either water or sugary soft drinks (to which there is no excuse with the burgeoning low and no drinks market), and that work events are often still centred around a pub or bar.

    However, as someone who experiences anxiety and has been diagnosed with several anxiety disorders, I’ve noticed since the return to in-person events how overwhelming they can be.  Whether that is the noise and the intensity of stimulation, the amount of people in a room and at times going up to strangers and making small-talk conversation, with everyone hybrid working the faces are not always familiar.

    I consider myself an extrovert individual (yes you can be even with an anxiety disorder) but the conversations I’ve had in my day job as a wellbeing practitioner, suggest that work social events often don’t consider how colleagues might be feeling quite anxious before attending.

    ? In the UK, over 8 million people are experiencing an anxiety disorder at any one time (Mental Health UK, 2022)

    ? An estimated 822,000 workers are affected by work-related stress, depression, or anxiety every year (Health and Safety Executive, 2022)

    Recently I held my own event at a local business venue and I made it clear beforehand that decent alcohol-free options would be offered (not just orange juice) and secondly, for people not to worry if they were coming alone as we would connect people beforehand.  I also asked people to reach out to me directly if they felt anxious about attending alone and I could be aware of who they were to say hello.

    On the back of this I wanted to share my eight tips for creating inclusive work social events which might help reduce anxiety of team members.  I hope you find these useful.

    1. Ensure there is someone from the team at the venue first to welcome everyone as they arrive. Don’t move on until everyone has arrived.
    2. If people are travelling alone offer opportunities for people to buddy up at travel points for before and after the event.
    3. Consider the timing of the events for people with caring, child-care, or other commitments.  Also, as a woman, travelling late at night alone is not something I feel comfortable with and it raises my anxiety levels through the roof.
    4. Find spaces which allow for people to step-away if it is noisy to speak and connect, without having to shout and be heard.  This is also inclusive for those who may be hearing impaired.
    5. If the consensus of venue is a bar or pub, then check for alcohol free and dietary options beforehand.  If you are running an activity or attending an event, check the accessibility options.
    6. Please don’t assume everyone loves playing games and icebreakers, so think these through first and know your audience.
    7. If individuals are expected to be paying for themselves, check the price range and that it is comfortable for people.  Do not assume everyone is happy splitting the bill, it annoys me as a non-drinker but with the cost-of-living crisis, anxiety around spending money on nights out is probably high for most people.
    8. Finally, this came tip on the back of someone messaging me the other week…that if people are left in the office to take calls and not joining until later, please do agree a rota for this so it doesn’t have to be the same person who is left until last and then has to come and track everyone down, or could you just not hold on and wait until everyone can join together!

  • “Psychoeducation” : taking the mystery out of anxiety…

    By Craig, No Panic Volunteer

    In 2005, I had my first experience of problematic anxiety. I remember that feeling of adrenalin rushing through my body, a flush of heat over my face with beads of sweat forming on my forehead as thoughts started to tell me that something was terribly wrong… I needed to get to safety. The only problem was I didn’t know what the danger was and I didn’t know what would make me feel safe. My mind could only reach one conclusion, something about me was fundamentally broken and I was surely on a path to ‘losing my mind’… whatever that means?

    For most people who experience problematic anxiety, I am sure this will sound familiar. I am also sure I won’t be the first person having experienced this to tell you that here I am 18 years later and my mind was never ‘lost’… but in a way, that makes it all the more confusing… why all the drama if I am actually ok?  

    Without access to the right information and understanding, or the right support, it’s no surprise that this confusion leads many to believe that their mind is truly about to break. It’s at this point that the process of psychoeducation is such an important and critical step along the road to recovery.

    Initially, I didn’t know what the phrase ‘psychoeducation’ meant, but it’s become so important to myself and many on their anxiety journeys. Psychoeducation, literally, is the process of learning about a mental health condition, it’s causes, symptoms, prognosis and treatments.

    As with most anxiety treatments, there is rarely a single magic bullet, but I and others have found psychoeducation to be crucial in removing a lot of the mystery and bewilderment from the anxious state. For anxiety specifically, I’ve found it useful to understand why the body triggers anxious reactions at all, why they can be not only beneficial but critical in our lives. I’ve also understood more about why our nervous systems can sometimes lead to this process going wrong, i.e. becoming persistent or acute out of context. Psychoeducation has also helped me understand why something which to me seemed like a nervous reaction in my mind, could lead to my hands feeling sweaty, or sweat coming across my brow.

    Again, understanding these processes does not magically stop them happening, but they do help you understand the limitations of anxiety and why ultimately it is not a process that directly causes you any harm or leads to specific other mental illness. I know for myself, this left me feeling much more empowered to take the steps needed to help my nervous system recover, without the added pressure of trying to figure out what on earth was going on all the time.

    Our own no panic website, we have a whole section under the ‘resources’ menu which can really help you understand what’s going on here. Hopefully you find some useful material there, if there is something not covered, that you’d like to understand more on, why not suggest another topic for us to add?

  • How to Break the Anxiety Cycle

    By Brian Robinson, No Panic volunteer

    The best way to break the anxiety cycle is not to see it as an unbreakable cycle in the first place.

    At its heart, anxiety is a disorder caused by tension. When tension levels are raised to a certain critical point, fight or flight is automatically triggered.

    See yourself then as one big stressed system.

    Now, if you put a relaxant into a stressed system it must relax a bit: that’s physics.

    And if you put a lot of relaxants into a stressed system it must relax a lot: that’s maths.

    So, as you go about your daily routine ask yourself: is what I’m doing producing tension or is it reducing tension?

    The more you reduce tension: the quicker you will recover.

    An expanded version of this article will be available in the March 2023 edition of the newsletter for members.

  • How No Panic Helped an Actor and Director

    Actor and director Christopher Lee-Power explaines how No Panic has helped him with anxiety, in high-pressure situations.

    “The renowned saying by Bob Hoskins, “it’s good to talk,” holds immense truth in various aspects of life. As an actor, I have faced various challenges in my journey, including hyperactivity, speech difficulties, and coordination problems in my childhood. Despite these obstacles, I persevered and pursued personal development through speech, drama, and life skills, eventually earning an Oxford Diploma in Acting.

    Growing up with parents who were entertainers, I witnessed the debilitating effects of anxiety and panic, as my mother struggled with panic attacks and was prescribed Valium. However, I am proud to say that she has since overcome this with the help of various resources.

    Throughout my career, I have honed my craft in various capacities in television, film, and theater, and have had the privilege of appearing on renowned networks such as Amazon Prime, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and more. Despite these accomplishments, I have occasionally struggled with panic attacks and anxiety, particularly during high-pressure situations such as working with BAFTA director Christopher Swann as the General in his new play One Night . This is where No Panic has been instrumental in providing me with the support and guidance I needed.

    My sessions with Lynn from No Panic equipped me with effective coping mechanisms and techniques, such as breathing exercises and reframing negative thoughts, which have been indispensable in managing my anxiety. I am heartened to see more actors and public figures being open about their struggles with anxiety, and I believe that seeking support is a crucial step in overcoming these challenges.

    One of my future goals is to conquer my fear of flying, as this has limited my ability to work on international projects, including opportunities in the United States.

    I now run my own charity for young people in the arts called The Power Foundation For Young People and looking forward to a few films being released this year that I am in.

    I highly recommend No Panic to anyone seeking support in overcoming anxiety and panic.”

  • How to Help Someone When They Have a Panic Attack

    By Natasha Devon, Patron

    I’ve had panic attacks since I was ten years old. I don’t get them often any more, since I learned how to manage my anxiety with a combination of the therapy, the right meds and lifestyle changes, but they still happen to me occasionally. When my mental health was at it’s worst, I could have two or three a day.  

    Panic attacks can manifest in very different ways. They don’t always look how you expect them to. Often, just before and attack, I’d become snappy and bad-tempered. This ‘aggression’ has been misinterpreted by people around me, because they didn’t know it could be a sign of vulnerability.

    The main symptom I experience during an attack is feeling as though my throat is closing and this leads to difficulty breathing. I find it really unhelpful when people around me tell me to ‘just breathe’ or try to get me to do breathing exercises when I’m mid-attack. It draws more attention to the fact I’m struggling to breathe normally and makes me panic even more.

    Instead, I prefer whoever is with me to ask me to name five things I can see around me. This also takes me out of the myopia I experience with panic attacks – I often become relentlessly focussed on one particular spot, so being encouraged to look around helps me to ‘zoom out’.

    I also found it unhelpful when I was asked what caused the panic attack the second it was over. I’d usually be a bit discombobulated immediately afterwards so it felt like a demand for answers I didn’t necessarily have. Panic attacks don’t always happen for an obvious reason. Sometimes it’s a billion little things. Sometimes you need a bit of space to reflect before you can articulate what you’re feeling.

    One of the best responses I had was from my brother. He rubbed my back whilst the attack was happening and then afterwards he said ‘did you see a owl?’. That’s a line from a comedy show we’d watched a couple of weeks earlier and we both burst out laughing. If you’re able to, it can be a really effective tool to laugh in the face of panic attacks, in my experience. It dispels the remaining tension in your body.

    Generally, I think the right response to a panic attack is to not catastrophize but also not to minimise. I’ve had people literally just look, unmoving, at me whilst I’m having one, then afterwards tell me they thought I was ‘being dramatic’. Then there are those who get into a panic themselves and talk about how much you’re worrying them, or that they thought you were going to die, which makes you feel guilty. Ideally, you should give the person having a panic attack your full attention, but remain calm yourself.

    Other things to do if you’re witnessing a panic attack:

    • Get the person to sit down or at the very least to stand by a wall, so if they faint they don’t hurt themselves;
    • Remind them that you are there and you’re not going to leave them alone;
    • Check in with them later in the day, or the next day;
    • Don’t force them to talk about it, but let them know that you are there if they do want to;
    • Ask them what they need afterwards – Do they want to get some fresh air? Go somewhere quiet? Have a drink of water?;
    • If the person gets attacks regularly, you can work out a signal they can give you if they think one is approaching. You can also ask them in advance what they would like you to do upon them giving the signal.

  • When to Do the Breathing Exercise: Sleeping and Waking

    This is the final part of a three-part series on the No Panic breathing exercise. In this series, we are focusing on when to do the breathing exercise. It’s all about the timing.

    Anxiety can cause people to lose sleep night after night. All that sleep deprivation mounts up, so they are too tired to do what they want to do, and even too tired to manage their anxiety.

    I want all of you to sleep well every night, so I will explain how you can improve your sleep just by doing the breathing exercise.

    We recommend people have a calming routine before they go to bed. This can include the breathing exercise. It is a good idea to do the breathing exercise just before you go to bed, so you go to bed feeling calm.

    Some people have lots of anxious thoughts chasing each other around their minds when they go to bed. They may not be as good at maintaining a pre-sleep routine; they might not bother with a pre-sleep routine.

    A great thing about the breathing exercise is that you can do it anywhere, and you don’t have to be sitting up. Just as you can do the breathing exercise while walking around a busy shopping centre, you can do the breathing exercise while lying in bed. You can do the breathing exercise to focus your mind away from all those anxious thoughts, and to slow everything down until you drift off to sleep.

    So now you’re asleep.  Suddenly you’re woken up in panic. Perhaps you had a nightmare, or anxiety decided to wake you up like children who doesn’t want to wait for their parents to get out of bed. Either way, you’re awake, and feeling anxious. You may even be having a panic attack.

    At this point, the mistake people make is to try to get back to sleep. It is natural to want to go back to sleep, but you are unlikely to get back to sleep quickly.

    To limit how much sleep you lose, you can get out of bed to spend 30 minutes or so calming your anxiety. While out of bed, you can do the breathing exercise. The best times to do the breathing exercise are after you get out of bed, and just before you go back to bed. Even if you wake up a few times, this way you are limiting how much sleep you lose, and that should make a difference over time.

    It is common for people to wake up in the morning feeling anxious. The anxiety they have through the day can stem from the anxiety with which they awoke. It is important to get on top of this anxiety as quickly as you can. One way to do this, is to start doing the breathing exercise as soon as you wake up. If you want to spend 10 minutes doing the breathing exercise when you wake up every day, you could get up slightly earlier.

    If you already do the breathing exercise at a different time as part of your morning routine, you can still do it at that time in addition to doing it when you wake up. If you don’t usually do the breathing exercise in the morning, other good times to do the breathing exercise may be after you get dressed and after you’ve had your breakfast.

    Doing the breathing exercise may not help you sleep perfectly, but I hope doing the breathing exercise helps you sleep better. Then you’ll have more energy for going out, and managing anxiety throughout the day, including at mealtimes.