The French psychiatrist, Jacques Lacan, a 20th Century pioneer in psychoanalysis, believed aggression is generated as a psychological defense against the threat of something known as fragmentation; the mental and emotional sense of losing control over self-cohesion. Now, fragmentation may present in a feeling of low-grade distress, or it may manifest in all-out panic and terror, for fear of total annihilation. Lacan took the whole matter to infancy where a human is simply a mish-mash of biological functions well beyond internal management. And the only goal one could have is to at least make an effort to pull everything together into some semblance of cohesive identity.

But, Lacan believed any achieved cohesion or collected personality is only a matter of appearances; just a front intended to mask one’s innate vulnerability and weakness. That said, when any outside force poses a threat, which to the individual would reveal the sad and terrorizing truth regarding her ever-looming potential to fragment, she calls upon her most natural and available defense; concealment of her innate frailty. And this is implemented by the immediate presentation of the illusion that she has scads of power right at her very fingertips. Well, that supposed power is aggression; so often expressed and received as anger.

Now, according to the psychoanalysts, regression is a defense mechanism generated by the ego, the mediator between our primal drives (the id) and our social conscious (the superego), that forces an individual to give the heave-ho to healthy and mature coping strategies in the face of intense internal distress. In lieu of employing age-appropriate management strategies, the individual unconsciously elects to revert to patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior from a stage of psychosexual development in which he’s become fixated. Now, this fixation could take him back in time to anywhere from birth through adolescence. And the stage chosen for the reversion is generally one during which some sort of major unresolved conflict or trauma occurred. By the way, Sigmund Freud named the psychosexual stages oral, anal, phallic, latency period, and genital.

You know, interestingly enough, it’s possible that an individual may be unconsciously holding on to pain and anger in a misguided attempt to reconnect with the person who inflicted wounds and generated trauma during a developmental stage in which she’s fixated. And this occurs in a hopeless effort to achieve a wrap and a sense of healing. Indeed, even though the regression and fixation traps the individual within the walls of intense distress, they at least bring him close to the scene of the crime, and the perpetrator(s). And being at least close equates to having a shot at resolution. Does any of this connect with you?

Though not as detailed, I want to at least mention the cognitive point of view regarding anger. The cognitivists would submit that anger is an incredibly powerful emotion grounded in a real or perceived event. They’d go on to say that anger’s presence in our lives may be generated by any combination of genetics, life-experience, poor conflict-management skills, and learned behavior. And they’d probably suggest that most people who display anger blame others, and situations, for all of the hubbub; as opposed to taking responsibility for their misguided expectations. Indeed, if the events at hand don’t jibe with their perception and expectation of the way things should be, boom, all hell breaks loose.

Like the psychoanalysts, the cognitivists would remind you that anger is a deeply rooted defense mechanism that protects us from a variety of situations from which rescue is perceived to be necessary; its power and energy aiding in both emotional and physical survival. So that can be a good thing, but the downside is when anger becomes horribly mismanaged and taken beyond the boundaries of its biological and psychological purpose. It then becomes incredibly dangerous.

Well, that’s a wrap for part one. Hopefully, I provided a nice definitive foundation as we look to part two, and our discussion of how anger directly impacts panic and anxiety.

After a winning bout with panic disorder, a career in the business world, and a part-time job working with socially challenged adolescents, Bill found his life’s passion and work. So he earned his master’s degree and counseling credentials, and is doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time.

Bill has some powerful BE CALM mentoring and service packages available for panic attack sufferers on his website, which include his panic attack education and recovery eWorkbook, “Panic! …and Poetic Justice.” The eWorkbook is delivered via an immediate download. You’ll also find a link on the website to Bill’s Panic Attack Freedom! blog. Lots of good stuff going on and much more to come.

In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing and speaking. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops and is available for future engagements. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.). He resides in the far western suburbs of Chicago where he enjoys time with his two wonderful teenage children.
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SE came to life as Dr. Levine observed that though wild animals of prey are under constant threat and siege, they’re rarely traumatized. Well, I never really gave that much thought, but I suppose it’s true. So, just how in the heck do they pull that off? Well, credit is given to an innate regulating mechanism that very efficiently manages and discharges the energy that accumulates in their bodies as a result of self-preservation behaviors. Levine observed that when an animal of prey survives a potentially deadly chase, it actually takes time to physically shake-off unused energy before moving on with the herd. Well, Levine posits we humans are equipped with essentially the same mechanism; however, ours is greatly inhibited by our more advanced cognitive capabilities. Man, how many times does thinking mess things up for us? By the way, isn’t it interesting that we so often use the phrase, “Just shake it off,” when someone takes a relatively minor hit of some kind.

Now, as we consider the notion that humans have an innate ability to manage and discharge unused survival energy, let’s take a look at a large structure in the midbrain known as the periaqueductal gray (PG). The PG is thought to be involved with physically defensive reactions such as freezing, jumping, running, rapid heartbeat, blood pressure fluctuation, and increases in muscle tone. It’s believed that when sufficiently stimulated, the amygdala, our fear alarm control panel, rings-up the PG and on come one or more of the physical phenomena just mentioned.

Interestingly enough, the PG is also responsible for something known as quiescence, a state of being at ease and immobile, yet highly alert. Many scientists believe this is a natural recovery response after a tussle with a real or perceived threat. Did you ever feel like you were frozen or immobile during a time of intense fear or anxiety? Come on, you know you have. In humans, indeed all mammals and reptiles, freezing usually occurs right before the real or perceived attack. It’s one of three primary responses called upon when we’re faced with a perceived overwhelming threat, the others being fight and flight. Well, this altered state of consciousness is designed to provide a last ditch shot at escape and to spare the body pain through a natural analgesic process should a brutal death occur. And guess what? The PG is responsible for this onboard pain relief, as well.

Now, this inability to “shake-off” causes big problems because it prohibits a complete purging, if you will, of excess survival energy. And this, in turn, impedes the nervous system’s efforts to regain a sense of internal balance or homeostasis. And that, in yet another turn, leads to trauma because the body now has to try to accommodate an excess of unused survival energy. And this “has-been” mass of energy remains bound in our bodies where it rips us up mentally, emotionally, and physically. Again, we humans have the ability to shake-off this toxic mess; however, we generally find a way to think our way out of it.

Well, it sure doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to me that this storehouse of poisonous unused survival energy would have the potential to generate all sorts of panic and anxiety. And that’s what makes this material so relevant. So, keep this information in your back pocket as you read the next article discussing SE from a treatment perspective.

After a winning bout with panic disorder, a career in the business world, and a part-time job working with socially challenged adolescents, Bill found his life’s passion and work. So he earned his master’s degree and counseling credentials, and is doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time.

Bill has some powerful BE CALM mentoring and service packages available for panic attack sufferers on his website, which include his panic attack education and recovery eWorkbook, “Panic! …and Poetic Justice.” The eWorkbook is delivered via an immediate download. You’ll also find a link on the website to Bill’s Panic Attack Freedom! blog. Lots of good stuff going on and much more to come.

In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing and speaking. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops and is available for future engagements. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.). He resides in the far western suburbs of Chicago where he enjoys time with his two wonderful teenage children.
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As you may know, in addition to our sense of hearing the inner ear is the headquarters of balance and equilibrium. Within the membranous labyrinth, a fluid-filled structure deep within the inner ear, is a relatively large area known as the vestibule. And it’s the “vestibular system” that monitors and manages balance and equilibrium by receiving and integrating input from the eyes, ears, and muscles of the trunk, neck, and limbs. Of course, the vestibular system gets a little help from its friends, one of which is the brain’s cerebellum. I guess it would make sense that the cerebellum is a major player in the integration of sensory perception, as well as motor control.

Now then, disorders of the vestibular system can cause all sorts of mental, emotional, and physical problems, including panic and anxiety. The panic and anxiety generated by vestibular system dysfunction is most often triggered by the misinterpretation of, and overreaction to, the troubling symptoms it produces. I mean, we’re talking dizziness, loss of balance, headache, attention and focus issues, tinnitus, trouble focusing and tracking with the eyes, distorted hearing, confusion, and loss of memory. Think those would make you anxious and panicky? I’m thinking so.

Just recently I assessed a young man who was having a very tough time with panic and anxiety. As he told me about his wealth of physical symptoms he included feeling very unsteady on his feet and sensing something was wrong with his balance. Heck, forget about being a clinician, as a recovered panic sufferer I immediately knew what he was describing and why it was upsetting him. Listen, in spite of its lack of marquee status, this is an incredibly common issue for millions of panic and anxiety sufferers.

Again, the outstanding news is the balance/panic/anxiety phenomenon is now being assessed and treated in children. The treatment formula is a very simple balance-focused physical regimen using a variety of equipment in assisting the child in managing his/her environmental experience and movement within space. And, of course, the more progress made by the child, the greater the decline in the potential for panic and anxiety issues.

So it looks as though this is a “win, win, win” situation here. A traditionally ignored contributor to panic and anxiety is getting some major attention. A contributor to panic and anxiety is being addressed in childhood. The potential for lifelong pain and suffering is being greatly reduced.

What’s not to like?
Bill Chandler

After a life-long bout with panic disorder – and recovery – and a career in the business world, Bill found his life\’s passion, his life\’s work. So he earned his master\’s degree and counseling credentials, and he’s now doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time. Bill authored a panic disorder education and recovery eworkbook entitled, \”Panic! …and Poetic Justice,\” which is available on his website and online store for immediate download. Also available is information regarding a collection of poems he wrote along his panic disorder and recovery journey entitled, \”The Poetry of My Life.\” Lots of good stuff to see, and more to come. In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops for non-profit organizations and remains available to offer more. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.).

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I was nine-years-old when an episode of derealization struck me like a lightening bolt while I was sitting at a kitchen table with my parents and their friends. I panicked and ran from the scene. During that same timeframe it was often written on my report cards that I was seemingly unable to sit still and would occasionally wander around the classroom. As a junior in college intrusive thoughts entered my airspace. I was walking down the sidewalk in downtown East Lansing, MI. and saw a woman coming toward me pushing a stroller. Out of nowhere I wondered what would happen if I punched her baby right in the face. Wow!

Well, let’s take a shot at labeling these events in an effort to gain some insight. The first event was a panic attack, the second involved inattention and hyperactivity, and the third event was an obsession with a yet to be understood bit of compulsive behavior tossed in. And I can tell you, for sure, these three amigos frequently travel together.

Let’s see if we can find some anatomical and physiological common ground here. Research tells us that the generation of panic attacks is based in the amygdala and other components of the limbic system, which are all located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain. The amygdala has been considered a component of the basal ganglia for decades; however, since it’s not involved in movement the association is fading. Finally, the amygdala works closely with the brain’s thalamus and prefrontal cortices in receiving, analyzing, and responding to incoming internal and external stimuli. The neurotransmitters involved in panic are serotonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.

ADHD sufferers have been found to have reduced brain mass in areas of the dorsal prefrontal cortex, located within the prefrontal lobe of both brain cortices. Also noted are reductions in size of the anterior temporal areas of both cortices. The anatomy lesson continues, as increases in grey matter volume in areas of the posterior temporal and inferior parietal cortices have also been detected. Finally, areas of the cerebrum’s anterior cingulate cortex and basal ganglia, as well as portions of the cerebellum, have shown variations in size. Neurotransmitters involved with ADHD are thought to be dopamine and norepinephrine.

When it comes to the brain anatomy involved in obsessions and compulsions, the orbital-prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus (located within the basal ganglia, by the way), and the thalamus are most often mentioned. The neurotransmitters in the obsession/compulsion mix are believed to be serotonin and dopamine.
Well, as it applies to panic, inattention, hyperactivity, obsessions, and compulsions, there appears to be plenty of common ground in terms of brain anatomy and neurotransmitters. Indeed, there are numerous dots that can be connected. Go ahead, go back and take a look at the article and make your own comparisons. I’m thinking you’ll see the similarities. And I believe these similarities account for my constellation of symptoms and disorders over the years, as well as those of one of our clients.

Not long after we began working with Taylor, our focus turned to his self-obsession and inability to quiet his mind. Yes, Taylor’s mind was very much working against him in a very spirited manner. I shared my history of inattention and obsessive/compulsive issues with him, and guess what? Taylor revealed he’d had some major problems with inattention throughout his elementary and secondary education experience. Isn’t it amazing how, with the right cues, seemingly meaningless information to a mind variance sufferer suddenly comes to the fore and becomes a factor in identification and treatment?

Well, to me, our assorted bits of pathology aren’t pieces from different puzzles that happened to have been thrown on the card table. No, they’re pieces from a massive and complicated puzzle that simply take a longer amount of time to piece together. It’s just all the more evidence that mind variances co-occur and interact. And though, in terms of treatment, we traditionally lean toward the myopic, focusing upon the issue that’s causing the most grief in-the-moment; all pieces of the grand puzzle must be considered. Only then can we maximize insight, identity, education, treatment, and hope.

Over the coming days, take the time to ponder your full constellation of symptoms and potential disorders. I’m telling you it’s a worthwhile exercise and your suppositions and conclusions merit discussion with your “help-team.” Again, the nuances of our mind variances, and their interaction, are amazingly fascinating. Well beyond that, understanding the dynamics will lead to extraordinary peace and calm.
Bill Chandler

After a life-long bout with panic disorder – and recovery – and a career in the business world, Bill found his life\’s passion, his life\’s work. So he earned his master\’s degree and counseling credentials, and he’s now doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time. Bill authored a panic disorder education and recovery eworkbook entitled, \”Panic! …and Poetic Justice,\” which is available on his website and online store for immediate download. Also available is information regarding a collection of poems he wrote along his panic disorder and recovery journey entitled, \”The Poetry of My Life.\” Lots of good stuff to see, and more to come. In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops for non-profit organizations and remains available to offer more. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.).

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First, just what is a paradox? Well, it’s something that may appear to be incongruent with what’s accepted as common sense, yet it’s very likely true. That said, it’s my observation that many panic sufferers may consciously and/or unconsciously intentionally trigger their panic attacks. Is that paradoxical enough for you? Geez, don’t get angry at me now. If this notion is true, and it applies to you, it can serve to provide a lot of direction. So think about it. Before I go into detail, could it at least be possible?

I mean, as unpleasant as panic attacks are, if living with them has been the only way of life we’ve ever known, is it so hard to believe we may well do all within our power to perpetuate them? Indeed, painful and icky though they may be, they’re familiar and comfortable in a peculiar sort of way. Look, tens of millions of people elect to live in terribly undesirable environments and life situations, and each for very personal, perhaps even consciously unknown, reasons. As much as we might not understand why these folks don’t opt for change, well, they simply don’t. Their decision, and that’s that.

News flash! I say significant numbers of panic sufferers do the very same thing. And the intentional self-perpetuation of panic stems from reasons well beyond familiarity and comfort. How ‘bout this for starters? If we consume most of our time pondering all things panic we can very effectively keep our minds from ruminating over extraordinarily troubling and painful issues that we really don’t want to acknowledge. So, in effect, we can actually use panic, a painful, but at least familiar phenomenon, to prevent us from confronting these potentially devastating feelings and thoughts; and doing something about them. I suppose you could say panic is the lesser of the two evils.

Another thought. Willful participation in panic may be the only way we know to hold on to items very emotionally tender and valuable from our past. Who knows, maybe a parent suffered from panic; and being consumed by it is a misguided attempt at re-connecting with him/her in an effort to somehow heal some wounds. Perhaps it’s all about trying to make peace with unknown emotional trauma from the past that physically presented in the form of panic, and we’ve unconsciously determined that panic is the only vehicle that can transport us back in time. We believe that particular journey gives us a shot at making things right.

Well, who really knows? Unfortunately, I mean just that. The mysteries of our personal paradox of panic run incredibly deep. But, I think you get the point. Yes, I truly believe we may very well panic for consciously and unconsciously intentional reasons, willfully trading pain for pain. And if we can recognize and accept this dynamic it becomes rather a hopeful notion, because it gives us something tangible with which to work that holds the potential for relief.

I’m asking you to very seriously ponder this psychological contributor to panic attacks. It has the potential to provide a great deal of freedom if you’re willing and courageous enough to travel a bit of rough terrain.
Bill Chandler

After a life-long bout with panic disorder – and recovery – and a career in the business world, Bill found his life\’s passion, his life\’s work. So he earned his master\’s degree and counseling credentials, and he’s now doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time. Bill authored a panic disorder education and recovery eworkbook entitled, \”Panic! …and Poetic Justice,\” which is available on his website and online store for immediate download. Also available is information regarding a collection of poems he wrote along his panic disorder and recovery journey entitled, \”The Poetry of My Life.\” Lots of good stuff to see, and more to come. In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops for non-profit organizations and remains available to offer more. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.).

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Eysenck believed temperament, a characteristic mode of emotional response, is the featured component of personality. And he believed it was up and running at birth. Now, that isn’t to say he didn’t believe in the influence of environment, it’s just that he reasoned nature, as opposed to nurture, merited top billing with regard to how we think, feel, and behave.

Now, in his PEN (Psychoticism, Extraversion, Neuroticism) model, Eysenck submitted there are three dimensions of temperament; what he called “superfactors.” Within the context of panic, I’d like to limit our chat to neuroticism and extraversion.

Neuroticism
People that fall into this dimension are generally fairly calm to very nervous. According to Eysenck, these folks are prone to what he called “neurotic” problems, issues of a mental or emotional nature that result in stress. Interestingly enough, Uncle Hans focused upon the sympathetic nervous system. Well, panic sufferers know this system well, as under the direction of our fear and emotion circuitry, the sympathetic nervous system launches our physical fight/flight response. According to Eysenck, neuroticism involves, shall we say, a “hyperactive” sympathetic nervous system.

The most noteworthy expression of neuroticism, so says Eysenck, is a panic attack. And here’s the pathological progression. One becomes mildly frightened by something, which most often causes the amygdala to sound the alarm. Well, answering the bell is the sympathetic nervous system, and the physical sensations it generates make one even more on-edge, upset, and hyper-reactive to any form of stimulation. Well, that just eggs-on the amygdala and sympathetic nervous system all the more, and now everything’s cycling very quickly out of control. And before you know it, in the midst of this viciously cycling mess comes a panic attack. Very curiously, when it’s all said and done, one is actually reacting more to one’s stimulus-overload than the original mildly frightening hiccup. Does that sound at all familiar? I’m thinking so.

Extraversion
According to Uncle Hans, extraversion is grounded in the balance between inhibition, the brain’s ability to calm itself down, and excitation, the brain going into alert mode. So it goes like this. One who is extraverted has strong inhibition; let’s say the ability to stay relatively calm in the face of highly traumatic circumstances. And since these people don’t go into a freeze mode in the face of trauma, they’re more likely to step-up and face whatever the next moment, or day, may bring. On the flipside, Eysenck tells us the introvert has weak inhibition, resulting in a high level of sensitivity to trauma. This results in intense feelings of get-out-in-the-world inhibition for fear of facing any number of calamities. And it’s all based in instincts of self-protection, driven by trauma-memory.

The Interaction Between Neuroticism and Extraversion
Now, we’ve already learned that Eysenck believed highly neuroticistic folks have an exaggerated response to fearful stimuli. If we’re an introvert, we’ll very quickly learn to avoid panic-inducing situations, even to the point of developing and implementing some very troubling coping mechanisms, such as specific phobias, avoidance, obsessions, and compulsions. Eysenck would say that neuroticistic extraverts would lean toward ignoring and forgetting overwhelming stimuli. Their coping mechanisms of choice would be denial and repression.

I believe if you’re a panic sufferer what we just reviewed is most relevant and worthy of ongoing consideration. If you buy-in to what Uncle Hans proposes then you have to put credence in the concept of playing the hand you’ve been dealt. In other words, adopting a measure of acceptance with regard to how you’re, shall we say, pre-wired. Now, I’m certainly not saying one must acquiesce to what may be considered undesirable traits. I’m simply pointing out the value of recognizing and accepting your particular biological engineering as you approach positive change.

Yes, all elements of “you” must be taken into account as you design and implement strategies and techniques for the resolution of panic attacks. And this concept applies to any mental, emotional, or physical “given.”

After a winning bout with panic disorder, a career in the business world, and a part-time job working with socially challenged adolescents, Bill found his life’s passion and work. So he earned his master’s degree and counseling credentials, and is doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time.

Bill has some powerful BE CALM mentoring and service packages available for panic attack sufferers on his website, which include his panic attack education and recovery eWorkbook, “Panic! …and Poetic Justice.” The eWorkbook is delivered via an immediate download. You’ll also find a link on the website to Bill’s Panic Attack Freedom! blog. Lots of good stuff going on and much more to come.

In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing and speaking. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops and is available for future engagements. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.). He resides in the far western suburbs of Chicago where he enjoys time with his two wonderful teenage children.
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If you’ve been in the panic attack or panic disorder saddle, you know it’s a rough ride; especially when the symptoms first appear. I mean, seemingly out of nowhere you’re being pounded by sledge-hammers of panic, anxiety, agoraphobia, derealization, depersonalization, avoidance, phobias, depression, substance abuse, and crushed self-esteem and confidence. And you may not even know what some of these phenomena are, much less that you’re suffering from them. The one and only thing you know for sure is, “I want to be the way I used to be.” And you’re mentally, emotionally, and physically flailing wildly to establish that sense of identity and comfort.

All of this leaves you frightened beyond belief, baffled, absolutely certain you’re losing your mind, and hopeless. Truly, you’re beyond overwhelmed, as your mind is the scene of a fifty-mile-long traffic jam and no one’s going anywhere. You’re frozen. And I’m telling you, if your immediate situation isn’t managed with experienced finesse, insight, and direction a marvelous window of recovery opportunity will slam shut.

Just yesterday I was in the E.R. working with a woman in her mid-twenties who was experiencing some pretty intense thoughts of suicide. Very tragically, the woman became a paraplegic this past December as a result of a car accident. The past seven months had been an endless stream of medical care, personal and family adjustments, and attempts at rebuilding some sense of self and stability. But, her misery escalated over the past two weeks and her “life” became dominated by excessive sleep, poor appetite, loss of interest in anything she once enjoyed, and the ever-increasing desire to die. And as we ended our assessment interview the woman, crying profusely, shared that the foundation for much of what she was feeling was based in her belief that her husband no longer loved her and would soon abandon her.

This heart-broken woman needed so much more than the obligatory, “Hang in there, and good luck to you,” as she was wheeled off to the psychiatric unit. She needed something that, perhaps, wouldn’t even be absorbed in the immediate, but would later emerge and lay the foundation for her long-term emotional recovery and prosperity. Empty words, suppositions, detailed looks at tomorrow, and logic would be irrelevant and counterproductive at this moment in time. Instead, I offered the woman gentle and in-the-moment expressions of empathy, respect, compassion, and hope. Messages so pure and powerful they could have been conveyed without uttering a word.

I’m convinced the very same philosophy is the best medicine for the intensely agitated panic sufferer, whether their distress is new or they’ve been frozen for years. There will be plenty of time for chatter, theory, tomorrows, and reason down the road. Akin to a stroke victim requiring very specific immediate interventions to stave off permanent physical brain damage, there exists a critical care protocol for a panic victim that is equally as valuable in preventing permanent emotional and cognitive brain damage. And it’s grounded in the very same gentle and in-the-moment expressions of empathy, respect, compassion, and hope I offered my E.R. patient. It’s an incredibly powerful elixir that sustains the sufferer and holds open a very large window of recovery opportunity.

From one of my poems, “A strange sort of wisdom has grown so deep inside your troubled heart, and a miraculous power without notice is alive and at call. I know, so be calm, all truth is there. And it waits so quietly by your side. In the end, it will come.”
Bill Chandler

After a life-long bout with panic disorder – and recovery – and a career in the business world, Bill found his life\’s passion, his life\’s work. So he earned his master\’s degree and counseling credentials, and he’s now doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time. Bill authored a panic disorder education and recovery eworkbook entitled, \”Panic! …and Poetic Justice,\” which is available on his website and online store for immediate download. Also available is information regarding a collection of poems he wrote along his panic disorder and recovery journey entitled, \”The Poetry of My Life.\” Lots of good stuff to see, and more to come. In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops for non-profit organizations and remains available to offer more. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.).

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Henig wrote about the longitudinal anxiety studies of Harvard psychology professor Jerome Kagan. Also featured was the work of Harvard psychiatrist Carl Schwartz who conducted follow up research on Kagan’s work.

Kagan’s studies focused upon the role of temperament in the predisposition for anxiety. His methodology consisted of establishing anxiety baselines in infants and tracking the unfolding of anxiety as the subjects progressed into adolescence and adulthood. The work brought to mind the temperament-based personality theory of Hans Eysenck, which I’ve written about in the past.

As the research began, Kagan fully expected to confirm that “edgy” infants most often develop into inhibited, shy, and anxious adolescents and adults. Now, it’s of no great surprise that a baby’s emotional presentation varies in accordance with temperament. And the temperament of 15-20% of the infants involved in the study showed strong reactions to novel people and situations. And Kagan’s longitudinal observations, indeed, revealed these strongly reactive babies often grow up to be chronically anxious. This brings the point home that many of us are temperamentally predisposed to our anxiety. I don’t know about you, but that’s been no secret to me for years.

The article goes on to suggest emotions can be identified in three ways. Foundational, of course, is our physiological brain state. And our emotions go on to be defined by how we describe our feelings and by their behavioral result. It makes perfect sense that the physiological piece is beyond our conscious control. But, the feeling and behavioral presentations are very much within management’s reach. Yes, simply having the physiological markers of anxiety doesn’t have to equate to a subjective anxiety experience.

Now, anyone who suffers from chronic anxiety knows the malady of the “what-ifs.” Thoughts such as these are most likely generated by a highly over-reactive amygdala, which I’ve discussed time and again. This little almond-shaped mass of neurons located deep within both of our temporal lobes is programmed to react and respond to the concepts of novelty and threat. By the way, recall the temperament of 15-20% of babies that result in strong reactions to novel people and situations.

Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has revealed something remarkable in the brains of “high reactors.” It seems the prefrontal cortex presents with a very significant “thickening.” The prefrontal cortex, the executive functioning headquarters of our brains, is pivotal in the generation of anxiety. It receives messages from the amygdala during times of potential alarm, which may call for activation of our fight/flight response. The prefrontal cortex rationally processes the threat and has the power to trump the amygdala’s call to action and calm it down. But that’s only if it’s sufficiently convinced a crisis doesn’t exist.

Interestingly, the question becomes, is this thickening of the prefrontal cortex an overgrowth of neurons resulting from tons of overtime work holding the amygdala in check? Or does the thickening actually cause hyperactivity of the amygdala?

Curiously, only one-third of high anxiety prone individuals develop serious problems. And that appears to be grounded in environment issues, such as birth order and the anxiety-coping techniques taught by parents and caregivers. By the way, the best formula seems to be directing the child to manage his/her distress on their own, individually determining what works best.

You know, as much as we may rue the results of our genetic endowment and formative environment; if panic attacks, obsessions, compulsions, phobias, generalized anxiety, and a propensity toward overreaction to stress and trauma are a true part of it – so be it. It’s fact that, among many other things, chronic anxiety sufferers are envied and valued for their caution, ability to effectively work alone, introspection, preparedness, conscientiousness, thorough work, and warm friendship. I, for one, am proud of my anxiety; and reading articles such as this only underscores my identity; and my right to be who I am, not what others may expect.

In closing, here’s a wonderful quotation from the article…
“An anxious temperament might serve a more exalted function too. ‘Our culture has this illusion that anxiety is toxic,’ Kagan said. But without inner-directed people who prefer solitude, where would we get the writers and artists and scientists and computer programmers who make society hum?”

After a winning bout with panic disorder, a career in the business world, and a part-time job working with socially challenged adolescents, Bill found his life’s passion and work. So he earned his master’s degree and counseling credentials, and is doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time.

Bill has some powerful BE CALM mentoring and service packages available for panic attack sufferers on his website, which include his panic attack education and recovery eWorkbook, “Panic! …and Poetic Justice.” The eWorkbook is delivered via an immediate download. You’ll also find a link on the website to Bill’s Panic Attack Freedom! blog. Lots of good stuff going on and much more to come.

In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing and speaking. He’s conducted numerous mental health workshops and is available for future engagements. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.). He resides in the far western suburbs of Chicago where he enjoys time with his two wonderful teenage children.
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