Men often ignore the difficult issues they face in the hope that they will go away – but the only things that actually disappear if they’re consistently ignored are your teeth.  By the time a man gets to looking for a solution, he’s been brought to his knees by it.  That’s the problem with us men – if we can tolerate a problem, we usually will.  And we’ll only focus on overcoming anxiety when we can no longer live with it.

This guy has clearly been ignoring good dental hygiene practices.

Take Roy, for example.  The first time it happened he thought it was a heart attack, but at 29, he didn’t think it was possible.  He was driving along, and then suddenly he was doubled over in pain, barely pulling over before he was completely overwhelmed by it.  That was his first panic attack.  And he’s had many since then.  The thing is, panic attacks are the result of a buildup of emotional issues that we haven’t resolved, or learned to process in healthy ways.

Panic attacks, PTSD, OCD and GAD are all symptoms of a deeper issues, and are an involuntary way of us finding ways to cope with emotions that we aren’t dealing with.

Fear is specific, anxiety is fear that we haven’t been able to put a name to.  When we repress them, it’s going to come out sooner or later, in the same way that if we drop toxic waste at the bottom of a lake, we’ll have as long as it takes for the barrels to rust through.  Panic attacks are when the lids come off, and the waste spews everywhere it was never meant to go.

Most men will avoid talking about their fears most of the time.  Until they have to… Panic attacks usually have physical, emotional, and intellectual consequences.  For example, someone may be afraid of driving in certain conditions – say on icy roads.  When they’re forced to drive in these conditions, they may break out in extreme sweats or pain.  Intellectually, they’ll do everything within their power to maintain control of a situation.  Often lying beneath this, you will find past painful experience or loss simmering beneath.

Pretty much the only way of overcoming anxiety and panic attacks is to work through them.  Which is why I wrote my latest book, Cheaper Than Therapy .  If you’re grappling with these issues, perhaps you should check it out.  It’s released on October 7th, and you’ll be able to buy it for $1 for the first week.

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