Calming the Rush of Panic: A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Guide to Freeing Yourself from Panic Attacks and Living a Vital Life

by Bob Stahl, Wendy Millstine

Do you constantly feel anxious? Do you have panic attacks that make you feel as though you are about to lose control? You are not alone. In fact, anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health conditions faced by our society. Perhaps you’ve tried therapy or medication and have not found any real, lasting relief for your symptoms. So where do you go from here?

Calming the Rush of Panic will introduce you to the practices of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)—a proven-effective meditational method developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn—as a way to work through episodes of panic. After an informative introduction to MBSR, you will be guided through a number of exploratory practices and meditations to transform your panic into peace." Each chapter in the book contains informational background on the topic, guided meditations, and up to 10 practices that let you put the information and skills you will learn into action.

The book promotes mindfulness-based practices and exercises to help you deal with the physical, emotional, and mental effects of panic, and inside you will learn foundational MBSR meditation practices, including mindful breathing, sitting meditation, and loving-kindness meditation. If your fear response is out of sync with the situations you find yourself in, this book will show you that your thoughts are just thoughts—they are just one part of you.

This quick, accessible book is the first to use an MBSR approach to specifically target panic attacks and panic disorder, and its goal is to show you what exists beyond your panic—a life filled with a greater sense of calm, connection, and happiness.

Genres: Psychology, Self Help, Buddhism, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Meditation

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Brian Bess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monitoring your internal weather

The authors of this book use a metaphor that I have used for the past few years—that our emotional and mental states are passing, like weather, and will dissipate as another state appears. This analogy alone has scored points with me. As one who has and continues to deal with panic attacks this book seemed particularly relevant for possibly offering insights for regulating this condition.

I use the term ‘regulating’ carefully. These authors recommend a series of meditations for monitoring the panic. If the verb ‘regulate’ possesses connotations of control, then use a different term for interpreting this process, if that helps. These meditations all start with simple breathing. Consciousness of breath in itself invokes some degree of stillness, no matter how agitated one might be. Being aware of the breath is the origin for all of these practices. Being aware of the physical sensations, emotions and thoughts is the next. Allowing them to pass without judgment, as clouds pass overhead in the sky, is the next step. ‘Allow’ has a completely different connotation from ‘regulate’ and yet for many allowing may be interpreted as meaning surrendering, giving up in the struggle. Actually, giving up struggle and allowing the passing state to pass is the most effective method for moving into a state of peace.

The book is divided into four chapters: ‘Calming the Rush of Panic in the Body’; ‘Calming the Rush of Panic in Your Emotions and Feelings’; ‘Calming the Rush of Panic in Your Thoughts’; ‘Life Beyond Panic’. Each is structured around a foundational practice of Stopping, Taking a breath, Observing, acknowledging and allowing, Proceeding and being present (STOP). For those hungry for another acronym, a variation of this for dealing with emotions is Recognize when a strong emotion or feeling such as panic is present, Acknowledge or allow that it’s there, Investigate the body, thoughts and emotions in order to see what you are directly experiencing, Non-identify with it/don’t take it personally (RAIN).

These are all very valuable and healthy practices. Anyone can modify or customize them or decide their duration for the maximum effectiveness. I must also add that this book has no overt spiritual or religious agenda. Not once in the book is the name of Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Lao Tzu or any other spiritual master that has inspired a religious or spiritual philosophy ever used. This practice transcends dogma or doctrine. Almost every living human experiences these symptoms to some degree and this is really akin to a prescription of spiritual diet. Likewise, not once is a specific pharmaceutical drug mentioned in this book. These practices are presented as alternatives to a drug treatment. Like any self-help or empowerment book, what is presented is an ideal. If one still needs to rely on a drug for assistance, mentally flogging oneself for still taking it is counterproductive to the purpose of dissipating panic so my interpretation would be not to create panic over that circumstance. Meditation is an activity I believe that almost all of us indulge in consciously or unconsciously. Meditation in the service of alleviating panic is practical and commonsensical.

The final chapter is the only one that veers close to a spiritual philosophy. Once one employs the ‘self-treatment’ of these meditations for panic in the body, emotions and thoughts, one can broaden the perspective and move beyond solitude into acknowledging that he and she are part of the ‘web of life.’ The feeling of separation is, as Einstein said, an “optical delusion of consciousness.” Compassion is enabled as we realize that we’re all on this planet hurling through space together, in the middle of this wild and wondrous creation.

[Joey Heflich · Rating 2 out of 5]

The same four concepts repeated over and over.

[Broken Lifeboat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for understanding and working through chronic panic. Includes links to guided meditations from the book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Im a psychiatric RN. This book is very useful for groups. It has a lot of meditative practices I use. I also found it useful for me after a long stressful day!

[Zell Murdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful mindfulness techniques but this felt really repetitive. All the steps are the same but with small tweaks, so it was tedious. I can see this being useful but I think it's also oversimplified

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good meditation ideas. Stories felt a bit falsified to get the point across. Simple and easy read to getting started to meditate.

[Askaso · Rating 4 out of 5]

Útil, entendible y ofrece soluciones. ¿Se han vuelto locos los psicólogos?

Si tuviera un programa de entrenamientos al estilo endomondo, runtastic corre 10k, ya me casaba con el autor.

Una muy buena adaptación del Mindfulnes-based stress reduction program. No tengo objeciones que me hagan pensar que es una patraña. Algún toque de autoayuda con los testimonios en primera persona, pero no llega al 5% del contenido y puede que sean útiles para algunos. El resto del contenido son ejercicios concretos y factibles basados en evidencia.

El único problema es que está en inglés.

[Mariana Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a book that helps you go through many situations in which you usually don't feel comfortable. Also take you to an understanding and knowledge of your own body, mind, feelings that you might not have had before reading it.

[travesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy recomendable para cualquier persona interesada en Mindfulness para la regulación emocional. Incluye muchas relajaciones guiadas diferentes.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended. Very helpful for mindful meditations.

[April Mayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very informative. I could highly relate to most of the book. it was great having it sprinkled with a few personal stories that way I could relate and realize I am not the only person out there dealing with this:)

There Was a few of the mediations I realized I already utilized and taught myself over the many years of dealing with my panic attacks. One example of this is the books version of the water emersion mediation using showers to wash away all the thoughts and hurtful feelings. One of my main go to things is a cool shower to calm the panic when first coming on.

I do have to say I feel that the book got it's main thought across well but felt weird like a broken record for things were repeatedly constantly through the book.

I think if you are new to a panic attack diagnoses or just looking for new thoughts on mediation for prevention then this book is for you but if you have been working with this for many years like myself you probably already know the information and will one zoom through the book and two feel like they just repeat the same lines over and over again.

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have anxiety pretty much all day so I was excited that I received a copy thru Goodreads first reads program. I feel the breathing exercises could be beneficial however I couldn't grasp the remaining concepts. Maybe an audio recording of this book would be better for those that had difficulty with the exercises like myself.

[Phill Batt-Capps · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book multiple times to help me with my fear, anxiety, and panic. It has helped me so much and really helped me realize I’m not alone in how I feel when experiencing my anxious feelings.

[Janet]

I gained several tools for stress reduction and purchased the e-book. Good information, peaceful reading.

[Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is saving me one day at a time. Keeping me in the here and now. I recommend it to all who suffer from reoccurring panic attacks.

[Trey Nowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, could have been half the pages as it repeated the same techniques, which was my only real gripe. Could help many relieve anxious feelings and feel more centered.

[Marissa]

Read it about fall 2015.