Acceptance Behaviour Strategies
RESISTANCE and AVOIDANCE MAINTAINS the problem
1. When you resist, fight, tense against, or try to change or make panic stop through deep breathing or relaxation exercises you are strengthening your own mistaken belief that the symptoms mean you are in grave danger. “I’ve got to make this stop or else….”
The truth is – panic CANNOT cause you any ACTUAL harm
2. Resistance also further activates the Fight or Flight Response which leads to more adrenaline and more frightening (though harmless) symptoms.
ACCEPTANCE SPEEDS RECOVERY
1. When you learn to ACCEPT and FACE the symptoms you strengthen the new understanding that panic – although frightening – cannot do you any ACTUAL harm at all.
2. Ironically, when you ACCEPT the symptoms you DE-activate the fight or flight response so the symptoms reduce.
3. ACCEPTANCE enables you to go THROUGH panic so that you can TEST your new information and restructure the misinterpretations.
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