A Quick Way to Recover from a Panic Attack
Recently I learned of a technique to immediately and forcefully down- regulate your nervous system when you're having a panic attack. It activates the vagus nerve through its innervation of the face. When you're having a panic attack, or have just had one, and your body is coursing with adrenaline, fill a big bowl with ice water and put your face in the freezing water for at least five to ten seconds. It's the same science behind cold plunges or swimming in cold water. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system to come online, even though your body is coursing with adrenaline. The parasympathetic part of our nervous system controls relaxation, feelings of peace, digestion, rest, etc. And after this initial face treatment, you can use this as an intermittent therapy as your body processes and discharges the adrenaline, which for some sensitive people can take several days. Adrenaline interrupts sleep cycles, so it's not uncommon to wake up in the middle of the ni...
