![]() My mind made this iron-clad connection between the two: panic and highways. I’ve wondered if I had had that horrible highway panic attack in an elevator, would I have feared elevators? Probably. This type of phobia involves a ginormous fear and avoidance of one particular type of object or situation. Soon even the thought of highway driving brought on panicky feelings-from fast breathing to sweating to the sensations of chest tightness and having “a lump” in my throat. I learned to compensate by avoiding highway driving. How did I handle my panic attacks when they began? I identified it two decades later after poring over books written by biblical counselors, especially Elyse Fitzpatrick, author of Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety. I didn’t know I had an idol and that my idol was people-pleasing. Back then, I hadn’t heard of biblical counseling. Drive into the ditch.”Īfraid and angry and fearing fear, this described my heart-my inner self that includes my emotions, thoughts, beliefs, desires, and motivations. I gripped the steering wheel and felt wobbly and lightheaded, and as I slowed on the highway ramp, I heard, “Drive into the ditch. At the exact same spot, just before Mannheim, fear enveloped me. The drive home? How I wish I could say it went well. ![]() The night of the Eisenhower panic attack, I determined I would face my fear although I still felt shaky. ![]() Did I care what God thought of me? He wasn’t on my radar. How could an ex-boyfriend’s hate speech trip a panic attack? Just words, right? These words became thoughts, faithless thoughts, that reminded me of my greatest fear: people’s disapproval. Rationally I knew I had no reason to fear. Yes, my fear experience topped the weird charts, and I never ever wanted that to happen ever again. Only crazy people went to psychiatrists and I wasn’t crazy. Like mother, like daughter? I hope not! She made an appointment for me with her psychiatrist. She had had panic attacks throughout her life. Lightheaded and scared, I managed to make it to my room. My legs felt wobbly, my knees like Jell-O. I tried to forget what he said about me, but his disapproving words wormed their way into my memory.Ī few weeks later, while walking from class to my dorm on a cool autumn afternoon, out of no where my heart beat so wild it jitter-bugged. He cannoned back with awful names I cannot repeat here. Wanting freedom to go out with other guys, I dumped my high-school sweetheart within days of getting on campus. The first one happened during my freshman year at university. This full-blown panic attack on the Eisenhower expressway, connecting Chicago to the western suburbs, was my second one. I feared I might actually drive into the ditch. I just wanted to get home, curl up, and cry. They jumped like jungle monkeys on a death mission but I didn’t want to die. I felt like I had no control over my thoughts. Drive into the ditch.” My mind repeated these words over and over and over as my foot pressed the brake, slowing my blue hatchback on the highway ramp’s curve. Read the first post here, the second post here, and the fourth post here. This is the third article in a four-part series on finding God’s solutions to ungodly fear. It’s intense fear, experienced in the body and mind. Trepidation adds to dread the implications of timidity, trembling, and hesitation.A panic attack is my definition of personal hell. Immobilized with terror How do trepidation and dread relate to one another, in the sense of panic? The meanings of terror and panic largely overlap however, terror implies the most extreme degree of fear. The synonyms fright and panic are sometimes interchangeable, but fright implies the shock of sudden, startling fear.įright at being awakened suddenly When can terror be used instead of panic? While the synonyms fear and panic are close in meaning, fear is the most general term and implies anxiety and usually loss of courage.įear of the unknown When would fright be a good substitute for panic? View the situation with alarm When could dread be used to replace panic?Īlthough the words dread and panic have much in common, dread usually adds the idea of intense reluctance to face or meet a person or situation and suggests aversion as well as anxiety.įaced the meeting with dread When is it sensible to use fear instead of panic? The words alarm and panic can be used in similar contexts, but alarm suggests a sudden and intense awareness of immediate danger. The news caused widespread panic In what contexts can alarm take the place of panic? While all these words mean "painful agitation in the presence or anticipation of danger," panic implies unreasoning and overmastering fear causing hysterical activity. Some common synonyms of panic are alarm, dread, fear, fright, terror, and trepidation. Frequently Asked Questions About panic How is the word panic distinct from other similar nouns?
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