PREVENTION & CONTROL OF PANIC ATTACKS
© Keith Appleton 2007
About the Author:
I am not a doctor & I have no connections whatsoever with the medical profession in any way.
I was born in 1953, and 57 years old in the year 2010.
I am overweight & I have smoked cigarettes since I was 12 years old. I once stopped smoking for about 4 months as an experiment, but it made no difference at all to my condition.
I do not really drink alcohol much, only the odd glass of wine with a meal.
The following notes are written entirely from my own personal experiences of a lifetime with so-called "Panic Attacks" & associated problems.
Within these notes are the solutions to problems associated with these "attacks".
The section on food is a difficult one, medical tests always seem to be inconclusive regarding preservatives & colouring in foods, so therefore the conclusion is that not everyone is affected by the intolerance. These notes are written in the hope that someone may benefit from reading the contents.
In the Beginning
It all started out of the blue - without warning, when I was 21 years old. I was living with my first wife & a very young baby whilst working as a struggling professional musician at that time. One day I just felt peculiar, for no apparent reason, I came over very shaky and also felt like laughing & crying at the same time. A trip to the local doctor's surgery where some hastily prescribed "Valium" (Diazepam) seemed to fix it. Over the next few years the "Valium" was required for me to function, with a now steadily increasing dosage required in order to be effective. Six years later, and separated from my first wife, I was taking 60mg of Diazepam per day & "Beta" blockers as well! The problem is, that if you stop taking the Diazepam, the symptoms of withdrawal are very similar, if not worse to the symptoms that you took the stuff in the first place. I was unhappy with the "Valium" situation, but stopping taking it made it impossible for me to work! This "catch 22" situation was solved when a friend gave me a book called "14 Lessons in Yogi Philosophy" by Yogi Ramacharaka. I read this book & it helped me tremendously, by settling my own personal "inner turmoil". I recommend this book to everyone. The book and its contents allowed me to steadily wean myself off the "Valium", by decreasing the dosage very gradually. In the end, I was breaking the single 10mg tablets into halves & the quarters - then none.
Cycles of Life:
"Give me a child until he is seven & I will give you the adult" is an old saying.
Periods of life seem to run in "seven year" cycles.
My Personal Seven Year Cycles:
First Cycle - 1 to 7 years of age At around 5 years old, in the mid 1950's, my mother took me to the doctor's because I was being hyperactive & not sleeping properly. The doctor prescribed a drug called "Phenobarbitone" which was duly given to me to "calm me down", along with a sketchy diagnosis that "my brain didn't sleep properly at night".
Second Cycle - 7 to 14 years of age No real problems experienced as I can remember, too busy with schoolwork getting increasingly interested in the opposite sex!
Third Cycle - 14 to 21 years of age My father used to call me "Grasshopper brain" because I used to jump from subject to subject. I suppose that if at that time it were the present day, I would be now be labelled as having "ADD - HDD" or maybe even some other syndrome! Problems experienced in my late teens with mental acceleration, talking too fast & generally being over-stimulated mentally. At 21 years old - the "Panic Attacks" started.
Fourth Cycle - 21 to 28 years of age Many problems experienced, the best years of my musical career, but the worst years with the "Panic Attack" problem. Medication prescribed: "Diazepam", "Frisium" & Beta Blockers.
Fifth Cycle - 28 to 35 years of age With the help of the "14 Lessons in Yogi Philosophy" book that I read carefully, the "Valium" was no longer required.
Sixth Cycle - 35 to 42 years of age Problems again - too much stress & mental overload in my job, not enough mental relaxation. Experienced the worst attack ever, almost a breakdown. It took a while for me to get myself back together. It is known in the recording studio business as "burnout" and is quite common with studio engineers & musicians. I combined the two so it made things even worse!
Seventh Cycle - 42 to 49 years of age Still a few problems: Continuing stress & mental overload in my job as a computer engineer, also, still working in the recording studio as well so the usual insufficient mental relaxation was still present. In this period of time, I discovered & compiled the list of bad foods, stopped eating them. The results were immediate and very apparent.
Eighth Cycle - 49 to 56 years of age Medical tests still show nothing significant - except for "Elevated Dopamine levels" This explains a lot - try typing "elevated dopamine levels" into an Internet search engine.
SECTION 1
THE CAUSE AND EFFECT
The Basic Symptoms of the Problem which further develop over time:
Before you read on, just remember: You are not going to die (You will of course die eventually, but not from a panic attack!)
Without any warning, and at any time of the day or night, without any obvious stimulants (ie: alcohol) have you experienced some or all of the following symptoms?
Tingling in the arms or legs, sometimes combined with a feeling of trembling, although in reality you are probably not initially trembling Palpitations, with increase in heart rate and becoming aware of your breathing rate, with accompanying heavy perspiration, or feeling "clammy"(cold sweat) - often starting in the palms of the hands - for no apparent reason. "Dizzy Spells" can also occur at the same time. A feeling of fear, or dread - for no apparent reason whatsoever. Inexplicable adrenalin rushes.
The most common cause of a panic attack is simply an involuntary release of Adrenalin into the bloodstream when it is not required. The adrenalin is designed for "fight or flight" in a precarious situation. Getting a sudden rush of adrenalin whilst sat at home in the chair is not good at all, it is good for running away from wild animals or savage tribesmen perhaps, even good for avoiding being run over by a bus etc, the effect of adrenalin increase during a panic attack is not good, possibly the last thing that you want!
Feedback Loops:
Feedback loops are a really important contibutory factor within the problem, the mild panic attack starts, you panic, the body releases adrenalin, you are then in a much more sensitive heightened state, you think: "what's happening to me?" Then, you panic further, the body pumps out more adrenalin, increases your heart rate etc. you are struggling to hold yourself together, you panic a bit more, the body releases more adrenalin, you are then in a much more sensitive heightened state, you think: "Oh my god I'm going to die", you panic further, the body pumps out more adrenalin, you panic a bit more, the body releases more adrenalin, you are then in an even much more sensitive heightened state, you panic further, and by now are in a bad state of mind! - But the body just pumps out more adrenalin, increases your heart rate etc. you are struggling to hold yourself together, you panic a bit more. This happens very quickly, as your cardiovascular system is pretty good at getting these chemical messages around your body fast.
Emotional Problems:
Emotional stress has a lot to answer for, and can be an important contributing factor in panic" attacks". Personal family problems, bereavement or other strong emotional love situations can cause the onset of attacks. If your mind is troubled for whatever reason, then the problem is with you all the time; it lives with you in your conscious mind and also in your subconscious mind. This will cause the brain to carry on processing during sleep, which is not a good thing & will usually cause "panic attacks" to occur. Tie up "loose ends" wherever you can, as this is useless data that you do not need to carry around.
Looped Dreams:
This is a condition that can occur with me from time to time. It will usually occur with me if I have had a long time period spent on a computer and my brain is tired, having carried out too many repeat mental processes during my waking hours, or if I eat Cheshire cheese, or drink coffee in the evening - so I definitely don't do either if I can help it! I find myself in a dream that just loops. It completes, and then starts again, with only subtle differences. After a few times around I have to wake myself up, because if I let it continue like this, I will wake up anyway with a serious "attack" & I will then need to hastily reach for the tablets. It is a bit like playing the same computer game over & over again. Eventually a "crash" starts to happen. Do you get it? These feedback loops, once they start, are tricky to master, but seem to be a major contributor to the problem.
One of the first things to do is try to stabilise the loop, deep slow breathing can help, but avoid too much of that, you don't want to hyperventilate at this time. If possible walk about fast, follow your "stone age" instincts. That is what the adrenalin is really there for after all. Fidgeting about for no reason, especially if you are in a room with a lot of people. As the condition develops, this is often accompanied by a fear of going out anyway in case you have an "attack" This can further develop into Agoraphobia & claustrophobia also. During these attacks you feel the need to get out of the environment you are in immediately. All you need now is to also have a general fear of spiders (arachnophobia) to complete the picture! General confusion & disorientation, losing the ability to concentrate on anything but the way you feel, accompanied by extremely high anxiety. You may find yourself holding onto fixed objects - like furniture, in an attempt to stabilise your balance system. Hyper sensitivity - over reaction to everything around you. Constant monitoring of your own physical & mental system status. Strange feeling of lightness or heaviness when walking, sometimes like you are walking just above ground level, or being pressed down into the ground. Brain hyperactivity & general acceleration of mental processes followed by your mental system "crashing".
In this section I do not wish to bring religion or philosophy into the equation, but one way of thinking of it simply and to illustrate a point: "If God (whoever or whatever it may be to you) made man in his own image, it follows that humans make computers in their own image also. As we all know, computers crash from time to time for various reasons related to the hardware/software relationship - therefore it follows that so do humans!
Dizziness, but not the type of dizziness you would get on a roundabout, more of a spatial distortion.
Feeling generally "light headed", like vertigo. Antisocial intolerance - often losing patience. Being "snappy" with people when these symptoms occur.
Feeling sorry for yourself and annoyance at people around you for not knowing what is happening to you. This is often accompanied by a feeling of isolation, as really, nobody does understand what is happening to you.
Visual perspective distortion, - especially in large halls or rooms, Often accompanied by mild strobe effects in your vision, also seeing lights when your eyes are closed in a dark room. This symptom often happens at night when you first go to bed. When concentrating hard on a computer screen, do you sometimes begin to feel like you are going into the monitor itself?
Sudden "surges" where you have to focus on a close-up object to stabilize your balance. Sometimes during a "panic attack" you will feel the need to hold onto furniture to further stabilize your balance. Horrible isn't it?
Yet more symptoms - it is a complicated condition:
A feeling of high intensity tension, - almost like you could climb up the walls using your fingernails only.
Sudden physical downward spiral feeling - when just beginning to fall asleep.
Feeling like you have a heavy weight pressing down on your head & shoulders.
Feeling like your legs are turning to jelly
Feeling that you are going to faint - but you don't.
Feeling that you are going to die - but you don't do that either. You are usually fine when busy, but the symptoms often occur when you wind down & try to relax. During certain attacks, if you stand upright & raise your shoulders, then relax to lower the shoulders, they return to the normal position in jerks - not smoothly as you would expect. Try, as you will to smooth it out, but the jerkiness continues.
In a serious attack, frequent passing of urine in disproportionate amounts over a short period can take place. I have always put this down to the body trying to get rid of the chemicals that are causing the problem. Developed over a long time period, my findings are that the initial panic attack and/or many of the above symptoms can be directly linked & triggered by a part of the brain intermittently "going to sleep" during its daytime conscious state, this is owing to those parts of the brain not getting the right kind of sleep at night due to intake of certain chemicals in food, eaten in the previous day which over stimulate the system.
One observation that I have made over the years is that when I have a bad common cold, I do not get any attacks, this is because the virus or the internal "war" with the virus dulls my senses, or maybe my attention is diverted away from over monitoring my system.
Panic attacks & other similar phobic problems are not simple conditions, the human mind, brain & body are very complicated, Even if you avoid all of the foods listed, your brain will try to trigger an attack periodically, as it seems to store it in memory as a habit, almost an addiction, or worse, a normal condition.
Later on you will see a list of foodstuffs that I have found problematic. The substances, which are contained in some types of food, can trigger a panic attack or worse, they can totally incapacitate you for 3 or 4 hours at a time.
Suddenly for no reason, the heart rate quickens & you feel "strange". If your mind is fully occupied then the situation is often workable. The "feedback loop" will kick in & your brain will go into system monitoring mode. One instance to illustrate the effect: Whilst driving a car, no problem, but if you stop at some traffic lights or become part of a slow moving traffic queue - the effect "kicks in". As soon as you try to relax - bang - the adrenalin overload makes you panicky. One simple solution is to walk or run about to help dissipate the adrenalin, after all, naturally that is what adrenalin is for. However mentally sophisticated the human mind becomes, it is worth remembering that we still inhabit a stone age body which is a wonderful piece of work.
Manic Depression or Bipolar Disorder:
Luckily I only seem to get the "manic " phase, and always remain sufficiently elevated to avoid the depression stage. I have learnt over the years to control the problem so that often, people around me don't notice anything, but inside my head is like a cement mixer sometimes! The notes contained within this document may be of use to sufferers from the above-mentioned disorder. If I personally get highly emotionally stressed, I always go high, not low. The nearest I ever get to depression is a short period of being "fed up" which I would think is classified as normal. It would appear logical that if the manic phase could be controlled & dropped in intensity, then the resulting depression stage would not be so bad either.
THE EFFECT
Take a good look at yourself, maybe that is the main part of the problem. Being very introspective & constantly monitoring your own internal system status is not a good idea. For instance: If the Bumble Bee was capable of complex thought patterns like we are, they would realise that by all the known laws of aerodynamics they cannot fly & would therefore just sit about in the hive all day. As they are unaware of this fact, they just get on with it & fly anyway.
Getting the balance right can be difficult owing to the fact that if you have had panic attacks your system gets used to it. If you directly remove the stimulus, your mental system at first will be constantly trying to switch on the panic attack process whether you like it or not. This will subside over time, but will always be present. Panic attacks & subsequent peripheral effects are often triggered by the intake of substances into your system, which initiate the problem in the first place & cause some kind of over activity in certain parts of the brain.
Emotional stress can cause a trigger too, and once these triggers are isolated, the problem can be tackled in a practical manner.
Food Intolerance
From my experience the following section contains important information regarding certain foods that will trigger an attack, especially if you are already mentally drained & tired. MEDICAL CONDITIONS It is assumed at this stage that you have already had various medical tests to rule out other causes of your problem. The symptoms of having too low or too high blood sugar levels, high or low blood pressure can be mistaken for a panic attack. If you have not already done so, go to your GP & get yourself tested to eliminate direct physical anomalies. A medical condition can occur when your body actually reacts to your own Insulin, often, the symptoms of a "Panic Attack" (especially in the advanced "feedback loop" stage) are similar to the symptoms experienced by diabetics as the body sugar levels go out of balance.
IMPORTANT - AVOID STIMULANTS LIKE CAFFEINE.
This substance is found in Tea, Coffee & other drinks, it definitely seems to be a catalyst & makes the whole thing worse. For instance, it is a balancing act, drop the caffeine & probably your intolerance to other foods on the list will diminish.
BAD FOODS - THE LIST - !
IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THE ABOVE SYMPTOMS
DO NOT EAT ANY OF THE FOODS IN THE LIST BELOW:
Avoid these foods at all times - they will quickly trigger an attack, especially if you are mentally drained & tired.
Avoid "E NUMBERS" generally - these artificial additives are to blame for many modern "Syndromes" in children & adults. I do not understand why the official bodies have not stepped in to sort this problem out!
Caffeine - in tea & coffee & other drinks
Bread containing any preservatives at all
Brown bread & Wholemeal brown bread - it is the preservatives that seem to cause the problem - not the bread - after all, what is "flour improver" & why is it needed? Recently (2008) preservatives have been removed from many of the range of wholemeal bread, so it seems to be better now, but be careful - test a brand out by eating some & monitoring the effect.
Rye type crisp bread
"Long Grain" rice - pure "Basmati" rice seems OK
Coffee - especially freshly ground coffee - very bad.
Avoid any kind of fizzy pop
Synthetic milk shake powders & liquid milk additives & flavourings.
Any kind of "dilutable" cordial drinks
Cheese - Especially crumbly type cheeses like "Cheshire Cheese.
Do not eat Cheshire cheese at night.
Multi-coloured, sugar coated chocolate drops - I can't mention the trade name, but the name should be obvious to the reader!
Processed foods - like wafer thin ham, turkey or any processed products - chicken nuggets etc
Cheap processed "burgers" - generally avoid any food from "fast food" establishments
Some pre-packed sandwiches bought at filling stations (some of them are so full of bad things that are likely to trigger an attack very quickly)
Wheat products like synthetically flavoured potato crisps & Mexican style crisps - ordinary plain ready salted are OK
MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE IS ONE OF THE WORST - it is used in Chinese food & as a flavour enhancer in certain other foods. Eating Chinese food is not advisable as it often contains Monosodium Glutamate.
Onion Bhajis & certain curries with colour additives (The bright red Tikka type)
Processed sauces - like cheese sauce & some (cook-in sauces)
Processed pastry (as you find in some pies, Pork or otherwise, especially if bought at petrol stations. Sodium compounds used as preservatives in food ie: Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Nitrite etc
Try not to eat food containing "flavourings" of any kind - it is difficult not to!
If the chocolate biscuit says "Chocolate flavour" on the label - it is not chocolate, just chemicals - put it back on the shelf.
Synthetic Margarine Spreads can trigger the condition all too easily, especially the cheaper ones.
Butter is OK
Food coated in "breadcrumbs" from a packet
Surprisingly - Garlic, especially "Garlic Bread" and in the powdered form like "Garlic Salt" These are very bad and will almost certainly trigger an attack very quickly.
Unfortunately - certain kinds of alcohol:
Some types of beer - I don't often drink beer so I am not sure.
Cider is not good at all
Some types of White wine
With reference to alcohol intake, the unfortunate problem is that the symptoms of being slightly drunk are quite similar to some symptoms that you may feel without having taken any alcohol into your system, so it can confuse the issue somewhat.
Remember to check the list of ingredients on the pack before you eat the contents.
If I feel strange after eating some food, I simply look back at the "ingredients list" on the packaging - and usually find the rogue substances are present somewhere in the food that I have just consumed.
PLEASE BELIEVE ME - the above foodstuffs are not good at all & by avoiding them, you will notice a big difference in yourself. There are some more, but these are the main ones that have been found to affect me directly. Always check the list of ingredients on the pack before eating the contents. The ingredients in much of the listed food will trigger an increase in certain brain chemicals that you do not want in your body.
Usually, the effect of eating any of the above foods is a rapid mental acceleration, which you also do not want, as this will just make matters worse. The trigger substance will however, accumulate within your system over a day or so, if you eat any of the food on this list. Then as you push your mental resources, the symptoms will soon occur.
I have had many medical tests over the years, Allergy tests, Urine & blood tests, plus I was once went to see a psychologist whose only conclusion after talking to me on three occasions & giving me a test for hyper-ventilation, was that I was "In too high a state of mental focus" Hyperventilation can of course be a problem, you are just breathing too much & the carbon dioxide (Co2) & oxygen (O2) exchange rate in your system is then unbalanced, leading to disorientation & slight dizziness. The solution to this is to breathe into a paper bag for a while, effectively re-breathing the same air. Also a "sugar rush" (eating too much sugar) or "low blood sugar level" (not eating properly) can cause the same symptoms.
Coincidentally, dehydration (lack of water) will cause almost the same symptoms as a "panic attack". The above list of foodstuffs that are to be avoided at all costs. Check it for yourself, obtain a small notepad & write down everything that you eat, including the ingredients. Also put down the time of day and the dates that you have eaten them. When you have an attack, write that down too. After a couple of weeks - just look at the results.
Eating the types of food outlined above can cause the following symptoms to occur:
Brain hyperactivity & general high acceleration of mental processes:
The brain's general data processing accelerates rapidly, and then can start to "crash" - followed by:
Inability to concentrate on anything at all, Dizziness - sometimes more like a heavy weight on the head, often with accompanied by a strange feeling of floating when walking.
General confusion - sometimes with slurred speech Visual disturbance - perspective distortion
High feeling of tension & anxiety - fear for no reason, frequently triggering a "Panic Attack" with a need to "withdraw" from wherever you are currently situated at the time.
Excessive perspiration
Excessive passing of urine With excessive "doses" of these foods, total incapacity can occur for up to 3 hours or more - you may be unable to stand in an upright position or move about.
One of my theories is that the action of chemical substances in some foodstuffs when absorbed, causes an imbalance of a brain chemical which causes acceleration of certain brain functions within your system, your system then soon "over speeds" & crashes - followed by the symptoms outlined above. In 2002 I contracted "Sinusitis" - I couldn't stand up or even sleep properly for 3 days. I was given some tablets called "Stemetil" and within an hour or so I could stand up.
This was interesting, as I noticed that the symptoms of having "Sinusitis" were similar to the symptoms that I had in a "Panic Attack". I had a word with the doctor for an emergency "quick fix".
My Medication - only when required:
STEMETIL - for the dizziness - use with caution & do not take on a regular basis - only when absolutely required.
DIAZEPAM (5mg) - to decelerate when needed. If you take these drugs regularly, your system will build up a tolerance ie: your system will get used to the drug, so a higher dose is then required - this is no good at all - only take them when you feel it is absolutely necessary - you will need some willpower for this - !.
Much personal discipline is required. Important valid observation of this problem in others
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES - from my own personal experiences:
I worked as a computer engineer at a local school & over a period of two months, and I observed the following daily recurrent pattern of behaviour: In the morning the pupils behaved normally. After lunch the pupils behaved differently - rushing about more, behaving badly, much more noise, fidgeting about all the time. An ideal time to put my theory to the test I thought. So I had a school lunch, comprising of processed fish in breadcrumbs, with a white sauce & some chips, plus a bread cake.
Result:
Within one hour I could no longer work on the computers, My concentration span decreased very rapidly, anxiety & panic soon set in and I had to cut short my work in order to get home quickly. I had to lie down for the rest of the day & evening. This was at a time before I had the medication. I have observed the symptoms in many, many customers at my recording studio over the years, they are often nervous, "highly strung" people to start with & live on junk food for the duration of the recording session - I rest my case!
A very well known comedian, whilst working with me recording an album in my recording studio had a very bad attack of the classic symptoms above, this occurred shortly after he had a strong cup of freshly ground coffee at the studio. I immediately recognized the symptoms as he rushed back to the hotel where he was staying. I offered him some "Stemetil", to which he looked very surprised & upon discussion, where he outlined his past addiction to "Valium" in very high doses, the facts came out that he now took Stemetil, but had forgotten to bring them with him on the day. Other similarities too, as a child like myself, he was prescribed the drug called "Phenobarbitone" as mentioned in the opening paragraph. Later on in life, the condition starts to be more than a "Panic Attack" it can start to resemble psychotic behaviour.
As the feedback loops become "locked in", even visual stimulus can bring on an "attack"
SECTION 2 - THE SOLUTION
PART ONE
Only you can do it - unfortunately though, you are completely on your own! It is a simple process though, just find all the triggers, physical & mental, remove them & get on with your life. The above food list is highly accurate & cutting the aforementioned foods out of your diet will make a big difference to you. In my 55th year of life, my research concludes that in my case, the main problems that I experience are caused by ELEVATED DOPAMINE LEVELS. This is an imbalance of chemical receptors in the brain.
Reading an article on "Elevated Dopamine Levels" on the Internet, it all made sense to me, so I suggest that you have a read yourself. As mentioned in the opening part of this paper, just type (without the speech marks) "elevated dopamine levels" into an Internet search engine - all will be revealed! Low Dopamine levels are linked to "Parkinson's Disease" - but don't worry, if you have the symptoms that I have already outlined - then your problem is the exact opposite! Other than just taking further conventional medication, there are things you can do to improve your situation: Relaxation: The mind & body unfortunately do not always work together in perfect harmony. As previously mentioned, the physical body is still a "Stone Age" machine, albeit a complex one! Sometimes you need to simply synchronize.
Stop & take a look at what you are doing. Take a look around you, not at others, but look at the world itself, not at the "man made" religious or political situation.
Just look at the world in which we live:
Look at the trees.
Look at the flowers.
Look at rivers & lakes.
Look at the sky.
Catch a glimpse of the Sun in the morning as it rises & at sunset Look at the Earth upon which you dwell
At night, look at the moon & stars.
Do not start thinking all about what you may know regarding the science of the universe, just look at it all for what it is & marvel at the spectacle.
Look at the other "non human" living creatures around you, animals, birds & insects.
Do you think for a minute that they have the same problems as yourself? - why not?
If you took one minute of time on this planet & think what is happening individually to every living thing in the world, during in this one minute, - you would cry for a thousand years. You are part of this unfolding scenario.
Mentally, sit yourself on the Moon & look down at the Earth, then take a look at yourself & what you do on the Earth & then see all that you are - just a tiny but nevertheless a necessary part of it all.
For the moment, stop being so introspective & looking too deep inside yourself. To do this properly, you will need proper training. Doing it on your own is most definitely not recommended. Look into Yoga & try some of the exercises & breathing methods, one simple technique, "Alternate Nostril Breathing" is a natural tranquilliser & can alleviate some of the symptoms. For some, the physical embodiment of this ancient skill will help, for others the spiritual aspect may hold the key.
Do not try & be all things to all men all of the time - don't worry what other people think of you - that is their problem - not yours!
Stop worrying, your physical self will eventually die & be forgotten anyway - so what's the point?
You will have learnt something in this life - that is the point.
The type of food & drink your body consumes & processes often directly causes the physical problems - Modern lifestyle is often to blame for many of the mental problems that are prevalent in human society. Often, problems start at an early age. A lot of parents would do well to analyse what they are feeding to their "hyperactive" children suffering from various "syndromes" like HDD. If the food that you are eating & the lifestyle that you are "living" cause an imbalance in the brain chemistry you will certainly have problems. "You are what you eat" as the quotation goes. Even subtle changes in the weather also affects us, I am generally prone to not feeling good on windy days for instance. Seasonal also changes affect moods.
THE SPIRITUAL EFFECT - THE SOLUTION
PART TWO
If you wish, you can dismiss this next part as nonsense, but I would think twice before you do that.
Please read on:
The knowledge of Physics that we currently know and understand, serves mankind very well. There is an awful lot on the subject of "Physics" that we do not yet fully understand - only the fullness of time will make this apparent.
It is difficult to explain, but think about this: Maybe you have a psychic ability or are a "sensitive" and you are just unaware of this.
When it inadvertently kicks in, you don't know what it is & therefore it is easily confused with the start of a panic attack. Stop & think back over your life so far, discounting Hollywood films & general ghost stories, has anything unexplainable ever happened to you? Have any really strange coincidences ever occurred? Have you ever felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up for no particular reason?
Psychic ability is a part of the natural world, ancient man knew much more about it than we do today, the further we develop as a technological race, more of the natural simpler things are left behind. Some places are just not good to be in, the places do not even have to be inside buildings, these places can be where you least expect them to be.
Where there is natural running water, there are often forces at work that affect us all, but many people just don't notice it.
You may have the gift of picking up on people's emotions & feelings when present in a large crowd, but it is easily mistaken as a panic attack.
The most common form of reaction to supernatural phenomena being present is for the person to suddenly feel dizzy, panicky or nauseous - does this sound familiar?
Nothing to worry about, there are many simple counter measures that can be taken to prevent this from happening most of the time. Once again, please do not confuse this section with the content of Hollywood films.
If you find that you are "sensitive" to certain places & people, and this is causing you problems, seek advice from someone who can "see" and is used to it. The place where you live can have a profound effect upon you. An example of this happened to the wife of a good friend of mine when the moved house. Shortly after moving into the new house, my friend's wife became ill & for a few years did not want to go out. Panic attacks were occurring regularly & she generally went downhill health-wise. I went to stay with them for a short holiday & immediately picked up on an oppressive feeling in the lounge area, nowhere else, just I the lounge. I would not normally say anything, but as I know them both very well, I mentioned it. I could feel the negative energy pulling at me when I was in the room.
They have since moved house.
Some buildings are built over water. There is a lot of documentation about "psychic phenomena" in buildings that are built over water. Is your house built over a natural spring? One symptom experienced by a "sensitive" when in the presence of "spirit" activity is exactly like the symptoms outlined at the beginning of this document. Coincidence maybe - but I don't always think so. As mentioned earlier, in the fullness of time as science develops further, the answers will come to many of these perplexing questions, Unfortunately, this section covering metaphysics cannot be written in full as it could easily fill a whole book!