Chapter 1: The Bear Within

Consider a scenario where you're fleeing from a bear. You dash away, oblivious to the path ahead, your heart racing as if it might leap from your chest. You can hear its rhythm in your ears, and the adrenaline surges through your body. Your pupils widen in fear, and even though your breathing quickens, it feels like there's not enough oxygen. But at that moment, do these sensations really concern you?

Absolutely not. Your sole focus is on escaping, reaching a place of safety. You won't stop to check your pulse or blood pressure, nor will you call for help saying, "I'm running from a bear and something feels off; I fear I might be having a heart attack." Instead, you’ll run instinctively, perhaps without even looking where you're going.

During a panic attack, a similar phenomenon occurs, but without an actual bear present. The absence of a bear is precisely what complicates the situation; the mind begins a frantic quest to identify a threat. In this state, anything can transform into a "bear": rapid heartbeat, elevated blood pressure, breathlessness, or distorted vision caused by dilated pupils.

However, these "bears" are not real threats; they are merely the manifestations of your flight response. Recognizing this distinction is crucial to avoid falling into the traps set by your own thoughts, anxieties, and neuroses.

Section 1.1: Uncovering Our Inner Bears

Where do these elusive "bears" reside, and what form do they take? Typically, these "bears" symbolize our own emotions and states we desperately wish to escape. These may include feelings of shame, guilt, worthlessness, rejection, abandonment, helplessness, and powerlessness. After experiencing trauma—often in early childhood—linked to these emotions, we instinctively strive to evade their recurrence, as they conceal profound pain and psychological (and frequently physical) anguish.

Sometimes, our desire to flee from these unbearable feelings is so intense that we run blindly, unaware of what we are escaping. The brain assists us in this evasion, conjuring pseudo-bears in the form of increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and other neurotic symptoms.

Subsection 1.1.1: The Role of Psychotherapy

The primary goal of psychotherapy is to aid individuals in comprehending, experiencing, and accepting these intolerable emotions and states. This process is often what I facilitate with my clients in therapy.

Chapter 2: The Science Behind Panic Attacks

The first video titled "Panic Attack Treatment - Do You Understand The White Bear Effect?" delves into the psychology of panic attacks, explaining the phenomenon where the brain fixates on what it fears, leading to a cycle of anxiety and distress.

The second video, "The Bear 2x9 - Carmen's Panic Attack," provides a dramatized depiction of panic attacks, illustrating the overwhelming sensations and fears that accompany them, making it relatable for viewers.