Maria,
You asked for an explanation on" staying in the present", during a panic attack. I do not know if I clarified anything for you. I will put it another way..and then would you please give me some feedback? I would greatly appreciate anyones feedback...it feels funny just posting and getting no reples LOL
"Staying in the Present" is a term I use in my paintings as well as here, to describe a state of mind.
This "place" is a "marker", or a goal post, used to identify the exact place you are, versus where you have been and where you are going. By staying in the present in a panic attack, you are "there", so that you can attest to what's happened to cause your attack. If the mind wanders, or "runs", then one cannot identify or isolate the trigger.
Let's say we are having coffee in an outdoor cafe. and a man walks by, who reminds me of the man that beat me up. At this point, if you stay "in the present", look at the man, know you have a friend with you, and you are safe... he was Not the man..he just looked like the man. On the other hand, if the mind takes off...runnng, racing,imagining, fleeting, regressing, you cannot realize that you are still sitting in the cafe, having coffee with a friend, and your are safe. End of panic attack...why? because you stayed long enought to realize that it was a trigger...not the event.
Feedback please.Red
