How to Stop a Panic Attack With Frozen Meat
I’m all for “it’s not TMI, it’s transparency” which is why TikTok is the best social network – a place where people can freely confess in 15 seconds or less. It’s also a great place to explore the unconventional side of wellness and mental health trends. My phone and/or TikTok account may or may not have been listening to a recent therapy session in which my therapist and I talked about my pandemic panic disorder and the hot new strategy for survival on the streets these days: the polyvagal theory , also known as nervous system hacking.
What are we hacking now?
Essentially, the theory is that you can talk to yourself all you want about the fact that you are not really being chased by monsters and that your body – or rather your brain – doesn’t care and is going to send you on the run, to fight. . , freeze or cherish, whether you took a deep breath or not. Thus, in order to cope with these adrenaline rushes in a panic, it is necessary to reprogram the automatic reactions of your nervous system.
My therapist sent me this podcast about it, and I listened to it twice, trying to absorb as much as I could. I thought it sounded cool and I will definitely look into it as soon as I get back from vacation. Then something happened that reactivated my reaction to the trauma. Then I had the anniversary of the injury. Then my anxiety attacks, previously well controlled, crept up on me again.
Freeze breasts to reduce stress?
Soon I was walking around the house, buzzing and crying, not eating or sleeping. To disassociate myself, I went on TikTok and saw this video of a woman stuffing frozen beef under her shirt , followed by other videos of people stuffing ice cups into their sports bras, people saying “vagus nerve” and “polyvagal theory” and “panic attack” and “trauma” all over again.
When I panic, my mind shuts down. Thoughts—how I make a living—stop. I needed a way to get back, somehow. So I filled a glass jar with ice, wrapped it in a baby washcloth, and stuffed it into my bra. My son said, “You’re acting strange.” He wasn’t wrong. But immediately I felt good again.
Is this a placebo effect or is it true?
Surely this is just the placebo effect at work, right? I should have known. I started asking therapists what they thought, examined the vagus nerve , and applied ice to my chest if necessary. As always, the internet is torn as to whether this viral hack is “advice for the pros” or just a hack. True, many of the so-called TikTok experts are not licensed mental health professionals. Some of them are just people trying to make something that works for them, and as they say, if you like it, do it. In any case, up to a certain point.
It’s worth noting that many of these content creators claim to be professional mental health experts, even if they don’t have advanced degrees or special training. They make money from people’s mental health crises. Be careful with these “coaches”, “gurus” or “doctors”. Panic attacks often mimic the symptoms of other life-threatening illnesses, such as heart attacks , and it’s always better to go to a real doctor and say you have anxiety than self-diagnose a heart condition. If you are experiencing severe mental illness and have thoughts of suicide or harming yourself or others, seek help immediately by calling 911 or a suicide prevention hotline .
There is some truth in theory
Therapists say there is a scientific and therefore real reason why the chest ice trick helps you calm down. “Putting ice, frozen foods, or something cold can help stop or prevent panic attacks. In therapeutic terms, this is called ” grounding ” – engaging one or more of your senses as a form of distraction,” says Lindsey Mannon, LCSW of Malati Therapy in Texas. You stop focusing on your anxiety when you can focus on the cold instead.
Another therapist explains the nervous system’s response to cold: “It constricts blood vessels and activates the vagus nerve,” says Christina P. Cancavelos , an LCSW psychotherapist in Joshua Tree, California. “When the vagus nerve is activated, it shifts you from the sympathetic (fight or flight) response to the parasympathetic (rest and digestion) response and slows your heart rate.” Basically, it allows you to deal with stress rather than keep moving on.
Other ” ice therapy ” methods, such as ice baths or cold showers, have become widespread, and in fact there is clinical and anecdotal evidence that they can help people with anxiety and panic attacks. However, this won’t work for every person or a terrible panic attack. “If you shock your body too much when it’s already in a vulnerable state, it can take longer to get rid of a panic attack,” says Chris Tompkins , a psychologist and author. Other grounding exercises may be more effective.
Healing is essentially more important than ice power
Keep in mind that “it’s important to know that while [ice] is a tool, it’s not a substitute for therapy to address the underlying problem of why panic attacks happen in the first place,” Kantazavelos says. While it may seem nice to put ice on your chest in times of stress (and if so, do it), it’s also important to figure out why you’re reaching for the freezer in the first place.
Instead of looking for solace only on TikTok, consider talking to a therapist, good friend, or loved one. Feeling so excited that you need to cool off is not “normal”, even in these endless “unprecedented times”. You deserve a little more relief than a quick defrosting of chest meat.