How to Use Grounding to Ward off PTSD Panic Attacks

There are several reasons that one might have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Abuse victims, veteran soldiers, rape victims and anyone else that has experienced trauma may display different manifestations such as flashbacks, suicidal ideations and other kinds of symptoms. Anxiety attacks are the most common symptoms but also one of the most debilitating. These symptoms can feel like heart attacks or other major medical health issues and often lead to unnecessary medical treatment and misdiagnosis. On the bright side, there are a few things that can be done that will help anyone with anxiety problems calm down a bit and take control of the situation. Grounding is a common practice by those that suffer from the symptoms of PTSD and related anxiety disorders. Grounding is a coping technique used in therapy to stop dissociation and panic attacks. It basically uses the five senses to pull you into the here and now, and reroutes your brain from slipping into an anxiety attack or a flashback. Take three deep breaths in through your nose and release them slowly through your mouth. Then begin the assessment of your surroundings. Start with what you can see. Name five items in your head that you can see with your eyes, or notice patterns, or even count furniture. Listing what is going on around you helps you connect with the present and brings you back to your immediate surroundings. Next, count four things that you can physically touch. This will trigger your body into knowing where it is. The chair you’re sitting in, the table next to your foot, your clothing touching your body, and etc.

Asking yourself three things that you can hear allows you to be in the room with yourself. If you can control some volume, all the better for you. Remember that even in a quiet room, you can still here minute noises. Use those deep breaths to open up your sense of smell. Identify two things you can smell that are pleasant to you. You may even use your own smells – bring along some essential oils and don’t be ashamed to use them. The application of such will also help you be in the here and now.

The last portion of this is in the air. Your last sense left off this list is taste – and it can be hard to taste something that isn’t there. Many therapists ask the patient to identify one emotion that they’re feeling at the end of all this, and lead it into a discovery of what is triggering these attacks. In that case, it seems that this particular technique is more helpful. Used at the end of the grounding sessions, realizing your emotions is a good wrap up to finalizing your control over the situation and getting a grip on what’s causing your panic attacks. Grounding goes a long way towards the patient being present and can be done outside of the therapist’s office and can be done alone. It takes a bit of practice but even novices can calm themselves down. This works for anxiety disorders of any kind, dissociation, and PTSD attacks. If you can feel them coming, you can avoid them.