I got a laugh out of your mantra and the rhyme. Headache is gone after a fairly restful night of sleep and I know where there will be a lot of hedge apples that will be getting kicked into a creek for my CBT. I am going to incorporate it into my weekly routine. Being new to the panic attacks, and 4 weeks into this program, I was concerned that something was wrong. I don't typically get angry or headaches. I'll take that any day over a panic attack if it means I can go kick some hedge apples. On a positive note, if I'm feeling this, I'm making progress.
You made me laugh, been there, done that. Anger aimed at oneself or an inanimate object is a CBT tool. Beating the crap out of a pillow is a release. Splitting fire wood is a release. Kicking apples is a release. The only reason for a head ache is being annoyed that you had to cope with the panic. I used to be passive/aggressive. I'd let people push me till I blew up. I don't do that anymore. I ignore them and sing a little mantra that goes like this, They are apples and I'm an orange and we know what apples rhymes with.
By the way psychologically there are apples and oranges, and I am an orange. We are different and don't fit well among apples. People who are not aware they are oranges for the most part verses apples get a lot of anxiety. Hidden anxiety since they usually don't know they are different.
I've learned the two won't happen together, or at least they shouldn't. But following a panic attack 2 days ago, today I felt anger. This is unusual for me as I am a passive people pleaser. I don't find myself angry like I was today. I don't even know why I felt so angry. I figured a walk to relax would help. I was able to grab my mp3 player and headphones and walked to a nearby creek where I seen Hedge Apples laying all over the ground. The most stress relief was kicking every one of them into the water. I wasn't angry after that. I ended up with a tension headache that has stuck around for several hours. Is this common with Panic disorder?
