Planning for Panic in Sobriety

Panic attacks are intense, and can be incredibly difficult to navigate. For those also navigating their newfound sobriety as an alumnus of one of Hawaii Island Recovery’s dedicated treatment centers in Hawaii, continuing to address the effects of panic and panic disorder is necessary. Panic disorder is not something that will simply vanish, and each person will have to put in the hard work at Hawaii Island Recovery and beyond to address the effects of panic on daily life. However, planning for panic is always possible, and there are many strategies that each alumnus can use to prevent or address panic in sobriety.

There is nothing easy about overcoming panic disorder, and each person living with anxiety and panic will have to develop personalized strategies to address their effects. Panic and substance use can also be closely tied, with panic informing the use of drugs or alcohol. Those living with panic disorder in sobriety may still experience several challenges following their dedicated recovery efforts. Some of the symptoms of panic include:

Those living with panic disorder may also recognize that their fears are not based in reality. However, they will still feel this intense fear, despite its irrational nature, making panic difficult to address and demanding a truly unique healing plan. Planning for panic in sobriety is necessary to avoid returning to potentially self-destructive strategies that may otherwise comprise a person’s hard-earned sobriety and progress as a sober alumnus. 

Meanwhile, substance use and panic disorder can be connected. Thus, addressing not just both addiction and panic disorder but also how they may interact or affect each other is necessary. Addiction and mental health disorders of all kinds never exist in isolation, and a dedicated and personalized program as an alumnus, continued outpatient care, and developing new strategies to address panic with trauma-informed professionals are all necessary for a robust approach to maintaining sobriety and a healthy emotional state.

Panic can cause intense feelings of fear, hopelessness, and doubt. However, an individual is never truly helpless to address the effects of panic disorder as a sober alumnus. Effectively planning for panic alongside friends, family, and Hawaii Island Reocvery’s dedicated professionals is always possible.

Panic attacks can feel wholly irrational and overwhelming, especially in the moment. However, there may still be triggers that have not yet been discovered or directly addressed. Talking about past panic attacks, journaling current experiences, and communicating not just how a person feels during a panic attack but surrounding stresses, factors, people, or environments can all help each alumnus better understand their triggers when they are planning for panic as an alumnus. 

Panic attack toolkits are sets of resources and skills that each person can use to address feelings of anxiety and panic. For sober alumni, this means finding new ways to replace drugs or alcohol and addressing these feelings more healthily. A panic toolkit can include not just resources like stress balls to reduce feelings of anxiety but also a list of understanding supports that can be contacted, written mantras and spiritual affirmations, and even a checklist on other strategies like breathing techniques, emotional freedom techniques, and more to navigate panic and help each alumnus structure a feeling of control during panic. 

Self-care is any action that tends to personal needs, whether spiritual, emotional, physical, or anything else a person may require. However, ensuring that these routines are normalized and regularly used is paramount. Self-care differs from aftercare in that it can help prevent difficult emotions and stresses from building up in the first place, reducing not just the frequency of panic attacks but possibly their intensity, depending on the individual. 

Exposure therapy is slowly introducing oneself to potential triggers in a safe and curated environment to understand the effects of panic and the reasons why such triggers may be so impactful for an individual. For some, this can involve exploring past traumas, while others may explore other areas of stress, depending on personal situation. 

Engaging in exposure therapy in a professional setting is necessary for planning for panic to ensure the safety of each person while also being able to understand panic while desensitizing a person to these stresses safely. 

Overcoming addiction and panic disorder takes time, and some feelings of anxiety, depression, and more are completely normal. Having a panic attack after treatment does not mean that a person has somehow “failed” in their healing journey. It is important to give oneself time to understand panic and its effects while developing the right strategies for a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. Continuing to develop new strategies and engaging in outpatient treatment is necessary to navigate each person’s continued healing journey. 

Panic is intense, and can be difficult to overcome. For alumni of a dedicated addiction treatment program, managing anxiety is paramount to maintaining your hard-earned sober progress. At Hawaii Island Recovery, we understand the need to continue addressing the effects of panic in your daily life, and we are committed to empowering you to navigate panic while maintaining your sober transformation. Our treatment centers in Hawaii offer trauma-informed staff and a sympathetic community of peers who can help you create new strategies for navigating panic and provide an atmosphere of support throughout all challenges of continued sobriety. For more information on how we can help you, call to speak to a caring, trained staff member today at (866) 390-5070.