Stuart's Example
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| This happened last week at an anthropology lecture. Shortly after it began, I started to feel physically uncomfortable. The lecture room was full, the doors were closed, and I sensed I might have a panic attack. That’s when I began to work myself up. My symptoms were palpitations, sweaty palms, dizziness and feelings of unreality. I felt I would faint and had the impulse to jump up and leave the room. My racing thoughts were: "Oh, no, here I go again. I can't stand this feeling! How will I get out of here without drawing attention to myself?" Then I began to spot. I spotted that my symptoms were distressing but not dangerous. I could control my muscles and sit still, and I could have the will to bear the discomfort of my symptoms. I also spotted that every act of self-control produces a sense of self-respect, especially when I endorse myself, which I did. I spotted that if I became objective by concentrating on something concrete, it would help terminate the panic. So I described to myself where the sensations were and what they felt like. I soon noticed my pulse was slowing, and though I still was a bit uncomfortable, I was no longer panicky. Before my Recovery training, I would have run out of the room and felt ashamed of myself. This would have convinced me that I couldn’t go outside without the possibility of having a panic attack, and I would have quickly isolated myself. Further Spotting! Tom—I spot that Stuart isn’t responsible for the startle. What he does afterward is up to him. In other words, although scared, he used his will and chose to remain seated. Frank—Stuart used his muscles to retrain his brain that there was no danger. The sensations were very "distressing but not dangerous." Stuart is no longer led by his symptoms, but is self-led. Amy—Stuart used objectivity to control his panic.
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