Panic attack has always been my enemy for many years now. And somehow this week, there seems to be more and more episodes of panic attacks happening to me, especially when I’m driving. It get worst when you’re stuck in the middle of traffic jam in the middle of highway with no exit routes. I’m not sure what triggered my panic attacks, prob too much Asian ghost movies and real ghost documentaries.

Luckily for me, earlier that week I have rented a book from the state library. And it’s a book about understanding your dog behavior. The book was very easy to understand and with simple language and tone to it. Additionally, the book is full of graphics and photos of dog doing silly thing. And silly me I forgot to bring it home and has left it in the car, which ends up a good object for me.

So there I was in the middle of the traffic jam, in the middle of highway with no where to escape, and my impending doom panic attacks is just around the corner, I knew it’s going to hit me as my heart was starting to pump quicker and my hand was starting to sweat and felt tingling. And I know to avoid panic attack is to know how to control them, and in which one must engage in something mentally, as what I’ve done last time as well. Controlling panic attacks is merely diverting your attention to something more interesting or fun, as long as it makes you stop thinking about the panic attack symptoms.

So this time I pick up the book an start reading. Stopping each moment as the car in front move a bit. While reading the book, I start to imagine my silly dog at home has done this and that before, as shown in the pictures on the book too. Your mind tends to absorb and focus on things that are more interesting, or so….but mine is functioning that way.

And before you knew it, I have managed to stay in the car, in the middle of traffic jam, for more then 20 minutes. And I reached home save and sound, as usual and without any episode of panic attacks. For me, this is a good tactic for controlling panic attacks.