The Doing Well Newsletter | Vol. 17

by Jesse Katches

Still Having Panic Attacks? This May Be Why…

please excuse my absence last week! it was my first full week back from traveling to Paris and to sum up the trip i wrote the following haiku..

bread, cheese, wine, oh my…

woah, the eiffel tower! cool.

more bread, cheese, wine please

oh, and i got engaged! the trip was amazing.

now back to it

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

STORY OF THE WEEK

when i was in high school i had a basketball coach with whom i constantly butted heads. i didn’t fit in with the vision he had for his team, so even though i was a good player, he decided not to put me into the games. so being younger and much less equipped to handle my emotions, i decided to go the route of fighting against him to get what i wanted instead of working with him, and to no surprise, that only made the situation worse.

but as time went on and i began to realize that my bad attitude and lack of compliance to his vision was only hurting my cause, i knew i needed to make i change, so, i decided to stop fighting back, and you’ll never believe what happened… i finally got to play in the games.

it wouldn’t be until years down the road that i was able to reflect back on that situation and clearly see what worked and what didn’t, but in doing so i noticed that it was this same exact approach that helped me in my journey with anxiety and panic attacks as well.

it sounds counterintuitive to not fight to get what you want, but when it comes to anxiety and panic, the more you fight against the sensations you feel, the stronger those sensations will become. if we want to feel better long term we have to go from treating our panic and anxiety like an enemy to instead, treating it like a pal.

when i realized this shift, that all my fighting was actually causing me more pain, it changed everything for me and i was able to stop having panic attacks almost immediately.

this approach is similar to the Japanese martial art of Judo.

while “martial arts” may draw an association of “violent combat,” Judo literally translates to “the gentle way,” because the goal is to preserve both your physical and mental energy and win the match by using your opponent's weight and strength against them.

so essentially in Judo, the harder you fight, the more likely you are to be defeated.

the same is true in our relationship with anxiety and panic. the harder we fight to stop it, to feel better in the moment, to get our heart to stop pounding or our body to stop shaking, the stronger anxiety and panic become. so while it is counterintuitive, i’m convinced that taking the gentle approach instead of constantly fighting, is the key to finding the relief you want.

TOOL OF THE WEEK

do you enjoy listening to audio books? how bout listening to FREE audiobooks? i sure do.

i am in no way affiliated with this app but i have been using it for a couple months now and i love it. the app allows you to use your library card online to digitally borrow audiobooks for free. i do not know if this is available internationally, but here in the US it’s a gem. the app is called Libby and you can find it in the app store to start using it today!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

do you struggle with panic attacks? if so how do you handle them when they arise?

if you’re up for it - i would love for you to reply back to this email and answer the above question with a video response! no pressure at all and no judgement on the result of the video! but i just realized that i communicate with you over text quite often but i never get to physically see or hear from you and i would absolutely love it if i could! so if you’re up for it, i can’t wait to see you. if not, i’m still excited to read your response!

and with that, go have a wonderful and safe weekend, and as always - i love you and i’m here for you if you need me .

Jesse

disclaimer: the content of this email is intended for informational and educational purposes, it is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, and/or treatment. Please consult your medical professional before making changes to your diet, exercise routine, medical regimen, lifestyle, and/or mental health care.