Emotions can wreak a havoc in us.
Anger, frustration, fear, worry, sadness, and other emotions like those deplete adrenals. You have a harder time dealing with emotions when you have adrenal fatigue. Smallest things can cause you anxiety attacks. There were times when I would get a racing heart and rapid breathing from just going to the store. So frustrating!
Many times when I stood in line whether it was a post office or grocery store, I got panic attack symptoms. At times, I had to get up and leave Sunday School class to go to a quiet place to calm down my body.
It is really frustrating when panic attacks happen and you feel like you can’t control the way your body is reacting. I have experienced my body starting to tremble in stressful situations. It is not fun.
I used Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and breathing techniques to cope with the stress and panic attacks I frequently experienced.
Emotional Freedom Technique has helped many to optimize their emotional health. I first learned about it from my doctor. She called it Tapping. The Tapping Solution Foundation explains that Tapping is “A combination of Ancient Chinese Acupressure and Modern Psychology, Tapping quickly gets to the heart of the issue, working to rewire the brain, and the amygdala specifically, to create safety in the body and release trauma.”
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I’m not a doctor.
Consult your healthcare provider before starting any treatments.
The Many Ways to Use Emotional Freedom Technique
EFT is used for many things including to alleviate insomnia, relieve stress, remove fear, and to help to process past trauma. In addition to using it to cope with current emotions, it can be helpful in stopping a past experience from stressing you out today. According to Dr. Mercola it can also be used for weight loss and to reduce pain. It’s been effective in treating veterans with PTSD. I have used it to help me to sleep and to relax in situations where my anxiety levels started to shoot up.
Basic EFT Routine
1. Identify the problem you want to tap about.
2. Come up with a phrase you will say. You don’t have to say the same thing at every tapping point but can if you want to. The phrase you choose should acknowledge the problem and neutralize it. For example, “Even though I have panic attacks from going to the store, I love and accept myself.” Or I’d often say: “Even though I have panic attacks, I know I’m safe in God’s hands.”
3.Use your fingertips to tap the points. Start by tapping on the Karate Chop. Repeat the phrase 1-3 times.
For the points of 4-7 and 10-12 you can use both hands (not simultaneously but alternating). Keep repeating the phrase. Tap 5-7 times at each point.
4. Top of the Head
5. Eyebrow points.
6. Side of the Eye
7. Under the Eye
8. Under the Nose
9. Chin
10. Collarbone
11. Under the Arm
12. Top of the Head
That is the basic EFT routine. You don’t need to tap the points in certain order. Going from top down just helps to remember the points. You also don’t have to tap all the points for it to be effective. You can do more than one round too. When in public I didn’t tap on all the points nor did I say anything out loud.
Learn More About EFT
Tapping Solution Foundation has written about the science and research behind Tapping. They also have a video on how to do it.
In addition to those and other sites there are several books about the Emotional Freedom Technique. This is a popular one The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living by Nick Ortner.
References
The Tapping Solution Foundation. What is Tapping and How Does It Work.
Dr. Mercola. Emotional Freedom Technique.