The descent of spiritual attack when panic overcomes reason

It’s happened countless times to me, and it still strikes bewilderment in me how quickly the descent can occur.  Whether you believe in spiritual forces or not, there is without doubt something that happens within our psyches when plummeting or triggering occurs.

It can be circumstantial, in that something happens to bring you undone in an instant, it can be a slow build up that carries you over the cusp, and just as much it can happen for any inexplicable reason, leaving you more confused and dazed than you’ve ever been.

We fear these moments where we’re at the complete mercy of whatever darkness prevails.  The only good thing about these descents is that they force a response out of us a lot of the time, and unless they completely disable us, we normally can claw our way out or endure it.

Another positive that comes from such an event is the fact that denial is no longer an option.  When your hand is forced behind your back, you have no choice but to wince, and the same thing occurs when mental wellbeing descends at a rate of knots.

First, it’s to refuge, but ultimately there’s some response to fight your way back.

This is not just a panic attack, although panic attacks fit the realm.  It’s every variety of mental and emotional descent, whether it can be explained or not, and so often it’s not.

The descent of spiritual attack when panic overcomes reason seems illogical to those who’ve never suffered it.  But I’ve also known plenty of people—myself included—who once held to the belief that reason could always control such moments.

The fact is reason might add up, but in these moments, you cannot access the solidity in reason, and you descend into panic anyway.

Strategies that have helped me at these times:

1.             Get yourself safe first and foremost, even if that means departing from public places in a relative hurry.  Especially if you’re prone right now, have yourself an out planned and prepared for the moment of acute social anxiety.  You have no apologies to make to anyone when you’re all at sea.

2.             Connecting with safe people who can be present with you or pray with you or for you.  Prayer really does help on a lot of occasions.

3.             Deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help, because they’re physical interventions.  Meditation can help for some.

4.             Remind yourself that “this, too, shall pass,” especially if you consider how previous episodes have run.

5.             Be mindful that every experience puts you closer to effective strategies that will work for future.  Despite the pain, nothing’s wasted.

6.             Where you can, nurture relationships where those you rely on understand your mental health status and situation.  You don’t need an impossible relationship or two to manage when you’re already battling huge spiritual attacks within mental health disequilibrium.

7.             Where you can, speak your way through attacks of guilt and shame in ways of affirming your intent is for good and not for harm, that you’re doing your best and that always needs to be good enough, because it’s all you’ve got.

Photo by Alec Douglas on Unsplash