Panic Free. Tom Bunn

       CHAPTER 7

       Control Panic and Claustrophobia with Oxytocin

      Gretchen grew up in an area of Europe where there were no escalators. The combination of unfamiliarity and the inability to escape from a moving escalator led to trouble. Here’s how she described her experience and her strategy for managing her fear.

       I came to New York from Europe. I wasn’t used to escalators and developed a fear of tall ones, mainly in the subways. I sometimes avoid these escalators and take the long stairs.

       A week ago, I was in front of such an escalator. I decided I would go on it anyway. I waited for someone to come on so I could stand right behind them (this way I wouldn’t see the stairs all the way up). Right after getting on the escalator, I felt some panic. I held the sides with both hands and was rather anxious. I decided to think of techniques to ease the stress. I tried counting down from one thousand, but that did not seem to work. So then I decided to use the oxytocin technique. I started thinking about nursing my kids. Immediately my breathing stabilized and I felt more relaxed, and the rest of the climb went fast. So it seems to work in this situation and provided fast relief. I am looking forward to trying this technique in other places as well.

      We know that calming memories can override the effects of stress hormones. But even better, it’s possible to prevent the release of stress hormones in the first place.

      By releasing stress hormones, the amygdala alerts us to changes that might mean danger. Stress hormones can also prepare us to escape or to fight if the changes turn out to mean danger. Thus the release of stress hormones has value for individual survival. But from the perspective of evolution, individual survival is less important than reproduction, which enables our species to survive. This requires physical intimacy, which in turn requires that the “fight or flight” response be put on hold. The hormone oxytocin blocks the release of stress hormones that cause the “fight or flight” response.

      Just as the memory of a calming friend can override stress hormones, the memory of an oxytocin-producing experience can prevent the release of stress hormones and feelings of panic and claustrophobia. Oxytocin is produced in the following situations:

      1. Sexual foreplay. If the signals are right, oxytocin sets aside the fears of acting on our desire.

      2. Sexual afterglow. Oxytocin causes feelings of attachment between sexual partners, making it more likely that a child will have two parents to provide care and protection.

      3. The first sight of a newborn baby. Oxytocin causes bonding and protective feelings toward the infant.

      4. Breastfeeding. By inhibiting anxiety about other things that need to be done, oxytocin gives priority to a baby’s need for nourishment.

      5. Gazing into your dog’s eyes. We say that lovers look at each other with “puppy dog eyes,” as if there were no one else in the world. By looking at their owners with complete devotion, dogs tap into the chemistry that causes these feelings of attachment.

      6. Hugging. Oxytocin is produced when a hug continues for twenty seconds or more.

      When Carole and I were preparing for her trip through the Holland Tunnel, she identified landmarks she would see every few minutes on her trip and linked each landmark to her memory of an oxytocin-producing situation. This was similar to the way an intravenous pump can administer small, frequent doses of anti-anxiety or pain medication. Regular releases of oxytocin kept Carole calm throughout her trip.

      Using both oxytocin production and vagal braking combats high anxiety and panic in two ways. Oxytocin inhibits the release of stress hormones. The vagal brake overrides their effects. In addition to linking each challenging situation to a friend whose calming presence stimulates your vagus nerve, try linking each challenge to a memory that triggers the release of oxytocin.