THE PANIC DIALOGUES

AND EMERGENCY
SELF-TALK SCRIPTS
Normalising scripts to help you deal with
panic when it arises
 © COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Caroline Stewart & Robin Hall

Overcome Panic Attacks & Agoraphobia
The Panic Dialogues
& Emergency Self Talk Scripts

© 2010 Caroline Stewart & Robin Hall

website: www.cognitivetherapyonline.com
email: info@cognitivetherapyonline.com

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These Google Chat dialogues are between
Cognitive Therapist (Robin Hall) and a lady
(Julie) who had been suffering from
Panic Disorder for around 5 years

She had been using the workbooks and

had been practicing for about 6 weeks
when these dialogues took place.

She has since fully recovered from

Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia
DIALOGUE number 1
In this dialogue Julie has been struggling with what I sometimes refer to as
‘Mental Panic’ where the mind catastrophises about everything. The key is to
remember that you deal with it exactly as you would with physical symptoms.

Julie: I am so scared .. so tired..

Robin: why

Julie: feel so depressed.

Robin: why

Julie: don't know..

Robin: tell me what u are thinking

Julie: I wish i was dead right now. very very depressed at the moment.
crying.. I will be ok after some time.

Robin: what thoughts did u have BEFORE u felt this

tell me what is going through your head

Julie: cant manage anything .. .. John today again talked to me so insultingly .. but i
could not say anything.. scared that he would leave .. he threatened that he would
leave.. i cant say .. ok go.. i don't care.. i hate myself for being so weak after he said
i will go .. i am shivering.. with panic.. what kind of life is this..

Robin: remember I explained to you about ‘mental panic’ -

thoughts spiral - the mind catastrophises about everything

Julie: I cant raise melanie independently .. cant earn... cant do anything.. I was
thinking i should just give up on everything and go live in a cave somewhere .

Robin: ok - do you think you could follow my instruction

Julie: I will try..

Robin: ok right now i want you to start the same process as with physical panic
let go all over - REALLY do this ok

Julie: ok

Robin: ok - let go all over

i want u to be a scientist right now
observe how this all works
feel yourself sitting on the chair
let your shoulders drop

Julie: ok

Robin: feel yourself breathe from the stomach

observe it rise and fall
now - i want you to let go TOWARDS all thoughts and feelings
whatever they may be
just for this one minute you move TOWARDS them
no resistance
ALLOW the 'depression' and all the thoughts to exist
don't fight it - at all
feel where it comes out on the body
where do the feelings arise in the body -
stomach - shoulders - head?
feel where there is constriction - tightness - or dullness

Julie: the thoughts are going on and on .

Robin: that's ok - let them -

just OBSERVE
they are just thoughts

Julie: i feel so frustrated.. can i write what i am thinking.. ?

Robin: sometimes the ‘content’ of the thoughts isn’t as much of a problem as our
anxiety about having frightening or depressing thoughts.
try labelling them - just say - "i am thinking thoughts ABOUT ......"
then let them go
try to sit BACK and observe rather than get pulled INTO them
see them like clouds drifting in and out

Julie: cant sit back right now.

Robin: u can sit back enough to say u cant sit back

so u are more able than u think

Julie: true - yes

Robin: BE that person who is seeing the thoughts going on and on and disliking
them - that part of u is perfectly neutral
u cant be the thoughts in fullness because you don't LIKE them
so they are separate in a sense
I call it ‘mental panic’ - this happens

Julie: i am caught up in vicious cycle.. in thoughts .. in life.. don't know how to stop
thinking this way..

Robin: its just a variation of the panic cycle

ask yourself are u STIRRING with MORE thoughts ABOUT the thoughts

Julie: no .. I feel I am just thinking completely subjectively ... and not with much
melodrama.. just pure grief.

Robin: that's what you imagine - but you just wrote

“i am caught up in vicious cycle.. in thoughts .. in life.. don't know how to stop think-
ing this way.”.
can u see that there is a lot of added fear ABOUT how you are thinking

Julie: yes.. lol.. felt a little ok.. at this minute.

I could breath...
Robin: it really IS just a mental panic attack

Julie: ok

Robin: I have had them myself and have seen MANY people with this

Julie: ok

Robin: they FOOL us because we don't see them as straightforward panic

we think its 'emotional'
that it’s the 'truth' about us
doesn't seem like it could be due to adrenaline and the anxiety cycle

Julie: ok
ok - I almost felt I could sit back for a second :-)

Robin: if u observe closely u will see that u DO add secondary fearful thoughts
ABOUT the thoughts
its exactly same as panic about physical sensations - so it helps if you do the same
practice

Julie: it did turn into a physical panic attack for me.. i started trembling.. and my
throat was dry...

Robin: yes - exactly - so let go towards it all - the thoughts and feelings
let go all over like u were letting go of a scrunched up sponge

Julie: yes

Robin: go LIMP
let shoulders drop
feel yourself in the room
come back to your senses
hear any sounds
look around
smile
seriously :-)
Julie: yes - I can see my mind going round in circles :-)

Robin: go on - u can do it
:-)
ok - and always remember to feel your stomach rise and fall
that's a great anchor
and let ALL thoughts be as bad as they want to be

Julie: this is building up since day before yesterday.. when i said i am feeling panic..
but it didn’t reach its peak then.. .

Robin: yes - that happens - 'Anticipatory Anxiety'

but remember - its ok - u are in no danger AT ALL
it just feels horrible

Julie: yes

Robin: and even this 'depressed' feeling will pass soon

its a bluff
but keep ALLOWING it to exist

Julie: i feel as if i have reached a breakdown point.

Robin:
u haven't trust me - this is very common

Julie: ok

Robin: just let go towards EVERYTHING

right now go limp
let go
allow
smile
and when u find yourself 'stirring' the pond
step back
withdraw the ADDED thinking
let the first thoughts do their thing
like clouds drifting by
just watch them
they are just thoughts

Julie: feel so sad right now. ..

Robin: ok - let that feeling BE

where is it in your body
be a scientist
instead of creating FUTURE thoughts
like "I will never get better - my life will ALWAYS be like this.."
just be here RIGHT NOW
with the PHYSICAL outcome of that feeling

Julie: ok

Robin: so tell me - where is the physical feeling of that

search around
where is sadness right now in your body
as a physical feeling
Julie: my eyes are burning... ears are burning.. my neck is hurting.. and i am feeling
funny in my stomach. and my feet are trembling.

Robin: right
so let that be as it is - that is all just sensation

Julie: ok

Robin: let it all happen

cant do u any harm
relax TOWARDS all those feelings
just be with them now
when 'future' thinking comes up
see that as 'stirring'
'secondary fear'
pointless
it just keeps u feeling horrible
so why bother
so again - let go - go limp
observe your stomach rise and fall
smile
feel body sensations as they are
let them be
don't resist
even with thoughts
stop FOCUSSING in on your SELF
look at something in the room
and really SEE it
feel that you have broken the 'spell' of self focus
keep doing that
like snapping out of a dream
let go all over
smile
BREATHE
and take in OTHER things
its ok to feel not ok sometimes
its just an experience
Julie: ok .. difficult right now.. but i will try .

Robin: its a choice at some stage

Julie: yes

Robin: as long as you self focus and add negative thoughts u will feel horrible
but if u let go and step back

Julie: yes

Robin: stop adding thoughts

let thoughts BE
then get on with other things
if i were u i would go for a walk

Julie: ok