Why We Panic: A Journalist Investigates Anxiety, Fear, and How To Deal With It | Matt Gutman
Matt Gutman, ABC News's chief national correspondent, discusses his journey to overcome panic attacks, exploring various treatments like breath work, therapy, medication, and psychedelics. He emphasizes that panic is normal and treatable, often linked to social fear and unaddressed grief.
Deep Dive Analysis
15 Topic Outline
Introduction to Panic Attacks and Matt Gutman's Journey
Matt Gutman's Early Experiences with Panic Attacks
Panic in High-Pressure Live Television Reporting
The Role of Social Fear in Panic Attacks
Panic as a Normal Evolutionary Response
Understanding Phobias and Rational Fears
Imposter Syndrome and its Link to Panic
Physiological Mechanisms and Long-Term Effects of Panic
Holotropic Breathwork for Emotional Release
Psilocybin Experience and its Impact
Transformative Experience with 5-MeO-DMT (Toad Venom)
Challenges and Delayed Effects of Ayahuasca
Psychedelics and Meditation as Ongoing Maintenance
Comprehensive Approach to Managing Panic Attacks
Embracing Self-Compassion and Forgiveness in Panic
7 Key Concepts
Panic Attack
A panic attack is the brain's most blaring alarm, signaling a significant social threat that must be addressed immediately to avoid perceived death or ostracization. It manifests as intense physical symptoms like pounding heart, difficulty breathing, and constricted vision.
Social Fear (Evolutionary Context)
Humans evolved to be highly cooperative, meaning banishment from a group was historically equivalent to a death sentence. Consequently, the brain developed to associate breaking social taboos or displeasing peers with death, triggering panic attacks as a defense mechanism against social ostracization.
Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome is the feeling that one is a fraud and that others will eventually discover their lack of capability for their role or achievements. It often arises from a dissonance between childhood expectations (e.g., being told one can do anything) and the realities of adult life, or vice-versa.
Courageous Coward
This term describes an individual who possesses a high tolerance for physical threat and danger but a low tolerance for social danger. Such individuals might excel in chaotic, physically risky situations but experience panic attacks in socially evaluative contexts like public speaking or live performance.
Holotropic Breathwork
A breathing technique involving two fast breaths in and one fast breath out, performed rapidly. This hyperventilation-like process deprives the body of carbon dioxide, leading to an altered state of consciousness that can facilitate deep emotional release, such as crying or intense introspection.
5-MeO-DMT (Toad Venom)
A powerful psychedelic derived from the excretions of the Sonoran desert toad, consumed as a syrupy smoke. It induces an almost immediate, profound altered state, often described as a brief 'death' of consciousness, followed by intense physical and emotional release, such as primal screaming.
Ayahuasca
A shamanistic brew originating from the Shipibo tribe in the Amazon, made from two distinct plants. One plant induces hallucinatory states, while the other enables the body to process the chemical compounds, allowing for a psychedelic 'journey' that can vary greatly in experience and intensity.
7 Questions Answered
Humans evolved to be highly cooperative, meaning being ostracized from one's group was historically equivalent to a death sentence. Panic attacks are the brain's alarm system, signaling a significant social threat to prevent banishment and ensure survival.
No, panic attacks are a perfectly natural and normal part of the human condition. Our minds and bodies are wired to have many 'false alarms' (panic attacks) to ensure we don't miss a real threat, as missing a threat could lead to death.
The amygdala senses danger and signals the hypothalamus to release adrenaline, followed by cortisol. This chemical cascade prepares the body for 'fight or flight' by increasing heart rate, heavy breathing, constricting vision, and sweating.
For the type of acute, spiking panic attacks Matt experienced, the body is generally okay and can even compensate by keeping baseline cortisol levels low. However, chronic, prolonged exposure to cortisol from constant anxiety (e.g., abusive situations) is unhealthy.
SSRIs can dull the experience of psychedelics, particularly psilocybin, making the effects less intense or profound than they might otherwise be.
Psychedelics, unlike cannabis, can take one out of the realm of choice, effectively removing the consciousness that fears social judgment or loss of control. This allows for deep emotional excavation without the ego interfering.
Conquering panic attacks doesn't mean they will never happen again, but rather developing the ability to be okay with them when they do occur, knowing how to deal with them, and practicing self-forgiveness and self-compassion.
16 Actionable Insights
1. Reframe Panic as Normal
Understand that panic attacks and anxiety are a normal part of human evolution, designed for survival, which can be “good medicine” and help you feel less broken or defective.
2. Cultivate Self-Compassion
Practice self-kindness and compassion, treating yourself as you would treat others, and avoid self-criticism or feeling like a failure if panic occurs, trusting that you will survive it.
3. Cultivate Self-Forgiveness & Reliance
Develop self-forgiveness and a healthy sense of self-reliance, understanding that while difficult situations may arise, you have the capacity to handle them, fostering a hopeful and optimistic outlook.
4. Implement Daily Wellness Maintenance
Consistently practice daily wellness habits such as eating right, limiting caffeine and alcohol, exercising, and meditating for a few minutes, as these actions help lower your baseline anxiety and reduce the likelihood of panic attacks.
5. Address Panic Symptoms Early
Do not discount or ignore symptoms of panic or intense nerves, even if you don’t fully understand them, as delaying action can lead to years of suffering.
6. Seek Therapy and Medication
If experiencing panic attacks, consider seeking professional therapy and medication as these methods have been effective for recovery and getting back on your feet.
7. Engage in Issue-Specific Therapy
If traditional long-term therapy hasn’t been effective due to personal dynamics, consider engaging in temporary, issue-specific therapy focused on a single, defined problem.
8. Explore Psychedelics for Grief
Under professional guidance, consider exploring psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, toad venom, ayahuasca) to access altered states for cathartic emotional release and to excavate deep-seated grief.
9. Practice Holotropic Breathwork
Engage in Holotropic Breathwork, using a fast two-breaths-in, one-breath-out technique to fill your belly, which can induce an altered state for emotional release and catharsis.
10. Discuss SSRIs with Doctor
Consult with a doctor about SSRIs (antidepressants) as they can be helpful in limiting panic and anxiety for some individuals, while being aware of potential withdrawal symptoms.
11. Consider Beta Blockers
Discuss beta blockers with your doctor as a non-narcotic option to manage the physiological symptoms of panic by putting a ceiling on heart rate, without affecting your psychology.
12. Practice In-Moment Self-Reassurance
During a panic attack, use techniques like placing a hand on your heart and reassuring yourself that you are fine and have survived similar experiences before, drawing on cognitive behavioral therapy principles.
13. Acknowledge Social Fear
Recognize that social fear and the concern about peer judgment are natural evolutionary traits that contribute significantly to panic attacks, helping to normalize the experience.
14. Differentiate Panic from Chronic Anxiety
Understand that while acute panic attacks may not cause long-term physical damage, chronic anxiety resulting from prolonged stressful environments is a different and unhealthy condition.
15. Meditate for Psychedelic Integration
Utilize meditation to access and integrate experiences from psychedelic journeys, allowing images and insights to surface and reinforce strengthening moments.
16. Check Sodium Levels
Consult a doctor to check your sodium levels and adjust your diet if necessary, as low sodium can be an issue, though not directly related to panic attacks.
6 Key Quotes
Panic is perfectly natural, Matt. It is perfectly normal. He said, our minds and bodies are wired for us to have a thousand panic attacks, a thousand false alarms, so long as we don't have a single missed alarm.
Randy Nessie (quoted by Matt Gutman)
It's your brain telling your body that there is a very big social threat happening and you better fix that right now or you are going to die.
Matt Gutman
The beauty of psychedelics for me is they took me out of the realm of having a choice. I was not present anymore. Matt Gutman was not there to make the decision.
Matt Gutman
The baseline human condition is not to be happy or even to be contented. The baseline is to survive. The second thing is to create offspring. After that, whatever you manage to do, if you can bring joy to your life, if you can recognize moments of feeling content or moments of happiness, that's all a bonus.
Matt Gutman
I cannot promise that I won't have panic attacks again. I just, I probably will. That's how I am engineered, but I need to continue this maintenance that I've been doing.
Matt Gutman
One way to understand hope and optimism is not that shitty things will never happen to you. It's just that you can handle it if and when it does.
Matt Gutman