If you're prone to panic attacks, you may want to stock up on sour candy to stave off your next episode.
Whether your heart is racing or your stomach is churning, focusing on your physical symptoms will only make a panic attack worse, licensed trauma therapist Micheline Maalouf told Insider.
The sour sting of a Warhead or Toxic Waste candy may be shocking enough to distract you from feelings of panic and avoid a full-blown attack, Maalouf said in a TikTok for Better Help therapy.
Another TikTok user, m3monette, whose real name is Megan Michelle, filmed herself trying the hack on the brink of a panic attack. In the video, she explained that she rates her panic on a scale of 1 to 10, and when she reaches a 7, she can't pull back from "the whole crying mess and freakout and everything."
At the start of the video, Megan said she was at a 6 on that scale. After popping a Toxic Waste hard candy, she grimaced and paused the video for a beat. "I actually kind of feel better," she said when she came back, still sucking on the candy.
Sour taste 'shocks the senses' and distracts from panic, Maalouf says
Maalouf, the trauma therapist and founder of Serein Counseling, suggested taking a super-sour candy as soon as you feel a panic attack coming on. Focus on the tart sensation instead of trying to stop your symptoms.
"Most of the time when someone is having a panic attack they are focused on stopping it or not making it worse," Maalouf said. "But the problem is that the more we fight the panic, the worse it gets."
Biting into something sour, spicy, or extremely salty can take your mind off of your shallow breathing or sweaty palms. Maalouf recommended popping an Extreme Sour Warhead for an especially mouth-puckering sensation.
"It shocks our senses into focusing on the sourness of the candy," Maalouf told Insider. "It sort of puts us into a mindful moment using our sense of taste and shifts the focus away from our symptoms or whatever triggered the panic."
People also use ice cubes for a similar grounding effect
In a separate video, Maalouf mentioned some other tricks that can stop your fight-or-flight response from going into overdrive.
The sensation of an ice cube on your neck or a freezing cold shower can offer a similar physical distraction. Texture also works - Maalouf said her favorite recent find is a spiky acupressure mat that she lies on to feel grounded.
Aly Raisman, the two-time Olympian gymnast, said in her recent Lifetime documentary that she holds an ice cube in her hand when she feels symptoms of panic coming on.
If you're able to focus your attention elsewhere, you may be able to avoid a panic attack or at least stop it from getting worse, Maalouf told Insider.
As a trauma therapist with extensive experience in the field, I can attest to the fact that managing panic attacks is a complex challenge, and individuals often seek various coping mechanisms. The article featuring Andrea Michelson, dated September 28, 2021, explores a rather unconventional method to deal with panic attacks—sucking on sour candy. The trauma therapist, Micheline Maalouf, emphasizes the use of intense sensations, such as the sour taste of candies, to distract individuals from the physical symptoms of panic and prevent the escalation of an attack.
Maalouf suggests that focusing on the tart sensation of super-sour candies like Warheads or Toxic Waste can shock the senses and effectively shift attention away from the symptoms that typically accompany panic attacks. She explains that the usual instinct to stop or prevent panic attacks can sometimes exacerbate the situation, and introducing a strong sensory experience, like the sour taste, can offer a mindful moment and disrupt the panic cycle.
In addition to the sour candy technique, Maalouf mentions other methods to ground oneself during a panic attack. She suggests the use of ice cubes on the neck or taking a freezing cold shower for a similar distracting effect. Texture, too, can play a role, as evidenced by Maalouf's mention of a spiky acupressure mat. The idea behind these strategies is to redirect attention and create a physical distraction that interrupts the fight-or-flight response associated with panic attacks.
The article also references a TikTok video by a user named m3monette (Megan Michelle), who shares her personal experience with the sour candy method. She rates her panic on a scale and, after trying the technique with a Toxic Waste candy, notes an improvement in how she feels.
The inclusion of Aly Raisman's use of holding an ice cube in her hand when experiencing panic symptoms adds another layer to the discussion, showing that various individuals, including high-profile figures like Olympians, adopt different sensory strategies to manage panic.
In conclusion, while unconventional, the use of intense sensations like the sour taste of candies to manage panic attacks aligns with the broader concept of redirecting attention and creating a physical distraction. This approach, as explained by Micheline Maalouf, reflects a nuanced understanding of panic attack management beyond traditional methods.
Sour taste 'shocks the senses' and distracts from panic, Maalouf says. Maalouf, the trauma therapist and founder of Serein Counseling, suggested taking a super-sour candy as soon as you feel a panic attack coming on. Focus on the tart sensation instead of trying to stop your symptoms.
The strong, sour flavor can help shift our brain's attention from feeling to thinking. It can distract from anxious feelings. Scientifically, the technique prompts our frontal cortex to send a message that we aren't in danger, according to Health.com.
Research has linked foods like avocado, oranges, or oysters to reduced feelings of anxiety. Drinks like water and 100% fruit juice can also be beneficial if you have a lot of anxiety and stress. Those foods and drinks contain antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that help alleviate anxiety symptoms.
You can use the 333 rule for anxiety in the moment something triggers you. Just look around to identify 3 objects and 3 sounds, then move 3 body parts. Many people find this strategy helps focus and ground them when anxiety seems overwhelming.
The key to stopping or minimizing any panic attack is to focus on your external world (sights, sounds, sensations) rather than the internal signs (heart racing, scary thoughts or rapid breathing). To stop a panic attack, focus on your five senses, says psychiatric social worker Chantel Bruha, LICSW, LADC.
It involves identifying 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. By doing so, it helps shift your focus from anxiety-provoking thoughts to the present moment.
The truth is that panic disorder can never be entirely cured. 1 However, it can be effectively managed to the point that it no longer significantly impairs your life. One reason why there is no permanent cure is that panic disorder varies greatly from person to person.
Research suggests that hot showers alleviate anxiety as a result of the heat prompting our brains to release oxytocin — a “happy hormone” — which, in turn, reduces stress. Cold showers, on the other hand, are believed to enhance blood circulation, leading to stress reduction.
If it feels as though your panic attack is lasting hours, this could mean that you're having more than one panic attack in a row. However, it could also mean that you're experiencing something that isn't a panic attack or that you're experiencing another condition on top of a panic attack.
Multiple attacks of different intensities may occur over several hours, which might feel as if one panic attack is rolling into the next, like waves. At first, panic attacks usually seem to come 'out of the blue,' but over time a person may come to expect them in certain situations.
Extremely sour sweets cause a strong physical reaction which distracts the brain from the symptoms of panic and anxiety that takes place as a panic attack builds. Even though sour candy is not a clinically proven treatment for anxiety, managing anxiety in a way that works for the individual is a worthwhile practice.
Just like the age-old sensory zap of snapping a rubber band on the wrist to deter anxiety, chewing sour candies is a distraction technique. It shifts the brain's attention from sensations of fear, anxiety, and overwhelm to the vivid, assertive flavor in the mouth.
"There is definitely truth and science behind eating sour or spicy candy to ease anxiety and panic attacks," mental health counselor Catherine Del Toro says. "It's a wonderful 'therapy hack' that is practical because you can carry a sour candy with you anywhere."
Avoiding processed foods and foods high in sugar means the body experiences fewer highs and lows of blood sugar, which helps to further reduce feelings of anxiety. Very simply put, a sugar rush can mimic a panic attack.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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