Hi Rachel,

I understand your fear. I suffered from panic attacks for 10 years before finally seeking help to bring about a change in my life. I’m not familiar with the Linden method. But I do know a couple of tools that helped me out as I dealt with panic attacks.

First, I was taught to take the panic thought out as far as I could take it. I had to learn to do this when I was forced to fly for work. For example, I would think “I can’t fly because I might have a panic attack. And what if I had a panic attack on the plane? And if I had a panic attack on the plane, I would have to get out of my seat to walk around. If I had to walk around, I would just go to the back of the plane. And if I had to go to the back of the plane, the flight attendants would ask me why I was out of my seat. Then I would have to tell them I was having a panic attack. And then they would probably help me because they are trained to handle people who are afraid of flying. Then I could stay in the back of the plane until I felt the panic subside — which is always about 15 or 20 minutes after the attack starts.” It helped me to see that the world would not end if I had a panic attack.

Second, I was taught to practice seeing an event or activity in the best possible way. The panic thinking has you focused on the worst possible outcome. Practice seeing every aspect of what you are doing in a positive way. I even had to write it down and then read it over and over again. And see all aspects of the event positively. See what you are wearing, what you are saying, what the air temperature outside feels like on your skin, etc. If was an eye-opening exercise for me to see just how negatively I was viewing what was happening around me.

And lastly, try not to take yourself too seriously. I was so afraid of letting people know I suffered from panic attacks that I suffered in silence for too many years. And when I finally couldn’t hide it anymore, I was overwhelmed by the kindness of friends, acquaintances, co-workers, etc. Smile, laugh, breathe deeply, and enjoy your adventure in Australia.