The Psychology of Fear ❧ 101The Prozac was working just fine, and there was nothing improper
or unusual about Jane’s treatment. It did, however, light the fuse for her
next emotional outburst.
TheMake It Go Away Explosion
A week after the Xanax prescription runs out, Jane’s husband
comes home to find her on the couch, shaking. Her face is
streaked with tears.
He sits down and puts his arm around her. “What’s
wrong?” he asks.
“The new medicine doesn’t work,” she says. “I had two
attacks today.” Jane starts to sob. “I don’t think I’m ever going
to get better.”More than anything else, people with panic disorder want their
attacks to just go away. They long for the lost paradise of simply feeling
good. Paradise is never simple, however; and usually it isn’t even paradise.
Much as Jane may long for it, she can’t go back to a place that she’s never
really been. Panic attacks don’t just appear out of nowhere. People who get
them usually have a history of anxiety problems, which they’ve dealt with
by putting on a happy face and ignoring the turmoil below. Explosive
people are known for taping over warning lights until the engine blows
up. Then they want a quick fix.
If there is a panicky person in your life, you will face the Make it go
awayexplosion many times. You’ll probably feel frightened and helpless
yourself as you scramble around, searching for something,anything, that
will make the person feel better.
Hold that thought and pay attention to what’s going on inside you.
What you’re feeling is the almost telepathic power of an emotional explosion
to communicate emotion from one heart to another. Emotional explo-
sions make you feel what the explosive person is feeling.That is their purpose,
though most often it lies outside the awareness of both sender and receiver.
Since you don’t have an explosive disorder, feeling the same raw
emotions doesn’t necessarily lead to the same response. You may not