Ice and Anxiety

All you need is a bowl of ice water for best results. Or grab cold soda cans or a first aid ice pack.

Source: Diana Partington

DBT teaches an infamous anxiety hack. Having an anxiety attack? Ugly crying, and you can't stop? Fill a large bowl with water and ice. Put your face in it. Hold your breath. Repeat. Viola!

Next time you're dissociating, or you just need to get ahold of yourself, try it.

This remedy is called the Mammalian Dive Response, and it works.

Simply by putting your face in cold water, your body reacts like your whole body is submerged in cold water. Your heart rate slows. Blood flow to nonessential organs is reduced, and blood flow is redirected to the brain and heart. And this process, well… it kind of shuts down auxiliary functioning and brings your parasympathetic nervous system online. That part of your nervous system says, "Chill, baby, it's all gonna be alright." It's also known as the relaxation response.

Step 1: Fill a large bowl with Ice and water

Source: Diana Partington

If you're feeling particularly nerdy, this TED article called "Your Body's Amazing Reaction to Water" is fascinating.

Of course, sometimes, when you are having a panic attack, you don't happen to have a large bowl of ice water handy. It happens to the best of us. A few years ago, I was in my office when a panic attack struck. I received some bad news, and suddenly, it felt like the room was spinning.

Like many of us, if I even think I am going to have a panic attack, I get terrified of having a panic attack. Has this happened to you? If you've struggled with chronic anxiety or panic attacks, your brain becomes hypervigilant for any signs of an impending attack, such as increased heart rate, sweat, or shortness of breath. It can become a vicious cycle.

Step 2: Make sure your hair, clothes or jewelry are out of the way.

Source: Diana Partington

At that moment, I didn't have a bowl to fill with ice water. So, I grabbed a couple of cans of sparkling water from the fridge, pressed them over my eyes and forehead, inhaled gently, and then held my breath for 30 Mississippi's (also known as seconds.) I "came up for air," took another breath, and held it again for as long as I was comfortable. I repeated this three times. And then my mind was calm enough to use other skills.

That's my Dive Response Hack. Cold soda cans are one option when no bowls of ice are handy. You can also carry instant first aid cold packs in your car/your purse/your desk at work/your bedside table. You can stash them anywhere you think you might get flooded with intense emotions.

In DBT, tipping your body temperature with cold water is one of the TIPP skills for overcoming panic or sudden intense emotions.

Step 3: Inhale gently. Hold the breath and place your face in the bowl for not more than 30 seconds, only as long as you can comfortably hold your breath.

Source: Diana Partington

The Ice Bath for Mental Balance

The summer I was 13 years old, I experienced my first cold plunge. I got super hot in a sauna, ran out on the dock, and dove into the lake. Wow! It was painful but so invigorating. And I felt amazing!

Taking a cold soak once a day for five to ten minutes boosts your parasympathetic nervous system! (Remember the "Chill, baby, it's all gonna be alright" part of your body.)

The research shows that a regular cold plunge can help to ease depression, and potentially reduce anxiety. I like to take a hot bath at night, leave the water overnight, and take a cold plunge before my shower in the morning. Sometimes, I will end a hot shower by standing in the cold water for a few minutes.

I have been doing this for years. And then I watched My Octopus Teacher on Netflix. It's a lovely story of Craig Foster and his friendship with a wild octopus. In the documentary, he alludes to having struggled with severe depression. His depression causes him to retreat from life and return to his childhood home in South Africa on the beach. He begins free diving daily (holding his breath for extended periods while swimming underwater.)

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Watching the film, I saw a man experiencing the dive response over and over. Of course, the relationship he develops with this wonderful octopus is the main story. But as a therapist, I experienced another narrative: A man's emergence out of depression. And I suspect the daily, prolonged diving in cold water could be a factor. The daily adjustment of the nervous system through the dive response is fascinating to consider.