Pink shared her spiritual toolbox” for dealing with panic attacks

Pink shared her spiritual toolbox” for dealing with panic attacks

Pink has opened up about her health struggles in the past, but now she's sharing new details about her mental health journey. In a candid new Instagram post created with the Child Mind Institute for Mental Health Awareness Month, Pink revealed that she suffered from panic attacks in her mid-20s and has since learned a variety of methods to deal with them.

"I used to get pretty horrible panic attacks and I didn't know what was happening," the 42-year-old singer says in the video. "I had no one to talk to about it and I didn't know what to do. I felt like I was having strokes, stroke symptoms; it was terrifying." (See also: Hailey Bieber shared an update on her health scare — she suffered a 'mini-stroke')

In case you're unfamiliar, panic attacks involve sudden waves of fear, discomfort, or a feeling of losing control, even when there is no clear danger or trigger, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Panic attacks can feel like a heart attack and cause shaking, tingling, or a rapid heart rate, and they can occur several times a day or a few times a year.

Pink further explains that when she had panic attacks in the past, she would go to the hospital and sit in her car in the parking lot until she felt better, and when she didn't, she would go to the emergency room. "I had several EKGs [a device that checks for heart conditions] that always came back to 'You're fine, you're fine, everything's fine, you're imagining it all, it's all in your head,'" she says in the clip. So she started seeing a therapist and learning "I started learning all these steps about how to take care of myself," Pink continues. “I was never taught how to take care of myself.”

Pink says in the video that she has since created a "spiritual toolbox" to help her deal with panic attacks. It includes things like lighting candles and incense to calm oneself and starting practices to "take care of myself and my heart and my head," including "full moon ceremonies for women only" and meditation. (Related: The Best Meditation Apps for Beginners)

She also delved into writing and making healthy lifestyle choices. “Writing songs is probably what saved my life,” Pink says in the clip. "Write in a journal, write poetry, read other people's stories, get inspiration," she continued, noting that she also exercises, eats healthy and cooks. “Cooking is like meditation,” she adds.

Now, when Pink feels like she's "losing her way," she knows what to do. “I light my incense and I take a bath and I breathe and I give thanks,” she says. “I have also surrounded myself with a village of people who know when I have forgotten that I have a spiritual toolbox, they remind me.”

Following a healthy lifestyle and having a "spiritual toolbox" like Pink's can help, says Thea Gallagher, Psy.D, a clinical psychologist, clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health, and co-host of the Mind in View podcast. But it's crucial for people who experience panic attacks to be able to identify them and their causes, she says. “Sometimes there isn’t enough meditation in the world to feel better.”

That's why people should contact a cognitive behavioral therapist if they find that panic attacks are interfering with their life, she says. A therapist can help someone get used to the sensations they may experience during a panic attack, teach them to recognize one when it's happening, and allow them to become more comfortable with it.

"Sometimes once a panic attack starts, you can't stop it, and trying to stop it can make things worse," she says. "I teach people to ride the wave. It won't last forever. It's uncomfortable, but you won't die. You'll see that you can take it."

Pink also used the video to encourage other people to find what works for them. “I will tell you… it will get better and there will be beautiful moments waiting for you,” she says. “There are beautiful people waiting to love you, and one of those people is yourself.”