Panic Attacks

Is your life ruled by panic attacks? Do you live in dread of the next one? Do you wonder what’s happening to you, leaving you feeling out of control or going mad? What restrictions on your life will be lifted when you are free from panic attacks? What would you be confident enough to do, where would you go if you knew that panic attacks are a thing of the past?

   What is a panic attack?

A panic attack is a severe attack of anxiety and fear, often occurring suddenly. The physical symptoms are strong and unpleasant, like a surge of energy through the body. These physical symptoms do not indicate any physical problem and stem from the unconscious mind. They can be disabling and sometimes, trying to fight them, can make them seem worse.

Panic attacks usually occur outside the home. Although the timing of a panic attack may seem unpredictable, there may be “situation stressors” that trigger them. These types of panic attacks are named “situational panic attacks” and the triggers are either internal thoughts or external situations, such as being in a supermarket.

Panic attacks that appear without any specific trigger are more likely to be indicative of a panic disorder. Like social and specific phobias there is usually an unconscious cause for any panic attack, perhaps stemming from repressed anxiety or emotions or from childhood. Research has shown there is a link between agoraphobia and panic attacks, where the person experiencing panic attacks begins to avoid certain situations like open places, shops, lifts, etc.

   What do they feel like?

A panic attack often begins abruptly and usually lasts around 5 -10 minutes, although everyone is individual.

The symptoms include:

— Increased heartbeat or palpitations
— Shortness of breath
— Excessive sweating
— Tingling in your toes
— Hot flushes or sudden chills
— Terror

   What causes panic attacks?

Certainly stress may play a role in causing panic attacks, for example, bereavement or separation anxiety when a relationship is over.

Sometimes the cause is not so obvious but the body unconsciously triggers the body’s natural alarm system, the “fight or flight” state. People who have panic attacks may consciously suppress or deny their emotions. In times of increased stress, our unconscious mind releases that emotion or that internal energy and anxiety, through a panic attack.

Other contributing factors in the case of panic attacks can be the use of caffeine, alcohol, cannabis and amphetamines.

As panic attacks involve anxiety, it may be helpful to see the section on anxiety to understand how anxiety might be causing your panic attacks.

   How can Angela help me?

Unless the panic attack is of a organic origin, that is, induced by drugs like cannabis, your panic attacks are more than likely to be a manifestation of your internal, unconscious state. A repressed, unresolved memory or anxiety may be the cause and by addressing that root cause it is possible to stop panic attacks.

Hypnotherapy combined with EMDR Therapy, NLP and cognitive therapy is highly effective in treating the cause of panic attacks and its symptoms. Angela’s treatment is reliably successful as it addresses the root cause of the panic attack quickly and effectively, along with teaching you how to relax and let go of stress. Hypnotherapy will re-educate your unconscious mind to respond more appropriately to stressful situations. EMDR Therapy is also highly useful in desensitising the memories and emotions around panic attacks.

Every thought we have produces a chemical from the brain. As with anxiety, our thoughts govern our physical state. People who suffer panic attacks often dread the attacks, and their thoughts sometimes keep the attack going as the negative thoughts produce more anxious feelings. Cognitive therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy has been called the "how to" therapy. That is, the focus is on "how to" eliminate the thoughts and feelings that lead to the cycle of panic and anxiety. Along with NLP, the person will be shown how to change their thoughts and the way in which their brain responds to stimuli. When you change the way your brain responds, your physical state will follow and panic and anxiety disappear.