panic attacks
There are times when it’s appropriate that a particular situation sets off in us a sense of panic. It’s, of course, a natural response that usually only lasts for a fairly short while and it is quite different to having a panic attack.
A panic attack tends to be an extreme form of fear that strike’s quite suddenly and often without any warning. It can produce a barrage of terrifying symptoms and a conviction that something dreadful is about to happen. Such an attack can, indeed, be one of the most frightening things we ever experience.
causes
Fear is a natural instinct, which arises when we’re confronted with a perceived threat. It’s essentially a 'fight or flight' response, preparing us to either run away from danger or stand our ground and fight it. Such natural instincts are probably of less help to us than they were to our early ancestors, who would have lived in a wilder and more dangerous environment than we now do. For them, physical menace was ever present.
Today, our threats are generally less physical in nature. They tend rather to relate to anxiety that’s brought about by the ever increasing stress and tension of modern living. In extreme cases, our stress levels may increase to the extent that a false alarm is triggered within us, causing our system to respond as if it’s actually about to be physically attacked. A state of panic is then set off, despite there being no real danger to us.
Although attacks sometimes appear to just come out of the blue, they are usually preceded by a downward spiral of negative thoughts where we begin to imagine a very nasty outcome to the situation in which we find ourselves. Subsequent episodes can then be set off by us merely associating particular situations, activities, people or places with a previous panic attack.
symptoms
Symptoms can feel most severe to the sufferer and may include a racing, thumping heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or shaking. For some it can feel as though they are about to faint or get sick, or as if their heart has missed a beat or even stopped. Others find they can’t breathe properly for a while or they may have some difficulty in swallowing.
Frequently, sufferers become convinced that they have a truly dangerous underlying physical condition which doctors simply can’t see. Also, they may begin to feel depersonalised and a bit unreal. These concerns can go hand-in-hand with panic and are certainly not indications that the person concerned is about to die or is going mad. Such frightening symptoms will eventually pass by themselves, along with the stress and anxiety that may originally have triggered the panic episode.
please have a physical check-up
Most sufferers would much prefer to find that their condition is not actually of their own making, but caused instead by treatable physical factors. Panic attacks do, however, tend to be all in the mind and, if we're to effectively deal with our inappropriate response to the situations that trigger them, it’s vital that we understand and accept this.
The first step is, therefore, for us to see a medical doctor so as to rule out any underlying illness causing our symptoms . Occasionally, there are physical factors, other than disease, that set off a panic reaction in us. These might include low glucose levels or substances such as caffeine, alcohol, medication or recreational drugs. We also should eliminate these as possible triggers or contributors.
breaking the pattern
It is then advisable for sufferers to seek help as soon as possible. Left to fester, a revolving fear cycle can cause increasing complications and eventually result in more serious conditions such as agoraphobia.
Every time we choose safety and allow ourselves to avoid those situations that cause us to fear an attack, we end up just reinforcing our panic response. We therefore need to find a way to break the pattern, control our emotional state and stop focussing on what could go wrong.
help
I now offer a six-session, personalised panic-management course in which I work with my clients on a one-to-one basis. Together we deal with the underlying causes of their negative emotions, their belief system and the way they perceive and respond to difficult situations.
Generally, we are all able to heal our underlying pain, learn to let our feelings subside and adopt helpful strategies to manage our emotions. Most of us have a surprising ability to calm ourselves and to not only control our outward behaviour but also our internal responses. Hypnotherapy and NLP are excellent tools for helping us deal with both the symptoms and the underlying causes of our emotional issues.
Please use this link to view my fees page, or this link to make a time to see me. (I do, of course, understand that it is important for you to find the right person to work with, so feel safe in the knowledge that I won’t charge you for your first visit if, by the end of it, you decide that my way of working is not quite right for you.) Should you have any questions, or should you just wish to speak to me about this (or anything else), please feel free to send me an e-mail or to just call me on 020 7734 4000.
Don’t let panic continue to close down your life!
