Panic Attacks and Anxiety Attacks

Panic Attacks (Panic Disorder) are where you get a feeling of intense fear or discomfort when there’s no real danger.  Anxiety attacks are very similar but tend to be not quite so long-lasting and the sufferer is usually able to stay where they are, although this takes effort.

Deal with panic attacks, fast!

If you suffer from panic or anxiety attacks your symptoms will initially appear occasionally or irregularly and they can come on very suddenly!  They usually attach themselves to specific “targets” such as driving, meetings, social occasions.  Over time however, they can spread throughout a person’s life and seem to have no particular pattern or trigger.

Sufferers may even be able to control them and it seems that they have gone…only to reappear when anxiety and stress increases emotional pressure.  Sometimes years later.

Your symptoms may appear in direct response to a stimulus (e.g. a phobic reaction) or out of the blue, with no apparent trigger and may include;

• Racing or pounding heart
• Unable to concentrate or think clearly
• Chest pains
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Nausea
• Difficulty breathing
• Tingling or numbness in the hands
• Flushes or chills
• Dreamlike sensations, or of not being ‘quite there’
• Terror – a sense that something horrible is going to happen
• Fear of losing control and doing something embarrassing
• Fear of dying
• A need to escape
• Night Terrors

It’s possible that your panic attacks may last anything from 2 to 30 minutes

Therapy for Panic Attacks:

Psychotherapy

The gold standard therapy for the long-term reduction and ultimately, removal of panic and anxiety attacks is Psychotherapy, which allows the release of the bottled up emotions and anxiety these are causing.  However, if you’re sure there are no issues in your past that you need to deal with or you’ve already gone through any form of counselling, this is no longer necessary.  There are only so many times you can turn that rock over!

Applied Psychology

Instead, for the past 10 years I’ve been using The Relaxed Living Programme to get exactly the same relief.  It’s a mixed therapy approach, using mainly Applied Psychology and is training rather than therapy.  You’ll learn how to manage your thoughts from the biggest right down to the tiniest ones.  When we think in a way that’s more helpful we balance our emotions and respond more evenly and easily to events, people and challenges.

Children from 7 years to early adulthood can use this method too.  In fact they get through the programme faster than adults.  Perhaps their imagination helps…and they enjoy the process.

It’s safe, drug-free and easy to understand and use.  Made up of a range of techniques learnt on a weekly basis and it gradually builds to becoming habit.

Sue Rayner, Consultant Psychotherapist

Time to take control?

Even a brief chat or quick email would make a difference for you, Sue can help you to understand what panic disorder is, what causes a panic  or anxiety attack and prevent future attacks.

To book your Free Screening Session, where Sue will explain the process in more detail and answer your questions call, text or email today