Panic attacks

• Do you feel intense fear without any reason?
• Do you have feel like you are experiencing a heart attack?
• Do you feel like you are losing control?
• Do you wish to find a way to cope with the panic attacks?

What is a panic disorder?

A panic attack is a sudden intense fear reaction accompanied by heart pounding, sweating, and difficulty breathing. For several minutes you can feel like you are losing control and having a heart attack. A person might experience panic attacks once or twice in their life after coping with a stressful situation. However, if the panic attacks are recurrent then you might have a panic disorder.

Panic attacks can be caused by genetics and stress. It can also be related to the body’s flight or flight response. This is a mechanism that allows the person to react quickly when faced with a dangerous situation. The body increases the heart rate and breathing. However, these reactions occur with no present danger with a panic disorder.

But how can you know if you have a panic disorder? There are a number of indicators.

Do you feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety and fear? Do you feel your heart racing, are sweating, and having difficulty breathing? Do you worry about the next attack?

This could indicate that you have panic disorder.

Therapy can give you the tools to cope with your panic disorder

I have treated panic disorders for over 10 years. I work with all age groups and people from different backgrounds. My approach is tailored to your needs and my aim is to help you cope with your panic symptoms. I can help to free you from the symptoms of the disorder.

Why is my approach effective? I use an approach called cognitive behavioral therapy. This is a short-term goal oriented approach that aims to change your pattern of thinking and associated behaviors connected to those thoughts. Working together with you I look at the way your thoughts and attitudes that you have about different issues impact your behaviors. Once you understand the connection it becomes easier for you to cope with the panic symptoms.

I will also help you to examine the impact of negative thoughts on your ability to cope with stress. Negative thoughts usually originate in childhood as a result of the way that our family treated us.

Each session lasts for 50 minutes and we will meet once or twice a week depending on the severity of the symptoms you are experiencing and your individual needs. In each session we will work together on understanding the impact of your thoughts on your behaviors. I will also give you homework assignments so you can continue to work on the exercises we used during the session. Remember that you can overcome your panic disorder and find new ways to cope with your stress. Please call me at 646-7174860 for a free 30-minute consultation.