What are Panic Attacks?

Panic attacks are best described as an anxiety disorder that is triggered frequently causing the sufferer to experience sudden and overwhelming fear or panic. A panic attack is often a full body experience and can either be triggered by a known issue or seemingly for no apparent reason. 

Everyone at some stage in their lives experiences feelings of anxiety and panic. It is a natural response to situations that may be stressful or dangerous. However, those with anxiety and panic disorders will experience episodes and attacks disproportionately.

The mind works by linking and making associations, it uses past experiences of negative events in order to try and protect us from harm in the future. These experiences and feelings build up like a catalogue as we experience new situations throughout our lives. Panic attacks in particular are the bodies response to handling the sense of dread when you are likely to experience a situation similar to one you have experienced previously.

Anxiety, Depression, Panic Attacks and Stress are the most common problems come to me with.

If left untreated, panic attacks are known to worsen and intensify as your catalogue builds and your list of triggers grow. It can often feel like you are out of control or as if you are losing your mind. Panic attacks can be treated and eliminated however. I specialise in an effective treatment of psychotherapy and hypnotherapy and have had many success stories in the past. 

Common Panic Attack Symptoms & How to Manage Them

You may or may not be aware of the triggers for your panic attacks, especially if you also live with anxiety disorders too. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and are very quick to progress when you do experience a trigger. A panic attack is a very frightening and distressing experience though not every person experiences the same symptoms. Here are some symptoms that are very common to panic attacks, we’ve grouped them to make them easier to understand, but a panic attack can be diagnosed with any combination of these symptoms.

Internalised Symptoms

Internalised symptoms are those that cause discomfort from within, they vary in discomfort from a feeling of nausea and stomach churning, to shortness of breath, racing heartbeat and chest pain. They can often be difficult to identify by a third party which makes communicating your discomfort hard. 

Body Disfunction Symptoms

These symptoms can occur fast and be very overwhelming, they often lead to the sufferer losing a sense of reality temporarily. Body disfunction is where parts of your body act differently or out of control in a high stress environment. Symptoms of this kind include but are not limited to: dizziness, ear ringing, body shaking, fingers and limbs trembling, and numbness.

Temperature Change Symptoms

The temperature within your environment has not changed, but due to the stress and the panic, your body has reacted like it has been. Symptoms include: sweating, hot flushes, chills, and dry mouth. 

Feeling Symptoms

These symptoms may not present themselves as physical symptoms and are instead something that you feel either mentally or emotionally. These could include, a disconnection to the body, a feeling of dread and impending doom, a fear of dying, the feeling of faintness, or the sudden urge to go to the toilet.

Quick Panic Attack Symptom Relief

The following video is intended only to help you get brief relief in the event you are suffering a panic attack. It does not seek to cure you of your disorder nor will it help you overcome your panic in the moment, but instead it should be viewed as a way to help you gain some level of composure.

If you are looking for a treatment for panic attacks then I highly suggest getting in touch with me to arrange an initial consultation. We can discuss your panic attacks, the history of them, and some of the triggers for them. I’ll also take the opportunity to discuss the process of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy and how both can be used to completely cure you of your panic attacks. 

Neil Drew Hypnotherapist Office

Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy for Panic Attacks

During my time as a Harley Street Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist I have helped many people gain complete freedom from their anxiety and panic attack disorders. This usually takes place within the confines of my office or via video call sessions. 

The combination of therapies will help to establish the origins and triggers for your panic attacks which will be vital in overcoming them. During the sessions we will develop a complete understanding of what your mind has been doing and why. As we unravel this we will rebuild to help you achieve and live the life you’ve always wanted. 

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