Panic Attacks

Panic attacks generally consist of a set of symptoms and are themselves considered a common symptom of other disorders such as Generalized Anxiety, PTSD, Social Anxiety, Specific Phobias, and Agoraphobia.  But they can also happen on their own or in response to a specific stressor.  They can consist of many different of symptoms, including, but not limited to:

  • shortness of breath
  • intense nervousness or even fear
  • a feeling of not being your self
  • fear of losing your mind, going crazy or dying
  • pounding heart
  • sweating
  • numbness or tingling
  • muscle tension

Panic attacks are much more treatable than most people think.  Panic Control Treatment, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy specifically designed for panic attacks, has been shown to be superior to medications in reducing or eliminating panic attacks.  We use it because it is the very best option for treating panic attacks, having the most scientific support of any treatment available.

Large gains can generally be made by simply learning how to breathe effectively and physically relax, while learning more effective ways of interpreting the attacks themselves and the events that lead to them.  These two broad components can either cure panic attacks or at least eliminate the occurrence of most panic attacks and dampen the effects of those that do happen to the point that they are nothing more than an infrequent nuisance.

Agoraphobia is closely related to panic attacks.  If you believe that you have Agoraphobia, you can read about it here.

You can contact us to set up an appointment here.

Click here for evidence of effectiveness our approach to Panic Disorder.