Panic attacks can cause hot or cold sweats, fear, increased heart rate, stomach churning, and, in the most severe cases, the sensation of having a heart attack.
Panic attacks usually start when our anxiety levels reach an all-time high and we no longer have the capacity to cope, causing our bodies to go into flight, fight, or freeze mode. Because anxiety levels can rise gradually over time, panic attacks can appear out of nowhere.
Once a panic attack has occurred, it can be triggered again by any of the senses, sight, sound, smell, or touch, if the brain associates that stimulus with the first panic attack, which can be very frightening. Going to the supermarket or a crowded shopping centre, for example. As the condition worsens, an individual may develop agoraphobia.
You can learn to control panic attacks by thinking rationally and telling yourself that it is just a panic attack that will pass, breathing into a paper bag, or forcing yourself to think of something that makes you happy, such as your children, grandchildren, or a fun vacation you took, and deliberately distracting yourself from the panic attack or how you are feeling, which will make it worse.
But, ultimately, you don’t want them to happen, and hypnotherapy can help you stop panic attacks completely, so you don’t have to try to control them.
For some clients, simply understanding what’s causing their problems is enough to bring them to a halt; for others, for others they fade away as the anxiety which led to them in the first place reduces.
Coming in for a free initial consultation does not obligate you to continue with sessions, but it will provide you with a clear understanding of why they are happening and how to make the necessary changes to prevent them.