Many people suffer from panic attacks. They can happen quite suddenly and can feel overwhelming. These panic attacks are a form of anxiety and sufferers experience intense fear of either the unknown or something specific. Most people can relate to feeling mild forms of anxiety,such as when going to an interview or an exam or in circumstances outside their comfort zone, by feeling butterflies in their tummy. More severe symptoms include feelings of fear and heightened anxiety, a racing heartbeat, palpitations, profuse sweating, feeling faint or ill and rapid shallow breathing. If the anxiety is really severe it can turn into a panic attack. The symptoms can then be so sudden and unexpected that people can even think they are having a heart attack or are dying. Hence they are very frightening and if experienced with some frequency can prohibit someone leading a normal life.
What’s happened here is that your subconscious mind has got the idea that your life is in danger, when actually it is not. Consequently, the same responses are triggered in the primitive part of the mind as if you were about to be eaten by a woolly mammoth back in cave man days. And as it’s there to protect you, this part of your mind keeps reminding you of this supposed danger, a bit like a faulty fire alarm going off and raising an alarm when there’s no fire.
Relaxation and good breathing habits are key aids. Simply by breathing more deeply and concentrating on relaxing your shoulders and jaw will send a message to your faulty fire alarm that there’s no need to panic or feel nervous. Picture something soothing or happy, such as a waterfall or smiling faces. This should allow you to handle what you are feeling anxious about in a more confident way.
Hypnotherapy teaches you to relax and regain your control so that you can always be confident in your ability to handle life and your anxiety levels more effectively. Panic attacks can be a thing of the past! If you suffer from panic attacks the sooner you get treatment the more likely it is that you’ll get back to a happier life.