When Panic Strikes Without Stopping

Panic is a form of short term anxiety and is a natural self-defensive mechanism in response to a perceived threat or danger. The body’s autonomic system activates a physical and emotional retaliation and initiates the “fight or flight” response, to control bodily functions and psychological reactions in situations of acute stress. Respiration and heart rates increase, the endocrine system secretes adrenalin and cortisol and the immune system shuts down, temporarily blocking feelings of pain.

And while this is a natural and normal response to impending danger, when there is no danger, or where the danger or threat is false or unnaturally high in response to the actual stimuli, the self-protective “fight or flight” response provokes an unnecessary and inappropriate panic reaction that for millions of panic disorder sufferers worldwide is distressing, disturbing and debilitating.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV-TR, at least four of the following physical and psychological symptoms must be present in a panic attack: elevated respiration and heart rate, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, feelings of doom, destruction or impending death, sensations of helplessness, insanity or loss of control, dizzy spells, compulsive thoughts, overwhelming fear, chills or shakiness and malaise in public places.

Manifestations of a Panic Attack

Extreme panic manifests itself in the form of attacks in about 2% of the general population, at least twice as often in women as men, and most commonly in individuals between the ages of 16 and 40. A typical attack lasts an average of 10 minutes, but sometimes lasts as long as 30-45 minutes in length.

Accompanying panic attacks is often a moderate to severe form of depression, present in approximately 50% of panic disorder sufferers. Panic attacks can be sudden and spontaneous, more predictable and situational, or less predictable and situational. Experiencing a panic attack is not medically harmful; however, if left untreated, repeated panic attacks can impair social functioning, encourage isolation, lead to depression, self-harm or even suicide.

Different Types of Panic Attacks

Spontaneous (uncued) panic attacks can occur without any warning at any given moment. An unprovoked feeling of nervousness and apprehension suddenly settles, triggering the onset of the attack. The most difficult type of panic attack to cope with because of its unpredictability, sufferers often isolate themselves and avoid social settings, to prevent potential public embarrassment should an impromptu attack arise in public. Worrying about the next attack continues to fuel the panic. Often a professional analysis of the patterns of previous attacks reveals trends or certain situational stressors, hitherto unknown to the sufferer.

Situational (cued) panic attacks are in response to particular phobias and specific situational stressors. Such panic attacks arise only in controlled situations, and the sufferer does not experience attacks when removed from the threatening context. Exposure to the stressful situation, or threat, fear or anticipation of exposure to the stressful situation is the prerequisite for the panic attack.

Situational panic attacks tend to be sporadic and while a particular situation is a known cause of the attack, being in the stressful situation does not invariably cause an attack in the predisposed sufferer. This type of panic attack responds particularly well and rapidly to treatment options.

When it comes to treating panic disorders, there is no such thing a magic pill that will eliminate the condition in one day. But there are good programs that better equip you to deal with your panic attacks. If you want to experience a rapid reduction in unpleasant sensations, regain feelings of control, and through practice, eliminate this condition entirely. I recommend : Panic Away Program by Barry Joey McDonagh.

How do the Cognitive Principles of NLP Work?

NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is one of the most advanced, highly complex and modern psychotherapeutic techniques, often used in conjunction with hypnotherapy to re-program the way the brain connects thoughts and stimuli in order to change behaviors and experiences.

The Basics

According to NLP practitioners, words and perceptions are the result of subconscious programming, and ailments will continue to persist as long as they remain unchallenged at the subconscious level. For example, in the case of anxiety disorder sufferers, irrational feelings of panic and fear are provoked by a subconscious response in any ordinary situation, and if this inaccuracy remains uninfluenced and modified at the subconscious level, the patient has little hope of changing this psychological condition.

As in the case of hypnotherapy, NLP is inherently patient-centered and operates on an understanding of three distinct yet interconnected principles to reprogram experiences at the subconscious level. However, unlike hypnotherapy, patients are generally not placed into trance-like states in order to target subconscious processes, although hypnotherapy is integral to some models of NLP conditioning.

“Neuro” involves the neural signals that work within the neurological symbols in order to send, receive and restore information.

“Linguistic” involves the language and messages that are submitted and received.

“Programming” involves the way the content or message is perceived, interpreted and converted to experiences, thoughts, sensations and feelings.

How it Works

In order to perceive and make sense of the world, everyone uses the five senses, which are called the representational system. The senses are visual (images), auditory (sounds), kinesthetic (touch and internal feelings), gustatory (tastes) and olfactory (smells). The representational images created using the five senses are called modalities in NLP therapy, and these images are innumerable and are readily altered. The filters, or constraints, our feelings, thoughts and value systems impose on a particular thought or concept are called sub-modalities.

To illustrate a simple thought using this complete model, consider a chair. The modality used to describe the thought of the chair might be wood, iron or four legs. These modalities may help one to think of a dining room chair, a kitchen chair, or an armchair in a living room. The image that is formed in the mind of a leather armchair in a living room is somehow influenced by the sub-modality of our thoughts and prejudices. Perhaps the chair imagined at a given moment is similar to one that really exists and is similar to one at home or at the office. Your modality image is tainted by experience, which forms part of your sub-modality.

Using this cognitive model of sense, modality and sub-modality, a NLP practitioner will focus upon subconsciously manipulating all three in order to produce lasting behavioral and attitudinal changes. The practitioner will analyze every word the patient speaks, connecting it to subconscious perceptions and ideas, identifying the root cause, as well as all body language and movement, through a series of question-answer conversations, entitled the “meta-model.” Of particular interest to the NLP practitioner is how sub-modality, thoughts, opinions and value systems skew, distort or manipulate true perceptions of reality.

Analyzing language patterns helps the NLP practitioner identify the patient’s true subconscious makeup and perceptions of reality, and once understood, the practitioner reconditions thoughts and underlying core beliefs to correct the ailment or troublesome behaviors.

Micheal Peak is an NLP practictioner, Master of Hypnotherapy, Psychology, Motivation and a Born Teacher. To learn more about please visit: http://www.peakmystique.com/cmd.php?af=1044398