Blog Articles
Panic Attacks/Anxiety Hypnotherapy
A panic attack happens when your body is responding to fear. In short, it is an exaggeration of your body’s natural response to excitement, stress or danger. Panic attacks are very frightening, not only for those experiencing the attack but the people around them, too. While a typical panic attack will only last between five and 20 minutes, they can come in waves, for up to two hours. This moment can feel like a lifetime. Panic attacks tend to end as quickly as they begin, but the thing to remember is that they are not harmful. It’s the body’s way of reacting to a situation, despite there being no physical threat.
What is a panic attack?
If you’ve ever been in a situation that causes you to fear for your life, you’ll know what panic feels like. You may have an overwhelming sense of dread, you’ll feel your heart thumping in your chest and you’ll find it hard to catch your breath. For some people, this feeling and the associated symptoms can happen for no reason, in everyday life. With no physical threat, this rush of psychological and physical symptoms is called a panic attack. While there may be no sign of danger, the body reacts in order to survive. Some people may experience a panic attack suddenly or during a particularly stressful time in their life. Others, however, may have a panic disorder, in which panic attacks and intense anxiety are a common occurrence.
Understanding anxiety
Most people will experience a relatively mild form of anxiety in their lives, usually when facing a particularly stressful situation, like an exam or in an interview. But for some people, anxiety is like a shadow that never leaves. Anxiety disorders can affect a person’s life, making it incredibly difficult to carry out everyday tasks, like going to work, or even leaving the house. Anxiety is sparked by a fear of something that has happened, what we suspect will happen and what we fear will happen again. But, because it can affect all of us in some way, it can be difficult to recognise when it’s becoming a problem.
Panic attack treatment
Panic attack treatment If you’re experiencing panic attacks regularly, or your anxiety is affecting your daily life and overall well-being, consider speaking to your doctor. With mental health, it’s important to seek help as soon as possible. It can be very isolating when it feels like nobody else understands how you feel, but you’re not alone. Typically, panic attack treatment aims to ease the impact the anxiety and attacks are having on your life, and teach you ways to cope whenever you feel an attack may be triggered. Psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are common treatment options and, in some cases, medication is prescribed. Hypnotherapy is another treatment option you may want to consider.