Panic attacks (and the fear of them) are usually treatable in 2 - 3 sessions

Though panic attacks can be very debilitating, the structure of most of them, in essence, is fairly straightforward (not much consolation if you are having them, of course!).

These feelings of high anxiety are often, although not always, context related. In other words someone will experience panic attacks when in a shopping centre, on a train, in crowds, alone, the list is endless. The thought patterns are often similar to those some would describe as phobic. This condition is sometimes described as panic disorder.

The fear of the fear

Many people experience panic attacks just once, or very infrequently, but still find themselves in a constant state of dread, either remembering that situation, and/or imagining that it will happen again (the fear of the fear). The state of excessively worrying that the situation is going to repeat itself is sometimes referred to as pre-anxiety, or a pre-anxiety attack.

Stop imagining that you will panic

Typically, what a person will do is vividly imagine having a panic attack (or remember having one or more of these attacks), talk or yell to themselves in a panicky internal tone, feel feelings they describe as 'panic' internally, and then these things loop round and round.

Occasionally, someone will not initially be consciously aware of this pattern.

Sometimes, these panic attacks can result in blackout/fainting.

What will you do to help to stop my panic attacks?

The good news is that this condition is eminently treatable with NLP/hypnotherapy. We will work with you both consciously by talking to you to find out what exactly is going on in your neurology (and when), and unconsciously (hypnosis) to help to get you to change the patterns easily.

We won't be 'counselling' you. In our experience going over the past to discover the origin of the problem doesn't, in and of itself, solve the problem, and often people spend months or even years having the same conversations with their therapist every week. Counselling may have its place, but you don't need to understand, or 'come to terms' with the problem to cure it.

Learn to easily control your imagination, rather than the other way around...

During the treatment, NLP techniques are used to help you to repattern this 'fear of the fear' thought process and to help guide your thinking in more useful directions. This is a way of consciously training your imagination to be under your control - rather than the other way round!.

Hypnotherapeutic techniques such as suggestion both direct and indirect, metaphor and a host of other hypnotic interventions are used to help you to repattern, or recondition the response at a more unconscious level.

Both approaches have been proven to be successful. When combined, the treatment is often powerful and rapid.

How long will it take to treat my panic attacks?

By using this combination of hypnotherapy and NLP we find that the average number of one-hour sessions needed for the treatment of panic attacks is 2 - 3.

Panic/Anxiety Attack Symptoms

These can include hyperventilation (too much oxygen caused by breathing too rapidly) which in turn can lead to dizziness, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. Panic almost invariably initiates an adrenal response which can cause sweating, feeling hot and disorientation.

Other symptoms can include chest pains, heart palpitations, weakness, tiredness and numbness.

Some people believe they are having a heart attack when they first have a panic attack, many feel frightened because they don't know what is happening to them.

By the time people contact us for help they have usually seen a doctor who has diagnosed panic or anxiety attacks. If you haven't seen your GP about this please do so before emailing or telephoning us.