Hello Everyone
Welcome to another blog post, hope you are well? Today we are going to talk about panic attacks. As a hypnotherapist, I began to specialise a while ago in treating clients with panic attacks as I found using hypnosis to treat this issue was really successful in reducing both psychological and physiological responses. (There is lots of scientific evidence that also backs this up).
Anybody who has ever had a panic attack either in the past or perhaps is still experiencing them knows how frightening they can be. It is not unusual for somebody to end up in A&E Department as they fear they are having a heart attack. Panic attacks can just creep up on you out of nowhere or they may be triggered by a stressful life event. Either way, some sufferers then go on to have a fear of having another panic attack as well as the fear of the panic attack itself which can make this a vicious cycle.
In my consulting room, part of my treatment plan for panic attacks is education. I truly believe from experience in dealing with this issue that education is key. I have discovered that most clients I see really do benefit from gaining some form of understanding in relation to what is actually happening to them during a panic attack both psychologically and physiologically. I also find that arming clients with this information allows the client to recognise when they are having a panic attack, which helps to alleviate the fear element, which in turn allows them to start to take back that control.
So I'm going to give you a quick snippet of information that you can use to start you on the road to recovery.
1) Really important here, recognise what is happening to your body! By this I mean, recognise when you are having a panic attack! Are you breathing faster? Is your heart beating quickly! Are you sweating? Are you shaking uncontrollably? This could be a clue that you are in the midst of panic.
2) Notice whereabouts in your body you are feeling the discomfort, focus on that part of the body, you may find you have a tightness in the chest, churning tummy or feel it in your throat. Or it could be elsewhere!
3) Rate the feeling between 1 and 10. 10 being really intense!
4) Start to get control of your breathing! Slow your breathing down, I use a technique called the 7/11 technique. Breathe in through your nose to the count of 7, hold your breath for the count of 3, breathe out through your mouth for the count of 11. Keep repeating this for a couple of minutes and you will begin to feel better.
5) After a few minutes, check in with that unhelpful feeling, rate it between 1 and 10 again and you should find your anxiety has lowered. For some people they will at this stage have gained back some control, for others, they may have to continue with the breathing technique for another couple of minutes before checking in with that unhelpful feeling again and rating it between 1 and 10. Continue with the breathing until your anxiety has lowered and you feel you have gained back some control.
With regular practice, you will be able to reduce feelings of panic really quickly meaning you are back in control and retraining your brain for success.
If you have any questions or wish to work with me, please get in touch. You can fill out the contact form at the top of this page or use the details below.
All the best
Debra
Mobile 07783 565685
Email debrahypnosis@gmail.com
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