How to Prevent Panic Attacks

How to Treat Panic Attacks

If you have experienced a severe panic attack, you will know how frightening it can be. It is all the more frightening when you don’t know what it is. My wife suffered several attacks over a period of more than a year. The medical profession was slow to recognize the problem and when it was finally identified, they offered no solutions. Luckily, we came across our own.

It was when she was in so much distress that I had to call an ambulance that we found out what the problem was. But the paramedics only focused on the physical symptoms. They reassured us that there was no physical danger and tried to get her to control her breathing and calm down. But the nature of a panic attack is that you are not in control.

No Advice

When the attack had subsided, they left, offering little advice about what we should do. They had told us that there was no point taking her to hospital as there was nothing they could do. We had no idea why these attacks came from nowhere, when she was sitting, apparently, relaxed. What we wanted to know was how to prevent panic attacks in the future. I found the answer by chance when I was looking for something else.

The Panic Away Program

It was in the form of a book called The Panic away Program, (It is due to be retitled, ‘The Anxiety Release Method‘). As soon as I saw the website, it struck a chord. Some of the symptoms it talked about were exactly what my wife had experienced. There were many testimonials from people who had been helped by it. I had no idea there were so many people who continued to suffer, despite apparently trying everything. Some people had been having these attacks for years, totally disrupting their lives. At least we weren’t alone.

A Useful Website

The website offers a lot of useful information and you can get more free advice by email. There is also a facility to ask questions about any concerns you may have. It is written by a former panic attack sufferer who, when he couldn’t find a cure , developed this one himself. I think this is why what he says rings true. He talks about one of the main problems with panic attacks being the fear that you will have another one. That was exactly how my wife felt. Any little unusual sensation or dark thought and she would imagine that another one was on the way. Then that would start a downward spiral. The way he wrote about it, it was as if he was talking to us. We had to get the book.

Visit the site

It is quite a long book with a lot of background information and scientific stuff. Doctors disagree on the causes of panic attacks and on how to treat them. This book offers one of the more reasonable explanations I have heard of why they happen. There is also a reassuring section on why they can’t really hurt you and what is actually happening to your body. I think it needs this preamble because otherwise we would be asking, ‘if it’s that simple, why aren’t the doctors offering it’.

What’s in the Book?

The actual method is in three stages. The first covers what is known as the ‘One Move Technique‘. This involves a taking a totally different mindset when you feel an attack beginning. This is not at all what you might expect and takes some getting your head around. But it really does help to overcome that barrier of fear. It helps you to take back control during an attack and reduce the fear of future attacks.

The second stage is about addressing the generalized anxiety level that makes you susceptible to panic attacks. In this more sensitized state, little triggers that wouldn’t bother the average person can start the cycle of fear. There are many little, not too difficult, lifestyle changes that can reduce this anxiety down to a normal level.

The third stage is about making the change permanent. Here, it is explained that this is not an instant solution. If you have suffered for years, you can’t expect to change in minutes. There are likely to be setbacks. But this is part of the healing process. The book offers advice on how to persist and not be discouraged by these bumps in the road.

The Conclusion

After a thorough explanation of how to prevent panic attacks, the last part of this section goes back to what they are all about. It talks about some of the physical sensations that people have and the fears that these produce, like, ‘Am I going mad’, or ‘Am I having a heart attack’. And it gives reassurance that these are usually perfectly natural and nothing to be alarmed about.

The book ends on a note of hope. No matter what your personal history, it is possible to prevent your panic attacks and claim your life back. My wife is so much more positive having used these techniques and I believe that seeing her gripped by fear is a thing of the past. If you are a sufferer or know someone who is, visit the site and at least get the free information.

The Panic Away Program

P.S.

I forgot to mention the videos. I am an avid reader and had no problem with the book, but my wife is not. For people who aren’t so into reading, there is access to the content of the book in video format. I think this also helps to reinforce the learning even if you’ve read the book.

Also, if you don’t have anyone to support you through an attack, there is a friendly audio walk through of the technique. This really helps you to focus when you need it. we found it invaluable.