Sudden Panic AttacksNote: You can also print this document in Adobe PDF format by clicking here. (It requires Adobe Reader which you can obtain for free here.)
Do you worry about sudden panic attacks? Well then, let’s begin with an
important question that a subscriber to my newsletter asked: The truth is there are many different reasons why you or I came down with sudden panic attacks and the associated anxiety. While it can be intellectually satisfying to rationally explain and what brought on sudden panic attacks, this is not going to make us better. What I really came to learn however is that the more I continued to try and figure things out the more I started thinking “what if” thoughts. For example, I might think something like maybe it was the coffee I drank that caused my heart to race and then I became more and more anxious and this just fed my symptoms. Okay so that’s what brought this on. Then I’d think something like: Well then what if it was something else? What if I still have attacks after giving up coffee. What if I don’t get better? The point I’m trying to make is the more I analyzed the situation, the more I became trapped by it. One simple saying explains it all “analysis equals paralysis.” When we analyze our anxiety and panic attacks we worsen our symptoms. We become paralyzed by our own circular thoughts.
You might be asking: Okay we’re not supposed to analyze everything, but what can we do to get better, what about these sudden panic attacks?
Heard of Cognitive Therapy?
Cognitive Therapy was certainly effective for me with my recovery from anxiety, panic attacks, and agoraphobia. Research has demonstrated it can be extremely effective for others, sometimes more effective than medications used for anxiety and panic disorder.
The idea behind cognitive therapy is that our thoughts cause our emotions and if we can look at our own thoughts, identify the cognitive distortions present, and substitute healthier thoughts, we can feel better. This process is called cognitive restructuring.
The great thing about this approach is that it’s a rational systematic approach and one that still allows your analytical mind to go to use, but instead of becoming more anxious, you create new thoughts that lead to healthier beliefs about reality in a way that allows you to feel less anxious, not more.
You still, however, wouldn’t do cognitive therapy to analyze all of the reasons why you became anxious or prone to panic attacks, but rather, you’d work to isolate your negative thoughts, identify the distortions, and then replace healthier thoughts/beliefs. You can begin to feel better quite quickly; but there's more: overtime you will be changing your overall unhelpful beliefs to healthier ones which will bring about a much longer change and healthier perspective.
That’s why in my newsletter (see below to subscribe for free) I do ongoing work with particular thoughts of anxiety, panic attack and agoraphobia sufferers in the form of step-by-step CBT analysis and restructuring of thoughts.
If you become a free subscriber, you can submit your own thoughts and questions too. This can all be very helpful for sudden panic attacks.
But this is only a part of my free, ongoing newsletter
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· Continuous coverage of a variety of techniques that can help with your panic attacks, anxiety and agoraphobia
· Suggestions based on the feedback of former sufferers of panic attacks, anxiety and agoraphobia – as to what really worked for them.
· Continually incorporated cutting edge research on panic, anxiety and agoraphobia.
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