Panic Attacks: What's Really Happening, and What Helps
If you've ever had a panic attack, you'll know it can be one of the most frightening experiences there is. Your heart races, your chest tightens, you can't seem to catch your breath, and a voice in your head insists something is badly wrong. Lots of people who have one genuinely think they are having a heart attack, or that they are about to faint or lose control.
I've been working with people for 37 years, first as a mental health nurse and social worker and now as a solution-focused hypnotherapist and psychotherapist here in Belfast. Panic is something I help people with regularly, so I want to share what's actually going on, and why there's real reason for hope.
What is a panic attack?
A panic attack is a sudden surge of intense fear that usually peaks within a few minutes. It's your body's alarm system, the "fight or flight" response, switching on at full volume when there's no real danger in front of you.
That alarm system is ancient. It's run by a part of the brain that is brilliant at keeping us alive but not very good at telling the difference between a hungry bear and a crowded shop on Royal Avenue, a meeting at work, or simply a worrying thought at three in the morning. When it fires, it floods you with adrenaline so you can run or fight. Your heart beats faster to pump blood to your muscles. Your breathing speeds up. You might feel shaky, sweaty, dizzy, sick, or strangely detached from your surroundings.
All of these sensations are uncomfortable, but they are your body doing exactly what it was designed to do. They are not, in themselves, dangerous, and they pass.
Why panic tends to come back
One panic attack is unpleasant enough. What often keeps the cycle going is the fear of having another one.
After a first attack, many people start watching their bodies closely for any sign it might happen again. A slightly faster heartbeat gets noticed, which causes worry, which speeds the heart up a little more, and before long the alarm is ringing again. People also begin to avoid places where they've felt panicky before: the bus, the supermarket, the motorway, busy cafés. Avoidance feels like relief in the short term, but over time it can make a person's world smaller and smaller.
The good news is that this cycle is well understood, and it can be broken.
Things you can do in the moment
When panic starts, a few simple things can help your body come back down.
Slow your out-breath. Breathing in for a count of about four and out for a count of about six or seven gently signals to your nervous system that you're safe. The longer out-breath is the important part.
Let the feelings be there. This sounds strange, but fighting the sensations tends to feed them. Reminding yourself, "This is adrenaline, it's uncomfortable, and it will pass," takes away some of its power.
Ground yourself. Notice five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch. It brings your attention out of your head and back into the room.
Stay if you can. If it feels manageable, staying where you are until the wave passes teaches your brain that the situation wasn't dangerous after all.
None of these are magic, and they won't feel easy the first time. But with practice, many people find they become surprisingly reliable.
How solution-focused hypnotherapy can help
In my work, I'm less interested in going over and over the panic itself and much more interested in what you'd like life to look like instead. When panic isn't running the show, what would you be doing? Where would you go? How would you notice you were feeling calmer?
Solution-focused hypnotherapy combines that forward-looking conversation with an explanation of how the anxious brain works, which many clients find a huge relief in itself, and then hypnosis. Hypnosis is simply a natural, relaxed, focused state, a bit like being absorbed in a good book. You're aware and in control the whole time. In that relaxed state, it becomes easier to rehearse feeling calm in the situations that used to set off the alarm, and to lower the overall level of stress that panic tends to feed on.
Mainstream guidance recommends talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for panic, and solution-focused hypnotherapy draws on many of the same ideas: understanding the anxiety response, gradually facing what has been avoided, and building on the things that are already working for you. I can't promise anyone a cure, and everyone is different, but helping people loosen the grip panic has on their lives is one of the most rewarding parts of what I do.
You don't have to put up with it
If panic has started to shape your days, deciding where you go and what you'll say yes to, please know it doesn't have to stay that way. It's a very common problem, it's very treatable, and you're not "going mad" or "being weak". Your alarm system has simply become a bit oversensitive, and it can be retrained.
I offer a free initial consultation at my practice at 2C Mount Merrion Avenue, Belfast BT6 0FR. It's a relaxed chance to talk about what's been happening, find out how solution-focused hypnotherapy works, and see whether it feels right for you, with no pressure at all.
If you'd like to book, just get in touch. I'd be glad to hear from you.
Andrew Jamison, Binary Hypnotics
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