How panic attacks spread
For survival purposes, once we have 'learned' that a certain situation is dangerous by panicking, the mind 'remembers' this fact to ensure that the next time it sees a similar situation, it can give you the necessary anxiety or panic to enable you to run or fight, just like the woman in the story.

This is not the normal type of 'remembering' like remembering a name or telephone number, it is the sort that makes you feel good when you hear a particular piece of music, or feel happy when you look at holiday photos, or maybe feel a bit like a kid again when you walk into school as an adult.

'Sloppy' Unconscious pattern matching
We call this type of remembering 'unconscious pattern matching' because it is the 'back part' of your mind, the unconscious mind, that causes you to react in a certain way when it spots a particular situation or other 'trigger'.

So if you have a panic attack in a car, you might feel anxious next time you are on a bus or train, because the situation is roughly similar. As far as survival goes, it is much better for us to 'err on the side of caution'.

When a cliff becomes a gorge
The woman in the story above came to a cliff that roughly matched her terrifying experience in the gorge. She had 'learned' unconsciously that 'high rock walls=danger'.

Despite the fact that she knew consciously that this was a different situation, her unconscious mind, looking out for her survival, 'erred on the side of caution' and gave her the necessary resources to get out of there fast.

What does this tell us about treatments for anxiety and panic attacks?
It tells us:
that we have to take into account the unconscious aspects when treating these problems.


that they are natural responses that can become habitual ones.


that this can look like a problem with body chemistry, but that this not true in the vast majority of cases.


that new skills, approaches and understandings can show us how to be calm again in situations that previously caused anxiety and panic.

Panic Attack and Anxiety Cure

Although an 'anxiety cure' is not possible or desirable, new, more appropriate patterns and associations can replace unhelpful ones, leading to an effective cure for panic attacks..

There is plenty of reason for hope With a combined approach of thinking strategies, relaxation and visualisation techniques, knowledge and lifestyle alterations, even the most severe of panic and anxiety disorders can be cured.

Anxiety is a permanent ability that can get out of hand, particularly in today's complex and highly stimulating environments.

Safety in the modern world

If you're thinking, 'Well what does this have to do with my life today?' then you're right. This heritage has left us with the ability to be scared, to scan our environment for danger and to panic. The important thing to realise is that this ability can be used habitually and inappropriately.

A permanent 'problem' needs a long-term solution

Drugs are a short-term, 'quick fix'. What we need is the ability to use our anxiety well. We need to become a little bit anxious when we are going to do a presentation. We need to be able to become a little bit anxious in unfamiliar surroundings. We need to be able to panic if attacked and we need to be able to relax when anxiety is unnecessary.

The Panic Prevention Programme will teach you about panic and what you can do about it. Hypnotic sessions will re-educate your unconscious mind to respond more appropriately and banish panic and high anxiety for good.

i reall have this panic attacks on the road where there is no street lights, cuz once i had this strange accident...

we were driving i guess 100/h on a road that has no light, or signs...and suddnly we were flying!!!!!...the road just cut of, there was no road..it was incomplete road...we just had this major landing, and the kids crying, and i couldn't stand up nor move...

"constuction workers forgot to put the construction sign"...

now when ever am on a road that has no lights, i get freaked out...i turn white, and just waiting for the "flying and landing"...

also i freak out when i see orange color on the street...but thats another story..."involves cars too"

wow glad u got out alive

well i dunno why but i cry and have this weird panic feelings when i see Lizards like i saw a monster or something

also i feel so frightned from planes cuz of these programmes that shows air accidents

i also hide when dad yells or hits one of my sisters or my lil brother
cuz once i was watching tv and he was hitting my sis cuz she did something then he came to me and hited me and he was saying she's doing that bcz i taught her to ]
i hear thus alot so thats why i always go to my room when i hear him yelling at someone

i adore Lizards...he he...

i used to get frightened when dad yells...but not anymore...now i laugh..:P

ewww who adores them their look and how do they walk eww or when their tail is cut eww just a BIG EWWWW

ummm, they are smooth...

EWWW and thats what i hate about them the feeling u get from touching them is just too gross
i stepped on one once and i was in the bathroom for like an hour washing my feet and crying i think that was funny

pooor lill Lizard...you steped ON IT???...cruel..i think lizards have panic attack from us ppl

lol
anyways he was dead actually and he was a lil one thnk god

girls u alll talk'n about "linzedrs - lizerds " or " kevin - lizerds"

i dont like thos lizerds ...

i remmber once ! that dad was angry from me becuz of somethin and when i cryed he coudnt watch me crying !! so when he see any alert of tears he say dont CRY !! or i'll hit u !! he is not going to hit me of curse he just say that cuz he cant see me crying !!!! ... after all im his only doughter !!! some tears can get the women alll what she want !!

but what panic attacks do you have??

lol tears don't work around her tears make it worse here so i better not cry infront of dad beside he has two girls other than me so one will cry the other will laugh whats the difference

my painc attack cames when dad get angry !!! !! but thnx god that tears plans work with me !!