1. Name It
A Panic Disorder is one in which there are recurrent panic attacks. Panic attacks are brief, intense episodes with specific physical and psychological symptoms. If you have a Panic Disorder you have survived several panic attacks. Because these attacks are often unexpected and intensely frightening, your life has become more and more controlled by fear of the next one.
2. Find the Immediate Cause
There is often a particularly frightening trigger for panic. Triggers may be related to situation, place or time of day. If you say, "Every time I . . . I have a panic attack," you are considering a trigger. A therapist can help you find these triggers.
3. Desensitize
Once you know the trigger, you can allow yourself to slowly desensitize. Similar to the way we inoculate the body with illness, producing antibodies for that illness, we can desensitize to triggers by slowly exposing ourselves to them while surrounded by safety techniques and soothing, protective people. It works like this: In order to avoid panic I've begun to avoid the place of my recent auto accident, even though this makes me late for work. I begin by trusting a friend to drive me close to the place and take me home when anxiety starts. This teaches my psyche two things: 1) I can become aware of the lower registers of anxiety; and 2) I'm in charge of my anxiety's escalation. As I do this repeatedly, I convince my psyche that it is safe to return to that place.
4. Look Under the Surface
Somewhere in the therapeutic process clinicians often find that individuals diagnosed with Panic Disorder have been carrying anxiety around in the body and mind for years without noticing. Because panic involves the body in its reaction, you need to get the body into action. But the body must also connect with the mind so that you can begin to self-assess. Therefore, any work that connects the body to the mind is going to help you get in touch with your level of anxiety. Exercise and yoga both increase endorphins while the body exorcises some of that worry energy. Mindfulness Meditation, in particular, works well for anxiety because it simplifies the meditation process and allows you to become the observer of thoughts and beliefs.
5. Change Your Beliefs
What you believe has everything to do with how you feel. The most difficult and lasting belief systems are those that have to do with identity, as these are going to effect the entire life view. For example, if I see myself as not very smart or effective then I'm creating anxiety with regard to life efficacy in general.
The question to ask about any belief is: Is it true? Our beliefs are often either false or skewed. Our self-talk, the way we encourage or discourage ourselves, is completely dominated by beliefs. Changing beliefs changes our self-talk which then begins to encourage rather than discourage us, allowing us to decrease anxiety and the potential for further panic attacks.
