Losen Panic's Grip!
By practicing mindfulness techniques regularly you can start feeling calmer, more relaxed and less anxious about your life events which will allow you to live a happier life without being consumed by panic or the fear of it.
Overcome Panic Forever
First of all, you are not alone. Panic is on the rise and continues to send more people to the emergency room every year.
Panic, Panic Attacks, and Panic Disorder
Although panic attacks can leave you feeling very much alone, it is estimated that over 10 million people will have a panic attack in any given year. Their intensity can be so severe, that many people end up in the emergency room for fear that they are dying or having a heart attack.
If you have been suffering from panic attacks, or think you might be, you know just how bewildering and confusing they can feel.
Rapidly beating heart, dizziness, shortness of breath, and a feeling of impending doom are just a few of the symptoms you might have experienced.
While it is a good idea to see your doctor to rule out any underlying medical condition, it is important to know that panic by itself is not life-threatening. But while you are in the midst of a panic attack, it may be very hard to convince yourself that this is true because it feels so bad.
One of the most difficult things about panic is that it can lead to a condition called Panic Disorder, where the sufferer starts to plan his or her day in order to prevent having a panic attack. Certain triggers such as going to the movies, using public transportation or even exercising are avoided for fear that they will bring on a panic attack. This can eventually severely restrict a person’s ability to live a productive and fulfilling life.
One of the most important things to know about panic attacks is that you can not make yourself stop having them. It is also important to understand that panic attacks don’t mean that you are somehow weak or defective. Medications can help, but they are ultimately not a long term solution.
The good news is that panic attacks and panic disorder are very treatable through psychotherapy. There is a clear path to overcoming panic’s grip on your life. The first step is through education. In order to break the cycle of panic, you need to understand what it is that keeps it going. It is critical that you can see how you might unknowingly be adding fuel to the fire of panic through your reactions to it.
That’s where mindfulness comes in. The concepts and skills of mindfulness are the very thing that will break the cycle of panic attacks and panic disorder.
There are several main reasons why mindfulness helps with panic attacks:
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Mindfulness skills help us to see how our thoughts and reactions are contributing to our fear by allowing us to observe what is happening more closely.
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Mindfulness, which involves learning to be with uncomfortable feelings in a more open way, helps us to change our relationship to anxiety and thus reduces our struggle with it.
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The skills involved in mindfulness allow us to slow down and to find ways to feel more grounded in the present moment, thus reducing the level of stress and anxiety in our lives.
At the Austin Mindfulness Center all of our therapists have experience working with panic attacks and in applying mindfulness to panic and other forms of anxiety. We will help you to understand what is happening with panic and how to change this cycle so that you can get back to living your best life.
Articles re: Panic and Anxiety
Do You Suffer from Panic Attacks?
If not addressed, anxiety can often lead to panic, panic attacks, and eventually panic disorder, depression, and panic.
After suffering from panic attacks for years, the owner and Executive Director of the Austin Mindfulness Center, Dr. Kristin Vaughn, discovered mindfulness. Learning from her own personal experience with panic attacks, and years of providing therapy for her clients, Dr. Vaughn set out on a mission to bring clarity and relief to panic sufferers. In 2018, she created Hello Panic, a community for education and healing designed for individuals who suffer from panic attacks.
If you suffer from severe anxiety and panic, consider visiting hellopanic.com to learn more. From there, you can join our Facebook group, download helpful eBooks and infographics, and watch instructional videos of Dr. Vaughn explaining how you can free yourself from the grips of panic once and for all!
There is nothing worse than a panic attack! The Hello Panic program is my life's mission to help the world overcome anxiety and panic so we can all live our best possible lives.
- Dr. Kristin Vaughn, Owner of the Austin Mindfulness Center and Creator of Hello Panic