When panic strikes

A panic attack is not “just in your head.”
 
It’s a real, intense physiological response. Your body is reacting as if it were in danger, even though you are physically safe.
 
When you have a panic attack you can experience the following:
 
Difficulty breathing.
Rapid heartbeat.
Dizziness.
Sweats.
Shaking.
Fear of losing control or dying.
 
In therapy, I often remind my clients that this is your body doing what is supposed to do: Keeping you safe. It is not a weakness or defect, we just need to turn the volume down on the intensity of your bodily reaction. Only then will your more developed brain kick in, and realize that the danger is in the past, not the present.
 
Ready to tackle your panic attacks? They are treatable, and they do not have to control your life.
 
Chris Warren-Dickins
Psychotherapist in Ridgewood, New Jersey
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