When Panic attacks!

Decision : Ireland's Business Review, 2006 by McMahon, Larry

THE HEALTHY MIND

Fear has to be the most primal feeling of all. We are born with it. It is after all, the "Fight or Flight" response to stress. This is one emotion we share with our cousins in the animal kingdom. When the hare takes flight when the bluebottle evades the fly-swat - they too feel fear. But crank fear up a bit, and you get sheer PANIC. When panic attacks, neither fight nor flight are possible. Panic paralyses - the hare is caught in the headlamps !

In my practice, as a hypnotherapist, I meet many people who suffer from Panic Attacks. It is indeed a very common condition. And the official medical community unfortunately, has no real "cure" to offer, as such. Instead, patients are offered drugs to mask the symptoms. With some sufferers, the panic attacks seem to follow a pattern. For other sufferers, the attacks seem to be totally random.

Take Sean, for example (a recent client of mine - name disguised). He went through a really stressful period in his work situation, some years back. Ever since, he has suffered from panic attacks - but only when he travels abroad on business.

Sally's case was different. After a miserable and scary childhood, she developed Depression. Her depression took the form of chronic anxiety. She spent her days and nights in a constant state of anxiety and fear. Then every so often (for no apparent reason) the fear would increase - and develop into a full-blown panic attack.

Paul spent years travelling around the world. He had lots of adventures - and enjoyed it all thoroughly. Then, when living in France, he had a relationship which went seriously wrong. Afterwards, he felt devastated. He thought he would get over it. But he never did. Now he lives in a country town in Ireland. He keeps to himself- doesn't go out socialising much. And whenever he tries to drive more than two miles out of the town...he gets a panic attack. So this man, who once enjoyed the freedom of travelling around the world, is now effectively trapped in this small town.

For Patricia, it all started many years ago in infancy. After she was born, there were severe medical complications. She spent the first six months of her life in hospital. She needed constant treatment and observation. Fortunately, the skilled medical team were able to save her life. But...how does an infant "make sense" of such an early experience? The absence of the mother - the extreme physical pain and discomfort were all recorded in her subconscious mind, before the age of reason. But, even more damaging to her now, the sheer panic of that experience still recurs in her adult years. It has not gone away.

Panic attacks are a horrible reality for virtually everyone who suffers from a Phobia of any sort. So, whether it's spiders, rats or dogs - a panic attack can be triggered by a simple incident. But what I find is that the most common phobia of all, is Social Phobia. Very many people who suffer from panic attacks, also have some form of Social phobia. This is why so many of them avoid social interactions. They don't go to weddings or funerals. They don't go to pubs or church. They know that when they are in company (especially with lots of people, and the possibility of becoming the centre of attention) - that is when they are most likely to get an attack. Another common trigger for panic attacks, is travel - especially travelling away from home, or abroad. For many people, being away from the home base (or comfort zone) inevitably causes an attack.

So can one generalise about panic attacks? Can you genetically inherit panic attacks? Or are they a "learned" response - a learned way of coping with traumatic experience from the past? Well here is what I have learned from the clients I have worked with over the years....

Many people are born with an unfortunate genetic tendency towards Depression. This inevitably means that they are more shy and sensitive than others. It also means that they are more likely to "learn" subconsciously the automatic response of a Panic Attack - when under extreme pressure or stress. This learning often takes place in early childhood. But it can happen later in life as well. This learning then gets "stuck".

The good news however, is that if Panic Attacks are a learned response from the past, they can be "unlearned" for the future !

This, I find, is the most effective approach, when helping someone to heal fro this condition. In Hypnotherapy, the best starting point, is to assume that the actual panic attack response itself, has a positive intention of some kind. The positive intention is usually to "protect" or "warn" or "teach" the individual. It is a very basic almost primitive) purpose - but very powerful nonetheless. And this response was often learned many years ago, by the mind of an infant. So of course, adult logic has no part to play in its functioning.

In a trance state, it is possible to "re-programme" this primitive response. But it can only be done, by first of all respecting the part of the Unconscious which turns it on. The therapist needs to acknowledge the part which turns on the Panic Attacks - and that it does have a positive intention (e.g. protecting the individual). This is necessary, before ultimately persuading the Panic part to switch off !