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Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder, and Agoraphobia

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Do you wonder how to calm down in a panic attack? Do you struggle with panic attacks all the time? Do they seemingly come out of the blue? Have more and more places and situations felt unsafe to you?

You can’t seem to make the panic attacks go away. Maybe you know what triggers them; maybe you are seemingly fine when one comes on. Either way, you try to avoid having a panic attack. And if it’s become really impairing, the attempts at trying to avoid panic attacks and anxiety have made your life smaller and smaller.

“Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest taken between two deep breaths.”

Etty Hillesum

Panic Attacks:

During a panic attack, you may experience:

  • Racing or pounding heart rate
  • Feeling faint, dizzy or light headed
  • Hot flashes or feeling shivery/cold
  • Sweating, trembling or shaking
  • Nausea/ feeling sick to your stomach
  • Pain in your chest or stomach
  • Difficulty breathing/shortness of breath
  • Feeling like you are choking or have a lump in your throat
  • Feeling disconnected from your body or from reality
  • Fear that you will have a heart attack, faint, and/or die
  • Fear that you are going crazy or losing control

Panic Disorder:

If I have panic attacks, does it mean I have Panic Disorder?

Here are some signs you may have Panic Disorder:

  • You have frequent and intense panic attacks.
  • Panic attacks seem to come out of the blue.
  • You fear sensations that resemble panic attack symptoms.
  • You fear situations and settings that would limit your access to help should you have a panic attack.
  • You avoid doing things you once enjoyed (like playing basketball or running) because this type of cardio feels too similar to your panic attacks.

Agoraphobia Treatments:

Agoraphobia causes fear and avoidance of places and situations that may induce panic and feelings of being trapped and helpless. We specialize in the treatment of agoraphobia.

Oftentimes, agoraphobia can impair a person after untreated anxiety and panic. You may fear:

  • Large, open spaces like open areas in nature or parking lots.
  • Enclosed spaces like elevators or movie theaters.
  • Crowds, like concerts or festivals.
  • Public transportation like trains, buses, or flying. Or, sitting in traffic in your own car.
  • Places outside of your home.

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How We Can Help You

Our therapists at Outsmarting Anxiety & OCD understand the neuroscience behind a panic attack and can help you teach your brain how to feel safer in triggering situations. You may have tried everything and nothing seems to work. When you avoid panic attacks, they seem to keep happening more and more and now many things in life feel unsafe. When you push through it, your anxiety is too much to bear. We are here to teach you about panic and how to navigate it so you can get your life back. It’s taken too much, already.

We will teach you:

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that while panic attacks feel scary, they will not harm you

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how to deal with panic attacks

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how to begin to mitigate how often and intense panic attacks occur for you

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how to feel safe in situations that you currently avoid

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how to make your world bigger again

Set up your free 15-20 minute good-fit discovery phone call today.

Schedule free consultation

Common Questions

Would it be helpful to involve my loved ones in any way?
When working with adults, we are happy to include family members or loved ones in the process when appropriate and helpful. For example, if you are often triggered when a family is not able to go with you somewhere in public because you fear you won’t have access to help if they are not there to drive you or advocate for you, we may include your safe person in the exposure process. You may also benefit from having family sessions to educate your loved ones on how to support you and how to better understand how your anxiety affects you.
Do you practice exposure therapy (Exposure and Response Prevention)? What treatment modalities do you use?

Yes, we practice Exposure and Response Prevention- the evidence-based, gold-standard treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders.

It is important, when looking for an OCD therapist, to know if they understand and specialize in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). We are passionate about connecting our community to therapists who truly understand ERP, even if you do not end up becoming a client at our practice. Our therapists are all proficient in and treat with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) , and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Click HERE for a free resource on the breakdown of ERP, CBT, and ACT.

"I am nervous to do exposures; it seems scary." Can you help me understand how this helps?
Of course. We are here to validate that therapy that helps us overcome anxiety, fear and panic can be hard work. We all feel uncomfortable purposely facing our fears, and we want you to validate that for you or your child. Challenging ourselves can feel scary. You are being so brave in asking for help. When we face our fears, our brains begin to learn that we are not in danger when triggered by our fears. We will quite literally rewire our brains to perceive threats and anxiety triggers differently through something called neuroplasticity. And over our time in therapy together, you will feel safer around things, people, places, sensations in your body, and situations that once produced unbearable anxiety. This is a snapshot of how exposure and response prevention helps.
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Are you ready?

Learn how to break free from how small your world has become; you can be whoever you want to be and do whatever you want to do.

Book your free 15-20 minute ‘good-fit discovery’ phone call today.

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