“Sam”

Sam had experienced panic for more than 5 years.

Sam’s young adulthood was dotted with a mix of positive opportunities that eventually failed. Sam mostly suffered through his panic, not taking on anything new so he would stay in his comfort zone. He would get the dizzy and worry that he would lose complete control. Over time his confidence declined, and he found it difficult to take that next step in his career and relationships. 

Sam had an initial session with The Panic Coach and quickly discovered what he needed to do differently.  At his next session, Sam said that he never really experienced another full blown panic attack. He practised his skills, worked through the steps and it never happened again.

Without the panic, Sam found it easy to manage his day to day anxieties and was finally able to move forward in his life. 

So many people are just like SAM. They are living proof that with a little bit of information about how the body-brain connection works, it’s simple to implement the techniques we teach.

“Dom”

Dom worked in a high pressure job with extremely long hours.

A combination of lots of stress and a lack of self care eventually caused Dom to crash and burn. Burned out and off work, she began experiencing frequent panic attacks.  Her heart would race and she feared that she would die. Dom was frustrated that she was struggling to control her panic despite being a confident and self-aware person who used to run marathons .

Dom had to learn to slow down, focus on herself and to radically change her expectations so that she could learn the skills she needed to conquer her panic. Once Dom embraced her new mindset, she quickly adapted and implemented the mind-body skills she needed to resolve her panic and return to work. As a bonus, Dom now has the mindset needed to improve her work-life balance and prevent future burnout!

There are often lessons to be learned about ourselves when we conquer panic, and these new gifts add to the quality of our lives and connection with others.

“Al”

Al was like Kit, but over the years he had trained his partner and children to “save” him from his panic.

Al’s partner would make sure situations were set up so he could leave early if he didn’t feel right. Rosters and routines for the family would change at the last minute if Al thought he might have a panic attack. If Al did have a panic attack, the whole family had to leave the situation so he could go home and “recover.” Al easily learned the skills to manage his panic, but his family’s patterns meant he had trouble implementing his new techniques. It took a serious commitment from Al to retrain his family to no longer be part of his panic cycle.  

Sometimes it’s not only the person with panic who’s keeping the cycle going. Simply becoming aware of this is sometimes enough, and as with Al, challenging unhelpful family patterns was an important part of reclaiming his life.

“Kit”

Kit experienced panic for more than 10 years.

Kit believed she’d live with panic for the rest of her life, and she had her daily routine narrowed down to just the things she could cope with.  She didn’t drive and relied heavily on her partner and children to accompany her to places and events. For the most part, Kit avoided actually having panic attacks, instead using her ‘safe’ strategies. Always knowing where the exit is, avoiding public transport and letting others do the talking meant she could keep her panic in check. She also had a well-rehearsed list of excuses she used to leave situations if she became uncomfortable.

Through the Conquer Panic Program, Kit learned new skills for managing her central nervous system and facing her panic. Just practising the basic skills helped Kit decrease her fear of panic and reduce her avoidance of situations.  But, the thought of having a panic attack without her partner or children with her still terrified her. Once Kit felt prepared, she experimented with a planned panic attack using her new skills and soon discovered that she could do panic differently.

Kit then set goals to let go of her unhelpful coping behaviours one at a time. Once she started, she discovered that the other behaviours were quick to follow, and Kit’s life expanded immensely with a new sense of independence.

Even when people experience panic over a long time, resolution can occur with carefully paced plan. Learning how to adjust your mindset and drop old habits  is a key part of overcoming the obstacles that stop you from making positive changes.