How to End Panic Attacks and General Anxiety?

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End Panic Attacks and General Anxiety – Letting go of sensations that scare you

Most people with anxiety have a bodily sensations or two that unnerves them. In my experience the most common one by far is related to the heart and the fear that it will beat too fast triggering a heart attack.

It’s perfectly understandable to have this fear. During a panic attack for example, your heart can pound like an African drum up into your throat and down into your stomach. That kind of beating is fine in the gym or watching a scary movie but pretty unnerving if you are just doing the shopping.

People imagine all kinds of scenarios like having a heart attack someplace alone or while out in public with their family. This fear is also pretty common in the gym while exercising.

Connected to the heart are other unusual sensations that also spark fear like palpitations or skipped heart beast. Those can really freak people out as they watch and wait nervously for the next time it happens. The anxiety radar goes into 24/7 overdrive looking out for any potential trouble.

Often times people start with one sensation they are scared of and it then can spread like wildfire to a fear of other bodily sensations like difficulty breathing, a lump in the throat or dizziness.

If you find yourself getting anxious about bodily sensations, you must first of all get it checked out by a doctor (that goes without saying). Then once you have the all clear, you need to learn to mentally step back and stop monitoring every minute aspect of your body.

Your body has an innate intelligence that has been keeping you alive for years and it is not going to stop doing so just because you are worried that it won’t.

As well intentional as your anxious mind is, it’s only getting in the way and making things worse by monitoring and trying to control every sensation.

I often think trying to control your bodily sensations, is like a nervous flyer during turbulence banging on the cockpit door demanding to fly the plane. That kind of behavior just makes the whole plane (your body) more tense.

You need to train your mind to let go and trust. Your anxious mind needs to sit back down and trust that your body can handle it, -just like it always has done.

Think of all the years your body has done its job perfectly but now your mind wants to butt in and take control just because a few unusual sensations.

These sensations are not going to be a problem for your body. It can handle it just fine thank you very much. It’s your anxious mind that has the problem.

There is great peace to be found in learning to trust your body again. You have lost that trust but you can regain it back by letting go of the need to control your body.

So, let go and trust your heart,

let go and trust your breathing,

let go and trust whatever the bodily sensation is that scares you the most.

Surrender and trust your body again just like you used to do way back when anxiety was never a problem.

I think your body has earned that trust!

Barry

P.S It goes without saying that If you’re worried about heart problems or any other bodily sensation you should always get a full medical examination. This at the very least will help put your mind at rest.

End Panic Attacks and General Anxiety – You don’t have to love your anxiety. You just have to permit it

We lead complicated lives so we expect solutions to our problems to be complicated too.

You can spend thousands of dollars on elaborate therapies to end anxiety and still get nowhere. Then years later you stumble across something that just seems to be too ‘simplistic’, yet it gets real results.

That’s what I see all the time when I am teaching people to end panic attacks and general anxiety.

Our mind tricks us into believing that we have to spend a lot of money to get great help and that if the answer is complex it must be better than something simple. “It costs $5000 so it must work!” goes the logic.

One of the simplest truths in treating anxiety is that by allowing anxiety to be present you can transform it. It’s not a sexy idea nor is it very complicated but it does work extremely well. The problem is most people do not even want to attempt it.

Some may try it in a half-hearted manner just to prove to themselves that it does not work. Then a week later they go back looking at the expensive and complicated treatments.

Ending anxiety is not a complicated process. It is a simple decision you make to get your mind out of your bodies way. Your body wants to heal itself, you just have to allow it to do so.

Acceptance takes your mind out of the way so that your nervous system can relax, it is that simple. Once you start to desensitize from high anxiety you start to see the world in a different way. You start to feel normal again.

“But I have XYZ disorder and it is much too complicated to be healed by accepting my anxiety” people say.

Watch how your mind might come up with excuses and trick you out of a real solution just because it’s simple. Often it’s the fact that something takes work and discipline is what your mind is really fighting against. It wants a quick fix magic pill.

My approach is about learning to stop your mind from kicking the hornet’s nest of anxiety so you no longer get stung by anxious bodily sensations.

It’s a simple yet radical shift in your perception of the anxiety you feel. You learn to sit with it and you permit it to be. You are not expected to love or even like it you just have to sit with it. Gradually you heal it.

It’s not complicated. It just takes practice and disciple.

Simple? Discipline?

Now watch your mind do a dash for the door!

To learn how to end panic attacks and general anxiety, watch this video – Stop having panic attacks now: exposure, coping, and grounding

By Barry McDonagh, who is an international panic disorder coach. He created the Panic Away program to help people around the world deal with their anxiety and avoid panic attacks – a subject that he is personally attuned to because he himself found that he was prone to these issues since he was young. His hatred of his powerless lead him down the path of finding natural ways to treat himself without having to depend on expensive medications.

His informative site on all issues related to panic and anxiety attacks can be found here: How to End Panic Attacks and General Anxiety?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment – How to Manage Your Excessive Worries?

 

CLICK HERE to Get Immediate Relief from Anxiety & Panic Attack

‘Panic Away taught me Strength, Courage, Security and Self-Reliance in ONE WEEK!’

Carly was in a bad place and suffering from anxiety and panic attacks. She thanks God that she found Panic Away.  Read on to see how Carly’s progress after only one week with the Panic Away program.

Hi everyone,

If you’ve been following my posts up until now, you would know that just 2 weeks ago, I was a wreck of myself. GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) had me by my throat and mercilessly had me bended at my knees. I was about to reach the point of falling off the edge of the earth.

Two weeks ago, I asked Akua (God) to please!… please help me!, I’m alone, I’m afraid, I’m physically exhausted, I’m broken down mentally and emotionally, I’m frantic, I’m fragile, I can’t cry , I can’t breathe. And nobody understands what this feels like. I don’t wanna die, but I don’t wanna live like this. Please help me find a way to “hold-on”. Insanity was my world, two weeks ago today.

One week ago today, it was DESTINY that I happened to come across a weblink that lead me to PANIC AWAY’s video ad that described my life, and offered me the opportunity to end it. To end the insanity.

Thank Akua (God), I found you! (Panic Away and this forum). The same day, within one hour of viewing the video online, I got a good understanding of what was being asked of me and whole-heartedly opened myself up to all the possibilities, to dare myself to challenge my fear. I looked at my fear in the face, and though I trembled I did not move.

In the calmness of my insanity I called its bluff, and I found my STRENGTH!!! I dared to challenge my phobias of wide and small spaces, I found COURAGE. Crowds in a restaurant, driving a car to my destination, running on a treadmill, I found SECURITY. Harnessing my panic attacks w/my newly armed techniques, I found SELF RELIANCE. Giving up my medications I found TRUST.

Surviving that in a “days” work, I found my sense of SELF again. But most importantly I found HOPE.

Perhaps my desperation, and the desperation in the face of my loved ones pushed me and willed me to get better. I can think of a hundred reasons or more. But definitely sheer DETERMINATION and HOPE are the beacons that got me through.

So here I am, one week later to tell you there IS hope for everyone, doesn’t matter how long you’ve tried. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED… the possibilities are “wide open”, theres no “expiration date”… when you’re ready, armed with your courage and an attitude of fearlessness, and the trusting knowledge of the program and those who have succeeded, take a deep breath and dive-in.

Think of it as a baptism, a right of passage to a better life. Freedom from fear. Freedom to start living again. Permission to leave the prison you’re in.

In a week, I am a testament to that.

Although I’m still a work in progress,

My phobias are gone.

My panic attacks seem to have dissipated.

I haven’t had an anxiety attack since.

I take no more medications.

I had one setback (but have since moved on)

I’m getting used to dealing with my bodies annoying sensations. Its boiled down to one general sensation that’s with me all the time. The sensation of a compressed chest. But that’s all it is… a sensation. It feels like I can’t breathe but I AM breathing.

So some nights I stay up and do my breathing exercises to relax until it tells me we’re ready to go back to sleep. Something tells me this is balled up energy of anxiousness/fear/nervousness but, I believe lifestyle changes, and a renewed and healthy attitude about life will get me pass this someday.

This is manageable FREEDOM. I’m already a success! But I am aiming for the prize. A new and improved me with a life free from GAD. Is that possible? Where I am now?… its already a miracle. Thank you Akua, I knew you were there!

To get more ideas about generalized anxiety disorder treatment, watch these 2 videos –

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The CBT Approach

6 Tips To Treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

By Barry McDonagh, who is an international panic disorder coach. He created the Panic Away program to help people around the world deal with their anxiety and avoid panic attacks – a subject that he is personally attuned to because he himself found that he was prone to these issues since he was young. His hatred of his powerless lead him down the path of finding natural ways to treat himself without having to depend on expensive medications.

His informative site on all issues related to panic and anxiety attacks can be found here: Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment – How to Manage Your Excessive Worries?

What is the Best Way for Treating General Anxiety and Panic Attacks?

 

CLICK HERE to Get Immediate Relief from Anxiety & Panic Attack

The 20 Second Countdown

Why everywhere you look are top psychologists and doctors still teaching outdated methods for treating general anxiety and panic attacks?

It seems every time I do a search online there is yet another anxiety “expert” rehashing the same old ideas. Brown Paper bags, think happy thoughts, do your breathing etc. I am sure you have come across them a million times before already.

How are people supposed to solve their anxiety issue if they are continuously exposed to these techniques and methods that only teach people to cope with anxiety. Just coping is not good enough. Real solutions are needed.

I want to share with you something that does work. It is a very simple way to help end the fear of a PANIC ATTACK. (In later emails I will address feelings of general anxiety)

This is a very good exercise for people who want something practical to focus their attention on when they feel the pressure of a panic attack building.

Its very simple and easy to remember. Here goes…

The 20 Second Countdown

When you feel the sensations of a panic attack building do the following.

Tell the panic that it has 20 seconds to initiate the full panic attack. 20 seconds and no more. After the 20 seconds are complete it must stop making empty threats.

You are allowing 20 seconds for it to fully manifest but not a second more.

Whatever the bodily sensation is that you fear, it must happen within that 20 second time frame.

-If you heart is going to explode then it has 20 seconds to do so.

-If you are going to lose control, then your mind has 20 seconds to do so.

-If you are going to faint – 20 seconds! But absolutely no more time than that.

You get the picture.

By setting a specific time frame you establish boundaries of control. You turn it into a game where you call fear’s bluff. If it were a poker game, you are asking anxiety to show its hand.

This works because it establishes a sense of control within your mind and body.

You think to yourself “I am not prepared to spend my time worrying about this. I’ve had enough. I am going to be generous and give it 20 seconds but after 20 seconds and nothing has happened then the opportunity has officially passed and I am going to go back to what I was doing.”

Then start counting -but nice and slowly, don’t rattle it off as fast as you can. Really tease it out like you did when you were a child and you never wanted to reach zero.

Teasing it out is the key because it allows you to feel generous and that you are giving anxiety every chance possible.

Deep down you know there is really nothing to fear.

To really help tease it out, break the last few numbers into fractions.

5…………………………..
4…………………………..
3……………………………
2…and three quarters…
2…and half………………
2…………………………..
1…and three quarters… (last chance anxiety)
1…and half……………… (I really cant wait any longer)
1…………………………..
0.

Sorry too late we’ve reached the end.

By not rushing through the countdown you will feel your confidence soar because you are demonstrating real control and authority over your anxious thoughts and bodily sensations. You are saying “look, I am really trying to give you all the time I can to unleash X,Y, and Z, I am being very generous here with this countdown.

Count your way to freedom. Count your way to confidence.

If you find this type of exercise useful then click here to learn more

For more ideas on treating general anxiety and panic attacks, watch this video – Yoga for Panic Attacks and High Anxiety

Barry McDonagh

panicaway.com

P.S. If you want to get started on the Panic Away course right now click here and you can download the course in the next 5 minutes. Join with me and let’s end the vicious cycle of anxiety and panic attacks today.

By Barry McDonagh, who is an international panic disorder coach. He created the Panic Away program to help people around the world deal with their anxiety and avoid panic attacks – a subject that he is personally attuned to because he himself found that he was prone to these issues since he was young. His hatred of his powerless lead him down the path of finding natural ways to treat himself without having to depend on expensive medications.

His informative site on all issues related to panic and anxiety attacks can be found here: Keep Panic Attacks Away – Treating General Anxiety and Panic Attacks

Generalized Anxiety Disorder Treatment – How to Overcome Setbacks in Tackling Anxiety Attacks?

 

CLICK HERE to Get Immediate Relief from Anxiety & Panic Attack

Setbacks Happen On the Road to Recovery

Have you ever wondered why people often experience setbacks when they begin to tackle their anxiety? Setbacks happen because, as you face your anxiety and the situations that make you feel uncomfortable, the avoidant/protective side of your personality becomes active.

When you decide to tackle your anxiety issue head on, the protective side of your personality would rather that you left well enough alone. Your protective side doesn’t like taking risks and feels better when you don’t put yourself in situations that make you feel anxious.

It’s the part of you that says:

“Let’s stay in our comfort zone today. At least we’re safe here.”

This part of your personality has your interests at heart, but you know deep down that a life cocooned from all adversity doesn’t lead to happiness. When you begin on your healing journey, it’s all new and it can feel like you’re moving into unknown territory. You quickly master areas of your life that were causing you problems.

Your protective side takes a back seat and watches with suspicion as you make this progress. Then, after a while, your protective side becomes more active for fear that, with all this progress, a great fall must be just around the corner.

As you move upward and onward, your protective side gets scared and tries to put on the brakes. This creates a conflict and fuels feelings of anxiety. The feelings can be very intense and might be similar to what you’ve experienced before-such as panic and general unease-or there may be new sensations never experienced before.

You might have been doing really well for a week, but then your protective side pops its head up and says something like this:

“Okay, well done. We’re not worried about dizzy spells anymore -fine. But what’s that ringing in your ear?”

“That sounds like trouble to me . . . LET’S GET WORRIED.

“No panic attacks in a week-great. But don’t be fooled. That means a really BIG one is about to pounce!”

These thoughts undermine your confidence. Suddenly you’re feeling vulnerable again, and the anxiety can return as your confidence dips and you obsess again about the way you feel. This kind of response is natural in recovery, and if you’ve experienced a setback recently, I want to show you how to best deal with it.

The first thing to remember is that setbacks happen. Try to never let a setback convince you that you’re not making progress. It doesn’t mean that all your progress has been undone. In general, setbacks are inevitable, and you need to have an accepting attitude toward them.

Secondly, setbacks form part of your healing. To move beyond the anxiety, you need to work with the protective side of your personality and teach it that there really is nothing to fear. When setbacks occur, it’s an indication that you now need to take your new understanding and work with your protective side, which is resisting the change.

You might want to think of that protective side as a small child who doesn’t want you (the parent) to take risks or do anything out of your comfort zone. Talk to this part yourself. Reassure it that all will be well and that it’s necessary for you to work through the anxiety in order to experience more freedom and happiness.

Setbacks can feel like a big step backward, but they’re generally followed by rapid progress on many levels if you engage fully with this protective side of yourself.

There’s an opportunity here for you to create a new working relationship with your protective self, and this will really seal your recovery. When you educate your protective self that you’re really safe and encourage it to take the steps with you, you become fully empowered to end your anxiety problem. All of your internal energies go in the same direction, and there’s no conflict.

Persistence will carry you through all setbacks and ensure your success.

Keep your confidence intact. Build it on the past, on each time you’ve succeeded.

Play those previous successes like a film in your head, again and again, each night as you go to sleep. All the panic attacks you’ve dealt with, all the sensations of anxiety you’ve felt and yet you still got on with it.

General anxiety disorder and, especially, panic attacks are probably the most frightening experiences a person can go through. In most cases, you feel like you’ve had a brush with death itself. That’s no small feat to deal with while on your lunch break!

Be proud of your experiences. You’re not a cowardly victim, but a survivor of a terrifying experience-and what’s more, you probably stayed at work or collected the kids from school. You continued living. Sure, there may be a few hairy anxiety memories in the past that you’d prefer to forget, but the underlying emotion to build upon is that you survived and you’re here now, alive and living a new day.

Build a wealth of memories, and they’ll be your resource from which to draw strength. Write them down, because that solidifies them and makes them more real in your mind. Read them to yourself regularly.

Be sure to keep a diary as written proof of the progress you’re making-the trips you take that weren’t possible before, the special days when you completely forgot you ever had an anxiety problem. You need to keep a record of these achievements because it’s easy for your protective side to negate the great strides you’ve made.

Confidence, just like fear, is contagious. Soon you’ll find it spreading to all areas of your life, giving you a quality of life even beyond your pre-anxiety days.

Always try to focus on the success you’ve achieved, and it will grow and expand in your life.

Persist with it. Turn a setback into an opportunity to solidify your real confidence. Regardless of what happens, you can handle it. Regardless of how your body feels, you’ll move through the anxiety and come out the other side smiling.

If you remain persistent, setbacks can be quickly turned to your advantage, and you’ll be strengthened by the experience.

Setbacks are delicate periods to move through, so you also need to be kind to yourself. Understand that they’re the result of YOU just trying to protect YOU. Be your own best friend. When you take your protective self by the hand and teach it that there’s nothing to fear, you’ll quickly march toward a greater experience of freedom.

Recovery is not a straight linear process. It will help if you try not to measure success on a day-to-day basis. Some days will be better than others-that’s just the way it is, so don’t get upset if you complete something successfully one day but fail the next.

Keep your eyes on the end goal, and persistence will carry you there.

What If My Anxiety Comes Back?

After a person has successfully moved out of their anxiety it is only natural, to at some stage, fear its reoccurrence. I call this the anxiety shadow. It is a worry in the back of your mind that the anxiety could return with full force and disrupt your life all over again.

Anxiety leaves such a strong imprint on people’s lives that it is normal to have such concerns. Fearing a return of anxiety is common when your life becomes stressful again and you worry that the extra stress will tip you back into a state of general anxiety. If you find yourself worrying in such a manner have faith that all will be well.

This worry is just a shadow of what has gone, it is based on the past not the future.

Generally, the anxiety shadow passes quickly after a day or two and you forget about it again. Remind yourself of the new tools and education you have. Take solace in the fact that your new understanding will lift the anxiety quickly again were it to return.

To learn how to overcome anxiety recovery setbacks, watch these 2 videos-

Dealing with SETBACKS (recovering from Anxiety/Panic/ Depersonalization and Derealization)

Overcoming Anxiety Recovery Setbacks and Why they Happen!

To your success…

Barry McDonagh

P.S. If you have experienced an anxiety setback and want to get over it quickly, get the support and information you need in my course Panic Away. Stage 3 of the course deals specifically with overcoming setbacks.

Visit: panicaway.com

By Barry McDonagh, who is an international panic disorder coach. He created the Panic Away program to help people around the world deal with their anxiety and avoid panic attacks – a subject that he is personally attuned to because he himself found that he was prone to these issues since he was young. His hatred of his powerless lead him down the path of finding natural ways to treat himself without having to depend on expensive medications.

His informative site on all issues related to panic and anxiety attacks can be found here: Keep Panic Attacks Away – How do I Stop Panic Attacks While Speaking in Public?

How to Practise the Art of Gratitude for Ending Anxious Thoughts?

 

CLICK HERE to Get Immediate Relief from Anxiety & Panic Attack

Gratitude Lifts the Weight of Anxiety

Let me tell you why the art of gratitude is such a great tool for ending anxious thoughts.

A lot of people write telling me how their anxiety makes them feel very cut off or removed from the world around them. This sensation can be distressing as people fear that they will never be able to feel normal again.

This feeling is common and in my experience is mainly fuelled by a cycle of anxious thinking.

A person with a panic disorder or a generalized anxiety disorder will spend much of their day mentally “checking in”.

Checking in is a term I use to refer to how people with anxiety constantly monitor their mind and body.

“Am I feeling ok?” “How are my thoughts?”

“Am I feeling secure or on edge right now?”

The reason regular checking in happens is because anxiety has such a powerful effect on the mind and body.

People tell me that they can deal with the anxious bodily sensations but it is the anxious mind that causes them most distress. That is what I want to address today.

Anxiety can often feel like a thick fog has surrounded your mind. Nothing really seems enjoyable as you are always looking out at the world through this haze of anxious thoughts and feelings. This fog steals the joy out of life and can make you feel removed or cut off from the world.

The anxious thoughts act as a barrier to experiencing the world and this sensation of separation then leads to feeling even more upset as you fear losing touch with yourself.

So how do you get this anxious fog to lift from your mind?

When someone is very caught up in anxious thoughts they are top heavy so to speak. The constant mental activity they are engaged in has caused an imbalance where all of their focus is on their mental anxieties.

A powerful way to move out of this anxious mental fog is to switch your focus from your head to your heart.

By simply making a deliberate shift of attention to your heart you will find the anxious thoughts dissipate more easily and the mental fog starts to gradually clear.

You can make this switch by practicing the art of gratitude.

I am sure you have heard of people speaking about the art of gratitude and the benefits it can bring to you.

Did you know that it has now been scientifically proven that regular practice of gratitude can dramatically change your bodies chemistry giving way to a more peaceful body and mind?

The Heart Math Institute has 15 years of scientific research proving that a simple tool like the art of gratitude can dramatically reduce stress and improve performance for individuals and organizations.

Many Fortune 500 companies are now starting to use this technique to reduce work related stress.

I am going to outline the technique briefly in a very straight forward exercise so you can start practicing right now.

When you practice this exercise you will feel a lightness and greater sense of perspective on any matter that has been troubling you. This activation of your heart emotion will lift the sensation that anxious thoughts create.

This is a very simple exercise but it is really powerful. Print it off and try it someplace where you can be alone.

Are you ready?

-Begin by closing your eyes and moving your attention to your heart area.

-Imagine a feeling of warmth emanating from the center of your chest.

If appropriate, place your right hand on your heart area. If you are around people or driving etc. simply imagine your right hand resting on your heart area.

Imagine this area glowing warmly for one to two minutes.

-Now, begin to focus on something in your life that you feel a genuine sense of appreciation for.

This can be one or more things that you really appreciate having in your life (e.g., family, health, friends, work, your home, a beautiful day etc).

It is important to focus on things that spark a real sense of gratitude and appreciation. If you really appreciate the thing you are thinking about, you will immediately feel a response from that area by way of a light warm sensation in your chest or an involuntary smile (remember those).

It does not really matter what you think about as long as it evokes this feeling of warm appreciation from your heart area.

Don’t struggle with this exercise. Everyone has something they can be grateful for. (Remember, the cemetery is full of people who would love to have your problems!)

Do not worry if you are thinking of your partner/family and you do not feel this. Some days it will be people close to you that will spark the heart feeling, other days it may be gratitude for very simple things like the fresh air you breath. It depends on the mood you are in, -remember it is the feeling you after.

The feeling we are looking to achieve is unmistakable, it is a positive change in your emotional state.

I say it is best to do this exercise alone because you will need to stay with this feeling for as long as you can.

Then, when you feel you have taken it as far as you can, open your eyes.

There is no time frame on this exercise, it can be a few minutes to half an hour.

Again it is about establishing a heart/mind connection and getting your awareness out of the anxious thoughts and more into your body.

After a few attempts you can incorporate this into your daily routine.

Do it in the car! Do it while sitting at your desk. Do it before you sleep at night.

You have to practice it frequently. Just like a muscle your heart will get more accustomed to this state and you will be able to switch into that feeling in seconds.

With practice you can also use this exercise in the middle of any stressful situation. You will be surprised at the positive outcome in terms of your own stress levels and the change in others around you.

This simple exercise can completely transform the outcome of interacting with other people, be it work or personal relationships.

This is especially true where there is conflict or misunderstanding between you and other people. Try it out, see what happens!

Be creative with it and make it your own daily ritual for yourself.

I am sure you agree that it is a worthwhile exercise to incorporate into your daily life. It is my experience that most people do not have the patience or time to make major lifestyle changes. By using this one simple exercise you can make a dramatic improvement to the quality of your life.

The simplest things in life are free and this is one of those gems.

Don’t pass it up

For topics related to ending anxious thoughts, watch this video – How to end stress, unhappiness and anxiety to live in a beautiful state | Preetha ji | TEDxKC

Kind Regards, Barry McDonagh

Learn more about Panic Away here: PanicAway.com

By Barry McDonagh, who is an international panic disorder coach. He created the Panic Away program to help people around the world deal with their anxiety and avoid panic attacks – a subject that he is personally attuned to because he himself found that he was prone to these issues since he was young. His hatred of his powerless lead him down the path of finding natural ways to treat himself without having to depend on expensive medications.

His informative site on all issues related to panic and anxiety attacks can be found here: Keep Panic Attacks Away – How to Practise the Art of Gratitude for Ending Anxious Thoughts?