Attacking Anxiety and Depression

Let me introduce myself. I am a clinical psychologist in California and I have treating people with panic attacks, anxiety, and depression for many years. For the first time, I am sharing many of my best discoveries in an online workshop. I have tried many different approaches to getting rid of panic. Over the years I've been able to see which principles, which techniques, and which facts actually help people get free from panic attacks.

Let me tell you why I am so passionate about showing people how to get rid of panic attacks.

First, panic attacks can be cured... as in stopped, ovecome, wiped clean. I am a licensed psychologist in private practice. I have been a therapist for many years and I've worked with all different kinds of people and problems. I didn't become a psychologist to get rich. I left a successful career in software engineering to become psychologist. Being a doctor is rewarding work because I have a front-row seat to see how people's lives dramatically change for the better. The real motivator for me is seeing positive results in people's lives.

So what does this have to do with your panic attacks? Well, there are many different kinds of emotional issues that can make life miserable. Panic attacks are right up there at the top of the list. But here is the kicker: most of the time panic attacks can be eliminated when a person develops the right set of skills to deal with them.

Thieves and Robbers: The Invisible Thugs

The second reason I am so passionate about training people to stop panic attacks is that panic attacks are like a team of thieves that rob people of the joy of living.

If you suffer from anxiety attacks (panic attacks), consider for a moment what these invisible thugs are stealing from you.

1. The Positive Experiences of Life:

It's a mom who can't attend her child's back-to-school night for fear of having a panic attack in public. It's the gifted businessman who can't aim for the next promotion because it will involve some travel to give presentations. Sadly, he misses out on developing his full potential because he feels compelled to avoid anything that might trigger a panic attack. It's the woman who can't go hiking like she once enjoyed, because panic attacks have robbed her confidence of being anywhere that is "too far away."

2. The Enriching Experience of Relationships:

It's a young adult who cannot enjoy friends or dating because of the fear of having a panic attack. It' the mom who can't take her kids on an outing on Saturday because of anxiety has left her completely and utterly fatigued.

3. All the Things that You Don't Even Know that You Are Missing:

The extreme, overwhelming anxiety of panic attacks is not even the worst aspect. The real thief is the avoidant behavior that panic attacks create. Do you find yourself saying "No" to more and more of life in order to avoid panic? The most sinister type of thievery is robbing people without them even knowing it. How many experiences of life are you missing out on because panic attacks have made you avoid activities out of fear? There comes a point when...

So here is the upshot: It's time to take your life back and start living again!

The Cure Panic Attacks Workshop

This workshop is about getting a grip on your anxiety and panic. When I work with people in weekly, individual therapy sessions there is important information that people need to have in their head if they are going to successfully stop panic attacks. Over the years of working with therapy clients three things have stood out to me:

1. There is a specific body of content and insights that everyone fighting panic attacks needs to know. It's both information and a particular mindset about that information that seems to be so crucial for people to effectively eliminate panic attacks. Every individual has their own unique situation, but there are certain key facts about anxiety and panic that everyone must know, regardless of their situation.
2. There are specific skills that people must learn and these skills do not have to be learned individually in a therapist's office.
3. Therapy is perhaps the most expensive way to learn this body of knowledge and the necessary set of skills. (Actually, stumbling through life with panic attacks trying to reinvent the wheel all by yourself is the most expensive option).

Then... A light went on inside my head. light bulb

What if people could learn the basic information and skills in an online workshop and receive some individual coaching as well?

That's what the Cure Panic Attacks Workshop is all about. The class is 4 weeks long. It runs from October 19th through November 16th. Imagine this: you could be done with the course before the holiday season and well on your way to a new life of freedom.

Each week covers one of four learning modules that I have designed directly from the insights and skills that I know from experience really do work for people. It requires roughly an hour a day to complete the assignments. At the end of each week I review each student's work and give specific recommendations for how to make the most progress in the shortest amount of time.

Each weekly module contains:

* An easy-to-understand video that will introduce the material for the week and ease you into it.
* A PDF report that you can download, print out, and read.
* A self-study assignment to reinforce the key concepts in your own experience.
* A set of new tools that you will use to practice the skills for that week.
* A detailed explanation (usually a demonstration video) of how to complete the assignment using the new tools.
* Personal feedback from me to help you focus your time on the aspects of the course that are most important for your individual situation (based on the homework you give me).
* Bonus content to give you more tools and more encouragement!

So what difference will this class make for you? Let be break it down for you:

* KNOWLEDGE: You will understand the key facts about panic attacks so that you can start.
* MINDSET: Information alone is not enough. You have to have perspective, the right attitude, and realistic expectations.
* FOCUS: You will know where to focus your efforts. This is huge and could save you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.
* SKILLS: Going online and reading about panic attacks is one thing, but knuckling down and learning the skills you need is quite another. If you are willing to put in the time and the effort, I can teach you how to learn the skills in a way that challenges you without overwhelming you.
* ENCOURAGEMENT because you will know a way to cure panic attacks that many people have successfully followed. The methods I teach were not invented yesterday. They are based on research that is well-known among mental health professionals. I've just taken it a step further and created a set of tools that make it easier to learn the skills.
* INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK. I personally review each student's homework and give specific feedback.
* PRIVACY: Because this course is taught online, no one has to know what you are doing, unless you choose to let them know.
* REDUCE your dependence on medication. This is a natural method that does not require the use of medication, although it can work in tandom with it.
* SAVE MONEY on therapy. Many people do not need therapy when they learn the skills effectively. If you do go to therapy, you can make your therapy dollars stretch because your therapist won't have to teach you all the basic facts. This frees up time for troubleshooting and tailoring your efforts to your specific needs and situation. Another way that it will save you money by training you how to look for a therapist. Your goals will be much more focused and you will be much better equipped to decide if a therapist is right for you after speaking with them for 10 minutes during your initial phone call. In a nutshell, if you make better choices early on, you save time and money that you would otherwise spend thrashing about looking for answers.
* MORE CONFIDENCE that you are equiped with a roadmap for the direct routes to peace of mind and freedom to live your life without panic attacks.

Anxiety hinders us in overcoming depression by aiding and abetting depression in cruel ways. Depression robs us of sleep, energy, hopeful expectation and the simple (and more profound) pleasures of living - people who suffer depression regularly report this. Anxiety cruelly amplifies depression by ramping its victims up on an adrenaline rush, or, just as cruelly, deceiving us with a kind of pseudo-energy triggered by low-grade stress response that can never seem to be switched off. Additionally, and working in ironic tandem with depression, anxiety can prohibit sleep at the beginning of the night while depression robs us of sleep in the middle to the end of the night. What we are left with in our attempts at attacking anxiety and depression is a hamstrung effort at our most vulnerable moments.

Anxiety, by definition, is like a parasite to depression precisely because anxiety feeds on vulnerability, weakness and insecurity. Whether real or imagined, feelings of vulnerability, weakness and insecurity give host to anxiety in our emotional landscape and, before long, its nearly impossible to tell the difference and seems an overwhelming burden to bear.

Attacking anxiety and depression effectively involves a strategy of dividing before conquering. The key is understanding and identifying the separate foes of anxiety and depression clearly enough and comprehending how each distinct enemy works its miserable effects in our lives. Making distinctions helps. For example, ask yourself: Are you laying awake at 1:45am still trying to fall asleep? This is probably anxiety at work. Are you waking up at 3am and can't seem to fall back to sleep? A sure sign of depression present.

Studying our enemies and properly arming our selves against these enemies is the only effective strategy for attacking anxiety and depression. We develop a strategy that fits our situation and personality by arming ourselves with the knowledge necessary for dividing and conquering our enemies.

Knowledge is power, remember. And knowledge is empowering. Please address any specific questions to me by posting them here, and look for my next post where I explain much more about the signs and symptoms of depression itself.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV), when 4 or more of the following symptoms develop abruptly, reach a peak within 10 minutes and create intense fear or discomfort, you are experiencing an 'official' panic attack.

1. palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
2. sweating
3. trembling or shaking
4. sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
5. feeling of choking
6. chest pain or discomfort
7. nausea or abdominal distress
8. feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint
9. derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
10. fear of losing control or going crazy
11. fear of dying
12. paresthesias (numbing or tingling sensations)
13. chills or hot flushes

Zooming in on the Physical Sensations of Your Panic Attack Map
The Heart: One of the scariest symptoms is chest pain, tightness and pressure. Your heart may beat very hard or fast and feel like it could jump out of your chest. Or you may experience palpitations, where it skips a beat or two and feels like it's flopping around.

The Body: Excessive sweating from hot or cold flashes can leave you drenched for no apparent reason. You might feel a trembling deep inside or you may be unable to control the outward shaking of your body. Numbness or a burning sensation is common and your hands and feet might tingle with pins and needles.

Respiration: You're very conscious of each breath you take and although your rate of breathing increases, it also becomes more shallow. Catching your breath is difficult and the sensation of feeling smothered or suffocating is common.

The Head: Hyperventilation (over-breathing) results in dizziness and lightheadedness. Your vision may blur or you might have ringing in your ears. You could feel unsteady as if things are whirling around or as though your head is swimming and this adds to the fear that you might faint or pass out.

The Throat: Muscles in your throat contract which leads to a feeling of being choked or strangled. Your mouth is dry and it may feel as if there's a lump stuck in the back of your throat that stops your ability to swallow.

The Stomach: Butterflies or tightness as if you've been punched is common in the abdominal area, along with feeling bloated or nauseous. Painful diarrhea and a lack of appetite may leave a tinny or metallic taste in your mouth.

The Mind: It's difficult to concentrate and your thoughts are running at a hundred miles an hour. Disoriented and confused, it feels like you're living in a time warp where the world around you isn't real (derealization). You may feel cut off from your surroundings as if you're underwater and everything is out of reach (depersonalization). Thoughts of having a heart attack, losing your mind, dying, and becoming trapped are all very common fears for anyone having a panic attack.

Now keep in mind that most people do not experience all 13 symptoms at once. A panic attack is made up of any combination of at least 4 of the 13 possible ingredients. But if you have the facts about all 13 symptoms you can begin to map what is happening to you and reassure yourself that you really will not die from any of the panic attack symptoms. Having a map of the forest doesn't automatically put you back on the right trail and understanding panic symptoms doesn't necessarily stop them. But factual knowledge of the real physical symptoms is the first step in overcoming panic attacks.