Panic can be absolutely terrifying.
When a panic attack hits, it can feel like your body has turned against you. Your heart may race. Your chest may tighten. Your breathing may feel strange. You might feel dizzy, shaky, unreal, hot, cold, trapped, or convinced that something is seriously wrong.
Even when a doctor has said your heart is okay, or your tests are normal, the fear can still feel completely real in the moment.
Once your brain interprets the sensation as dangerous, your body reacts with more adrenaline. Your heart beats faster. Your breathing changes more. You may feel shakier, hotter, dizzier, or more disconnected.
Then the fear increases again.
Over time, many people start living around panic, spending less time outside your ‘safety area’ and eventually restricted to your home.
You may avoid driving, grocery stores, lineups, exercise, restaurants, appointments, travel, or being alone. You may sit near exits, carry water or medication “just in case,” constantly check your pulse, or scanning your body for signs that another attack is coming.
None of this means you are weak. It means your nervous system has learned to see certain body sensations as dangerous.
The hopeful news is that panic disorder is very treatable. And one of the most effective treatments we have is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT.
CBT is often called the gold standard treatment for panic disorder because it does not just help you talk about panic. It helps you understand the panic cycle, gently face what you fear, and rebuild trust in your body.
What CBT Actually Does
CBT is not about telling yourself, “Calm down.”
The goal of CBT is to help you respond to that false alarm differently.
In therapy, you learn what is actually happening in your body during panic. You learn why the symptoms feel so intense. You learn how fear of the sensations actually are what are inadvertently keeping the cycle going.
In my Practice over the years, I’ve seen so many people feel relief just from understanding this. It’s not uncommon that they feel so much better, have less frequent/intense attacks and often stop even having them.
Instead of thinking, “Something is wrong with me,” they begin to see, “My body is having a panic response. It feels awful, but it is not dangerous.”
That shift matters.
Reclaiming courage – Rediscovering hope
Carol (Speed-Zeyen) MSW, RSW,
Certified Cognitive Behavioural Therapist
Social Worker/Psychotherapist