Panic Attacks

by Jef Gazley, M.S., LMFT, DCC

Panic attacks are probably the most intensely painful psychological condition I can think of. It feels like an accelerator on a car has just gotten stuck and it is propelling you straight into traffic without any way to control it. It is especially terrifying because there is usually no logical reason to be scared and it comes on without any warning.

The original cause for a panic attack is either a chemical imbalance in the neurotransmitters or brain chemicals, a past trauma, or a combination of both. Once an attack has been experienced a complex syndrome develops because of how novel and frightening it is. A person’s central nervous system gets sensitized to the attack and does not go back to normal for an extended period. This exaggerates the flight, fight, and freeze response and sticks the accelerator. It is as if a person’s body is waiting for the next attack and this makes another one much more likely. This is called anticipatory anxiety. There is often a hereditary link with this disorder in that some families have a depletion of Serotonin, which is one of the neurotransmitters.

Everyone tends to have their favorite treatment modalities for panic attacks, but most people use a combination of medication, relaxation techniques, and talk therapy. What I have found very helpful is to check with Applied Kinesiology which neurotransmitters are depleted. I often find that a client’s Serotonin and GABA is low. I refer that client to a chiropractor/acupuncturist/nutritionist that I work with and he verifies my findings and puts them on a GABA supplement and vitamins. He also works to balance the body’s set point so that the anticipatory anxiety becomes lower.

I will then evaluate how the client is doing and if they are still experiencing problems refer them to a medical doctor or psychiatrist that I use and they will probably be put on Paxil, which is an anti-depressant and Klonopin, which is a tranquilizer. The Klonopin is addictive so we use it only for a month or two, but it is almost impossible to have an anxiety attack when a person is using it.

Throughout this process I am teaching the client to use alternative breathing exercises, which is a Yoga technique to relax, teaching them self-hypnosis and providing them with a hypnosis tape or CD, and using some Thought Field Therapy or TFT, which is also based on Applied Kinesiology to reduce body memory for the panic. I also am looking for any trauma-based cause for the panic by using Neuro Emotional Technique™ or NET™, which is also based on Applied Kinesiology. This technique is amazingly effective. I also will use EMDR, which is a trauma release tool as well. All these modalities work very quickly and time is of the essence with this disorder. It is very helpful to break the cues early. However, it is also effective for people who have suffered this kind of attacks for years.

© 2004 Jef Gazley, M.S., LMFT, DCC

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