Symptoms

A panic attack reveals itself in a variety of physical and emotional symptoms.

• Sudden overwhelming fear, terror
• Racing or pounding heartbeat
• Sweating, sweaty palms
• Trembling, jumpiness, twitching muscles
• Shortness of breath
• Sense of choking
• Chest pain or ‘heaviness’ in the chest
• Nausea
• Dizziness and lightheadedness
• Numbness or tingling in the limbs or entire body
• Chills or hot flashes
• A feeling of being detached from the world (derealization)

What is happening to me?

After learning that there is no indication of any physical life-threatening condition, it may actually increase the anxiety, having one wondering what could be causing these awful feelings?  If a person with panic goes undiagnosed, they may go on for years, searching for an explanation and having continued panic attacks with no relief or help.   Even after learning that it was a panic attack, many people find it hard to believe that panic itself could be the cause of all these very physical symptoms.

Some people become so fearful of having another panic attack that they avoid any triggering places or situations.  Though this may prevent some panic attacks in the short term, it will continue to limit and debilitate their lives.

Facts About Panic Attacks

Here are some facts about panic attacks that may help ease the fear of a panic attack.

1. Panic is an extremely uncomfortable and scary experience but it is NOT DANGEROUS: it will NOT give you a heart attack, give you a stroke, stop you from breathing, choke you or make you lose control.
2. You are still in control: The overwhelming urge to escape from panic feelings can make you believe that you could do something crazy to escape it. THIS IS JUST A THOUGHT.
3. You will not go crazy: Panic produces a variety of odd sensations but it will not make you go crazy, lose your sanity, or never go back to normal.
4. Panic will pass: The peak of a panic attack actually lasts less than a couple of minutes. Though you may still feel anxious after the peak passes, with the help of coping strategies and techniques the worst should not last long.
5. Odd sensations don’t necessarily mean you are sick: It is common for people experiencing a panic attack to mistake any physical manifestation as signs of illness.   The body can produce a variety of strange sensations and bodily sensations can come from a multitude of non-dangerous reasons.
6. Panic is a TREATABLE problem.

It’s treatable!

So, don’t panic!  It’s just panic, and panic disorders are treatable!  The most common evidence-based interventions for those who experience panic are cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy.   Additionally, becoming more informed about panic is helpful in alleviating the fear of another panic attack.

If you want to learn more about Panic Disorder, and counseling services, call us at Specialized Therapy Associates (201) 488-6678 or visit specializedtherapy.com

The post Panic Attack: Don’t Panic! It’s Just Panic first appeared on Specialized Therapy.

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There are so many influences in life that affect our thoughts, feelings, actions, and choices we make, that we often lose sight of our own identity.  To be authentic means representing one’s true nature or beliefs.  Many of use lose track of who we are authentically because we have tried so hard to be what others want or expect from us.  Self-esteem involves knowing and accepting our authentic self.  Therefore in order to have a healthy self-esteem, it is essential that we become in touch with our true self – who we were before it was influenced by other peoples opinions.

Messages

The messages we receive from society, family and peers can blur our own sense of self.  It causes us to think judgmentally, and act in ways that are not true to ourselves.  Think about the 11 year old boy who plays baseball because of his father’s dream of his becoming a pro baseball player.  The high school student, who joins the school play because all her friends are in it.  The businessman, who buys a BMW because society says it’s a symbol of his success.  Throughout our lives we are being manipulated by the judgments and messages that we receive; it makes it difficult to know who we are and why we are doing something.

Awareness

The path toward our authentic self is to become aware of how we are thinking and what we are saying to ourselves.  It is a willingness to see reality without judgment.   Having a healthy self-esteem begins with knowing yourself.  When you know who you are, and feel good about yourself, you could accomplish just about anything.

If you want to learn more about healthy self-esteem and counseling services, call us at Specialized Therapy Associates (201) 488-6678 or visit our website at www.specializedtherapy.com

The post Are you in touch with your Authentic Self? first appeared on Specialized Therapy.

The post Are you in touch with your Authentic Self? appeared first on Specialized Therapy.

It is our experiences in life that shape who we are and how we see the world.    Everything that we believe about ourselves, about others, and about the world in general is learned through our personal experiences.  It is therefore not surprising that experiencing chronic trauma during childhood leaves deep marks.  The effects of chronic trauma on a child’s body and brain build on each other.   They reveal themselves in acting-out behaviors, school difficulties, somatic complaints, eating disorders, self-harming and withdrawal.   This results in issues including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and substance abuse.  Though the behavioral and psychological effects of trauma have long been known, more recently, researchers have begun to discover what happens in the brain following this kind of trauma.

Childhood is when the brain develops and becomes organized.   When the people who should be protecting, loving, and guiding young children expose them to trauma instead of care, children’s brain development can get derailed.   Children affected by recurrent traumatic experiences may suffer serious symptoms that interfere with normal emotional, cognitive or social development.  It has been noted that the neural connections in the area of the brain associated with regulation of emotion, attention and various other cognitive processes are critically impaired in adults who went through severe abuse as children.   Traumatized children often feel hopeless, confused, unlovable, unsafe, and are afraid to trust others or their environment.

The good news is that children and adolescents can learn new ways of thinking.  In fact, the cortex, the highest part of the brain, continues to develop throughout adolescents and into adulthood.   By providing new, positive experiences we can reshape early patterns and help traumatized children and adolescents to build new neural pathways to bypass old ones.

Specialized Therapy Associates provides a wide range of Trauma Recovery therapeutic treatment and services for Children, Adolescents and Adults.  If you would like to find out more, please call the intake department at 201-488-6678, or visit our website at https://www.specializedtherapy.com

The post How Childhood Trauma Effects the Brain first appeared on Specialized Therapy.

The post How Childhood Trauma Effects the Brain appeared first on Specialized Therapy.